Avoca Hockey Club is a hockey

Field hockey

Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...

 club based in Blackrock, County Dublin

County Dublin

County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...

, Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

. The club is affiliated to the Leinster Branch of the Irish Hockey Association

Irish Hockey Association

The Irish Hockey Association is the governing body for the game of hockey throughout the island of Ireland.The Association was formed in 2000 with the merger of the Unions that managed the men's and women's game separately. These Unions had governed the sport of hockey since the late 19th...

. The club currently fields three men's teams and four women's teams in the Leinster Hockey leagues.

With a history dating back to 1891, Avoca in its current form was set up in 1929 to provide a place for past pupils of Avoca School to continue playing hockey after leaving the education system. After Avoca School was amalgamated with Kingstown Grammar School in 1973 to form Newpark Comprehensive School

Newpark Comprehensive School

Newpark Comprehensive School is a non-fee paying, co-educational comprehensive secondary school under Church of Ireland management, located on Newtown Park Avenue in Blackrock, County Dublin, Ireland....

, the purpose of the club expanded to cater for past pupils of Newpark. To this day there continues to be a strong link between club and school.

Early history

Avoca School was founded in 1891 and hockey became the school’s primary game from 1895. As old boys continued to play for the school, a “Past and Present” hockey club was formed. The club won won the Irish Junior Cup in 1897, and soon became strong enough to play in Senior League and Cup Competitions.

Present Club

The present club was re-formed in 1929 as Avoca Hockey Club and has entered teams for senior and other league and cup competitions ever since. The club has played at the site on Newtown Park Avenue since 1936 and after the opening of Newpark School in 1973, the growth of the club exploded in terms of both membership and success.

Current Teams

At present Avoca has three men's and four ladies teams plus an active veterans team and youth section. All the senior teams play in the Leinster League.

Ladies

• Ladies' Firsts
• Ladies' Seconds
• Ladies' Thirds
• Ladies' Fourths
• Ladies' Fifts
• Ladies' Vets
• Indoor

Gentlemen's

• Irish Senior Cup
  Irish Senior Cup (Men's Hockey)
  The Irish Senior Cup is the premier knock-out trophy played for by the best men's hockey clubs in Ireland. It is one of the oldest hockey tournaments in the world.-Historical format:...
  
   Winners 1995/6
• Irish Club Champions 1992/3 1993/4
• Leinster League 1982/3: 1983/4: 1984/5: 1985/6: 1986/7 1988/9: 1990/1: 1991/2: 1992/3
• Mills Cup 1981/2: 1984/5: 1987/8: 1988/9: 1989/90 1990/1: 1992/3
• Neville Cup 1982/3: 1984/5: 1986/7: 1989/90: 1990/1 1991/2: 1995/6
• Stephen Doyle Trophy 1986: 1988: 1989: 1990: 1991: 1997
• Irish Junior Cup
  Irish Junior Cup (Men's Hockey)
  The Irish Junior Cup is a knockout trophy played for field hockey clubs in Ireland. Entry is open to sides that do not qualify for the Irish Senior Cup and to the second teams of clubs that play in the Irish Senior Cup...
  
  Winners: 1896/7: 1964/5: 1996/7 Capt: S.Kinsella
• British Isles Club Championships Winners 1984/5
• James S.McMahon Memorial Cup Winners: 2004/5
• Intermediate Cup Winners: 1975/76
• Minor Cup Winners: 1988/89
• Galtrim Cup Winners 2004/05
• Derrick C.A.Cole Cup Winners 2004/05: Capt,I.Wilkie. 2006/07: Capt, I. Wilkie
• Leinster Junior Cup Winners 1980/81, 2006/07 Capt: I.Wilkie
• Leinster Minor Cup Winners 1961 Capt, F.D.Markham, 1989 Capt, R.Scott

Indoor

• Irish Indoor Club Championships Winners: 1986/7, 1988/9, 1989/90
• Leinster Senior League Winners: 1981/2, 1982/3, 1983/4, 1984/5, 1985/6, 1986/7, 1987/8, 1988/9, 1989/90, 1990/91, 1991/92, 1992/93, 1993/94,1994/95, 1995/96, 1996/97, 1997/98, 1998/99,2000/01, 2001/02, 2002/03,
• Leinster Senior Cup Winners: 1985/6, 1986/7, 1987/8, 1988/9, 1989/90, 1990/91, 1991/2, 1992/3, 1994/5, 1995/6, 1997/8, 1999/2000, 2002/3
• European Club Championships – 1987/88

Ladies'

• Middle League Cup Winners: 1977/78, 2006/07
• Winners Div 6: 2005/06 (1st XI)
• Winners Div 5: 2006/07 (1st XI)
• Winners Div 4: 2007/08 (1st XI)
• Winners Div 13: 2005/06 (2nd XI)
• Promoted to Div 11 2007/08 (2nd XI)
• Div 11/12 Cup Winners 2007/08 (2nd XI)
• Winners Div 10 2009/2010 (2nd XI)
• Div 9/10 Cup Winners 2009/2010 (2nd XI)
• Winners Div 13 2009/2010 (3rd XI)
• Promoted to Div 13 (4th XI)

External links

• Avoca Hockey Club - official website