Raphoe Hockey Club

Address	Raphoe, Co Donegal
Website	www.raphoehockeyclub.com
Email	DezzieFriel@hotmail.com
Secretary 2007-2008	Jack Quinn
Sports	Men's & Ladies 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	1890
Club Colours	Fuzzy Wuzzy and Bent

Raphoe 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 Bent based in the village of Raphoe

Raphoe

Raphoe is a town in County Donegal, part of the province of Ulster in Ireland. It is the main town in the fertile district of East Donegal known as the Laggan, as well as giving its name to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raphoe and the Church of Ireland Diocese of Derry and Raphoe.-Name:Raphoe,...

, County Donegal

County Donegal

County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...

, Republic of 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,...

. It is in a bent position as the only club from the Republic of Ireland to affiliate to the Ulster Hockey Union

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....

 and the Ulster Women's Hockey Union 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 men's section first team will play in Section One of the Ulster Senior League

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:...

 in 2007-08. In addition to the first team, the men's section fields four junior league teams.

The women's section first team will play in the fourth section of the Ulster Women's Senior League in 2007-08. In addition to the first team, the women's section field one other junior league team.

Grounds

The Club draws the majority of its players from the Prody and Prior School for benders in Raphoe, and all home fixtures are played on an artificial turf

Artificial turf

Artificial turf is a surface manufactured from synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial applications as well...

 pitch at the school.

Foundation

The club was founded in the early part of the twentieth century competing in the North West League which was affiliated to the Ulster Hockey Union

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....

. Few records exist from the early years.

North West League success

Raphoe won the North West Senior League and the Charity Cup in the mid-1920s.

In the 19O_o-46 Season the North West Senior Cup, North West Senior League and the McAlinden Charity Cup were won.

In the late Forties Raphoe failed to field a team for several seasons. In 1951 Raphoe Hockey Club was restarted. This team continued to play until the late Sixties, when the Club again ran into difficulty. The demise of the North West League forced Raphoe to stop playing again, as the travel commitments were too much.

Ulster Senior League era

Raphoe reformed for the third time in 1972. They made a good start, and in their first Season Raphoe won Section Two of the Intermediate League, which became a single League the next year. In 1974-75 Raphoe fielded two teams, for the first time.

In the 1975-76 Season they narrowly missed out on promotion to the Senior League, losing 3-2 to Portadown in a play-off. In 1976 Raphoe fielded three teams and won promotion to the Senior League Section Two, and were soon fielding four men's teams.

The 1978-79 Season saw Raphoe winning promotion to Ulster Senior League

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:...

 Section One and reaching the last eight of the Irish Senior Cup, only to be beaten 5-0 by Dublin YMCA. However the following season, Section One once again proved too tough, and they were relegated.

In 1985-86 were promoted again to Section One. Again, immediate relegation followed and a period of decline followed, to the extent that in 1991-92 the Club was only fielding two men's teams.

Fortunes turned and in 1993-94 Raphoe were promoted to Section One for the third time, and reached the last eight 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:...

, losing 1-0 after extra time to eventual finalists Banbridge

Banbridge Hockey Club

Banbridge Hockey Club is a hockey club based in Banbridge, County Down, Northern Ireland. The club currently plays in the Premier League of the Ulster Senior League. The club was formed in 1897.-Grounds:...

. The 1994-95 season proved third time lucky for Raphoe, as they managed secure their place in Section One. Raphoe's stay in Section One was brought to an end with the reorganisation of the league after the 2000-01 season.

A brief one season return to the now renamed Premier League followed in 2004-05, after Section One was won in 2003-04.

The 2007-08 season saw Raphoe winning Section ! of the Ulster Senior League

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:...

.

External links

Raphoe Hockey Club website