Lisnagarvey Hockey Club
Encyclopedia
| Address | 2 Comber Road, Hillsborough, Co Down, BT26 6LN |
| Phone | (+ 44 28) 92 68 11 44 |
| Website | www.lisnagarveyhockey.com |
| lisnagarveyhc@btconnect.com | |
| Chairman 2007-08 | Brian McQueen |
| Secretary 2007-08 | Ian MacDonnell |
| Sports | Ladies Hockey and Men's Hockey |
| Branch | Ulster Branch of the IHA Ulster Hockey Union The Ulster Hockey Union is the administrative arm of the Irish Hockey Association with responsibility for men's hockey throughout the province of Ulster.... |
| Founded | 1901 |
| Club Colours | Blue and White. |
| Other Names | Garvey |
Lisnagarvey Hockey Club is the most successful Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
men's 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. The club is based in Hillsborough, County Down
Hillsborough, County Down
Hillsborough is a village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland, situated from the city of Belfast. It is within the Lisburn City Council area....
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. It has a current membership of 700. The club also has a ladies section.
Formation
In September 1901, at a meeting held in the LisburnLisburn
DemographicsLisburn Urban Area is within Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area and is classified as a Large Town by the . On census day there were 71,465 people living in Lisburn...
Temperance Institute it was decided to form 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 to be called Lisnagarvey. The three founder-members were R C Bannister, who became Captain, E L Wilson, the Honorary Treasurer and W S Duncan, the Honorary Secretary. The annual subscription for playing members was set at five shillings, and the original colours were light and dark blue.
Often referred to as Garvey they initially only played friendly matches. It was not until the 1903-04 season that the first competitive games took place.
Grounds
Lisnagarvey has played at several locations in its history.The first home was located off the Antrim Road in Lisburn
Lisburn
DemographicsLisburn Urban Area is within Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area and is classified as a Large Town by the . On census day there were 71,465 people living in Lisburn...
, where a pavilion complete with toilet facilities was built.
In the 1950s the Club moved to its famous Blaris pitches, under the shadow of a huge BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
transmitter. Off the field, a team of back-room helpers worked ceaselessly to establish a social and financial base for the Club. The Club made various structural changes to their premises at Blaris and the venue was used to host International and Interprovincial matches and Cup Finals.
In the 1980s the decision was taken to establish the first artificial pitch complex in Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
at a completely new venue nearby. This significant move was made possible by the sale of the 'old' Blaris grounds to a private developer for retail use. The new home was named New Blaris.
In 2002 New Blaris was sold to another retail developer and the club was forced to play its home games at the Queen's University facilities at Upper Malone. Work on a new home at Comber Road, Hillsborough
Hillsborough, County Down
Hillsborough is a village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland, situated from the city of Belfast. It is within the Lisburn City Council area....
was started in 2004. This facility featuring a new clubhouse and two water-based artificial turf pitches was completed in time for the start of the 2005-06 season.
Early years
In the 1904-05 the club won its first trophy, the Mulholland Shield.From 1904-1908, Lisnagarvey played Junior hockey, reaching the Final of the 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...
, but lost the replay 5-0 to Monkstown. They also won the Junior League and the Braddell Shield.
These early successes ensured election to for admission to the Senior League.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
all hockey was suspended in Ireland. Forty-three club members served with the armed forces, of whom four were killed and four wounded. Four others received the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
for bravery.
Post-World War I expansion
After the War, the membership increased to over 100 by 1922.In season 1924-25 Lisnagarvey won the 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:...
for the first time, beating Limerick PMYA. This Final was remarkable for requiring a second replay and seven periods of extra time were played in the two drawn games. The captain JL Alderdice gave each member of the victorious team an engraved miniature cup to commemorate the achievement.
In 1926-27 'Garvey again won the 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:...
, under the captaincy of RTS Bailey. This was the era of the famous Gregor McGregor, an international player who was described as "the most dangerous forward in Ireland".
