Thursday February 19: Mark Tumilty, head coach of the Irish men’s hockey team, has announced that his squad of 20 players will travel to Santiago, Chile to take part in the FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers from March 1 to 8. The crucial tournament offers Ireland the chance to secure its place at the 2026 Hockey World Cup, which would end the eight-year wait for the men’s team to compete in hockey’s top international competition.
Jaime Carr will be Ireland’s first choice between the sticks, with the shot-stopper continuing his world-class form in 2026 with both Irish and Belgian clubs Gantoise. Alongside him is Luke Roleston, who rejoins the squad after impressing with Banbridge.
Kyle Marshall, Peter McKibbin, Mark McNellis and Sam Hyland will lead Ireland’s defensive efforts at centre-back, with Lee Cole, Luke Witherow and Fergus Gibson at wing-back.
Greg Williams also joins the squad as part of the backline, playing in only his second major senior international tournament after an exceptional performance for the Ireland U21 squad at the FIH Hockey World Cup in India, where he scored six times.
In midfield, Sean Murray and Peter Brown will be the focal points, with Johnny McKee, Jonny Lynch and Adam McAllister working alongside them as Ireland transition from defense to attack.
Up front, the experienced head of Jeremy Duncan leads the line as the Monkstown forward quickly approaches his 150.e International cap. Matthew Nelson will play alongside him to increase his goal tally, with Ben Walker, Ali Empey and Louis Rowe completing Ireland’s attacking line.
During the announcement, Head Coach Mark Tumilty said:
“The squad has worked exceptionally hard to ensure we are in the best position to achieve qualification for the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup. We have a very strong group traveling to Chile who I have the utmost confidence in to get the job done.
Our goal is simple: return to the FIH Hockey World Cup. We know it will not be an easy task, but we are ready for the challenge.”
The IRL Men have been drawn in Pool B of the FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers and begin their qualifying bid against Canada (#19) on Sunday, March 1 at 3:00 PM Irish time, in their first meeting since Canada denied Ireland a place at the 2020 Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The team will then face Korea (#16), who defeated Ireland in 2024, on Tuesday, March 3 at 2:15 PM Irish time to qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris. Games, before concluding their campaign with a meeting with Poland (#24) on Wednesday, March 4 at 12pm Irish time, as the team look to avenge their shootout loss in the EuroHockey Championship Qualifiers in Dublin in 2024.
The team could face France (#9), Wales (#15), Scotland (#20) or Chile (#22) if they manage to get out of the group. Ireland will need to achieve a top 3 finish in the competition to secure their place, finishing in the top two places in the group and winning either the semi-final tie or third place.rd/4e Post a Play-Off match if necessary.
Irish men’s selection
Jaime Carr
Lucas Roleston
Greg Williams
Luke Witherow
Fergus Gibson
Lee Cole
Kyle Marshall
Mark McNellis
Sam Hyland
Peter McKibbin
Pieter Brown
Johnny McKee
Adam McAllister
Sean Murray
Jonny Lynch
Jeremy Duncan
Ben Walker
Matthew Nelson
Louis Rowe
Ali Empey
FIH Hockey World Cup – Match Schedule
March 1 – 3:00 PM Irish time – IRELAND vs Canada
March 3 – 2:15 PM Irish Time – Korea vs IRELAND
March 4 – 12:00 Irish time – IRELAND vs Poland
March 6 – 8 – Crossover Matches (SF, F and Ranked Matches)
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