Post-World War II success
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
competitive hockey was suspended for two years (1939-40 & 1940-41) because Clubs found travelling difficult, due to petrol rationing.
The post-war period brought a new era of success to Lisnagarvey. The 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...
was won for the first time in season 1954-55. The club's 2nd team defeated University College, Dublin by four goals to nil in the Final.
The club won 9 out of 14 available trophies in 1957-58.
As a club, Lisnagarvey won 43 Trophies from 1950 until 1960.
The Corken Cup was donated in 1958 as a memorial to Club stalwart Jimmy Corken who died in a drowning accident at Sanremo
Sanremo
Sanremo or San Remo is a city with about 57,000 inhabitants on the Mediterranean coast of western Liguria in north-western Italy. Founded in Roman times, the city is best known as a tourist destination on the Italian Riviera. It hosts numerous cultural events, such as the Sanremo Music Festival...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It is awarded to the Ulster team which reaches the furthest stage of the 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:...
. In the first three years it was won by Lisnagarvey, who have held it 23 times to date.
New Blaris years
The transfer to the new premises at New Blaris and the building of a new pavilion led the way for a resurgence of Lisnagarvey's success on the field.Under the guidance of Coach Terry Gregg, who was appointed in 1987 and others, the club virtually dominated Irish hockey for several years. When Terry Gregg arrived, the Club had not won the 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:...
for 17 years, despite reaching two Finals and two Semi-Finals. The club achieved the unequalled record of winning the 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:...
seven years in succession. In addition to the seven consecutive 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:...
victories, Lisnagarvey won four consecutive Senior League titles
Ulster Senior League (Men's Hockey)
The Ulster Senior League is a league competition for the first teams of men's hockey clubs affiliated to the Ulster Hockey Union of the Irish Hockey Association.-Formation:...
, seven Corken Cups, two European B Division trophies, sixth place in the A Division of the European Cup in Frankfurt, one Anderson Cup
Anderson Cup (Ulster hockey)
The Anderson Cup is a hockey tournament for clubs that are members of the Premier League of the Ulster Senior League. The current holder is Banbridge.-Trophy:...
, one Kirk Cup
Kirk Cup
The Kirk Cup is the oldest hockey tournament in Ulster and the oldest provincial hockey trophy in Ireland. It has become a tradition since the 1966-67 season for the final to be played on Boxing Day, a date previously reserved for the Anderson Cup Final. The final attracts the largest crowd of the...
, two All-Ireland League titles, and two All-Ireland Floodlit Cups. The Second XI also won two Irish Junior Cups
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...
, two McCabe Cups and four Junior League I
Ulster Hockey Union
The Ulster Hockey Union is the administrative arm of the Irish Hockey Association with responsibility for men's hockey throughout the province of Ulster....
titles.
Ladies section
A ladies section was added when Lisburn Ladies joined the New Blaris setup in the early 1990s under the chairmanship of Rodney McCann, the first time that a ladies section had played under the Lisnagarvey name for several decades.The Lisnagarvey Ladies 1st team currently plays in Section 2 of the Ulster Women's Hockey Union Senior League.
Notable players
In 1908 Fred Hull won an International Cap - the first by a 'Garvey player. So far forty players have followed in his footsteps.These include
- Gregor Guthrie McGregor (born 1899-died 31 March 1944, age 44). A dangerous forward, Gregor was the most famous Lisnagarvey player in the 1920s and 1930s. He was born in GreenockGreenockGreenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
, ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and was selected at age 17 by Scotland. However, as he had moved to Ireland at a young age, he turned down the selection in favour of his adopted country. He played in 19 matches for IrelandIreland national field hockey teamIreland national field hockey team represents Ireland at men's international field hockey. It is organised by the Irish Hockey Association. Usually the team represents the entire island of Ireland and plays under a special flag. The exception is Olympic hockey, where the team represents only the...
.
- Jack Bowden, who first played on the first team as a fifteen-year-old
- Brian Raphael formed a fearsome partnership with Jack Bowden
- Steven Johnson played with the British Squad at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne1956 Summer OlympicsThe 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
- Brown Shaw and Wally Mercer won their first Irish Caps in 1962-63. Wally had the distinction of leading Ireland to success in the Home International Championships of 1968, the first time they won the series since 1949.
- Michael Bowden, a winger, maintained the family tradition by gaining International honours.
- Jimmy KirkwoodJimmy KirkwoodJames W. Kirkwood is a former field hockey player and Irish cricketer, who was born in Northern Ireland.-Hockey:Kirkwood was a member of the golden winning British squad at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul....
, Olympic Gold Medallist with the British Squad at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul1988 Summer OlympicsThe 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
.
Notable Officials
- John Kennedy - President of the Ulster Branch in 1986-87
- Bobby Howard - the first Lisnagarvey man to become Ulster Branch President in 1977-78. He went on to become President of the Irish Hockey Union, in 1989-90, and he had the honour of presenting both the Irish Cups - SeniorIrish 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:...
and JuniorIrish 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...
- to his Lisnagarvey colleagues during his term of office.
Honours
Lisnagarvey has won the Irish Senior CupIrish 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:...
twenty one times (and two shares) and the 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...
sixteen times, more times than any other club has won either trophy.
- Irish Senior CupIrish 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:...
(21 wins and 2 shared)- 1924-25, 1926–27, 1944–45, 1945–46, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1957–58, 1959–60, 1965–66, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1996–97 , 2002–03, 2004-05.
- Shared - 1940-41, 1961–62.
- Irish Junior CupIrish 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...
(17 wins)- 1954-55, 1955–56, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1966–67, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1976–77, 1986–87, 1989–90, 2002–03, 2010-11.
- Ulster Senior LeagueUlster Senior League (Men's Hockey)The Ulster Senior League is a league competition for the first teams of men's hockey clubs affiliated to the Ulster Hockey Union of the Irish Hockey Association.-Formation:...
- 1924-25, 1933–34, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1944–45, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1980–81, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999-00, 2000–01, 2001-02, 2010-11.
- Kirk CupKirk CupThe Kirk Cup is the oldest hockey tournament in Ulster and the oldest provincial hockey trophy in Ireland. It has become a tradition since the 1966-67 season for the final to be played on Boxing Day, a date previously reserved for the Anderson Cup Final. The final attracts the largest crowd of the...
(29 wins and 1 shared)- 1922-23, 1923–24, 1924–25, 1933–34, 1938–39, 1941–42, 1942–43, 1944–45, 1945–46, 1947–48, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1963–64, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1977–78, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1989–90, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2001-02.
- Shared - 1955-56
- Anderson CupAnderson Cup (Ulster hockey)The Anderson Cup is a hockey tournament for clubs that are members of the Premier League of the Ulster Senior League. The current holder is Banbridge.-Trophy:...
- 1922-23, 1924–25, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1937–38, 1942–43, 1945–46, 1946–47, 1951–52, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1955–56, 1957–58, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1963–64, 1975–76, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1986–87, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 2007-08 (incomplete)
Club Ethos
The spirit of the Lisnagarvey Club was summarised by Captain Robbie Taylor in his speech after the 1996 Final of the Irish Senior CupIrish 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:...
which was won by Avoca
Avoca Hockey Club
Avoca Hockey Club is a hockey club based in Blackrock, County Dublin, Ireland. The club is affiliated to the Leinster Branch of the Irish Hockey Association...
. He quoted part of the 1909 Annual Report of the then Honorary Secretary RC Bannister, a founder-member. "We hope to have a better Season than last, but whether good or bad, it is to be hoped that fair play and good sportsmanship may ever characterise the Lisnagarvey Hockey Club."