Irish Team for World University Games Announced
09 June 2009
The Colleges and University Sports Association of Ireland (CUSAI) today announced the Irish athletes who will be competing in this summer’s World University Games.
There are 69 students selected across athletics, fencing, football (men’s and women’s), swimming, taekwondo and tennis for the biennial competition, which this year takes place in the Serbian capital Belgrade from July 1 to July 12.The squad boasts five Olympians from the 2008 Beijing Games - Fionnuala Britton and Joanne Cuddihy on the track, Melanie Nocher in the pool, Eileen O’Keeffe in the hammer, and Siobhan Byrne in fencing.
Team Ireland Chef de Mission, Paul Davis, said: “This year we have as strong a set up as we have ever had in the competition and would hope that our athletes will perform well in Belgrade”. “The fact that the team has five Olympians in its ranks shows the highcalibre of sport at third-level institutions across Ireland. The commitment by the coaching, background staff and athletes has been second to none in preparation for these games and we hope that this hard work will yield success.
Ireland’s campaign kicks off on 30 June when the footballers take to the field to play their first round matches. The men taking on Uruguay and the women, who made it to the semi-final in 2007, face Japan.In track and field, Team Ireland have high hopes for success after Eileen O’Keeffe notched up a silver in the hammer throw in the 2007 World University Games in Bangkok, Thailand. This will be the Kilkenny athlete’s fourth world games and shows promising signs of medalling again this year carrying on from competing in the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Fionnuala Britton has also been on top form in international university competition picking up an individual silver and team bronze in the cross-country at last year’s World University Championships in Mauquenchy, France. The official opening ceremony of the 2009 World University Games takes place on July 1st.
Squads:
Football (Men)
Ciaran Boyd (University of Ulster)
Billy Brennan (University College Dublin)
Brian Cleary (University of Limerick)
James Costello (University of Ulster)
Ryan Coulter (Colaiste Ide)
Brendan Daly (University of Limerick)
John Dineen (University College Dublin)
Ciaran Forde (University College Cork)
Mark Forker (Letterkenny IT)
Gareth Harkin (Letterkenny IT)
Peter MacMahon (University College Dublin)
Oisin McMenamin (Letterkenny IT)
Michael McSweeney (University College Cork)
John Mulroy (Dublin City University)
David O'Sullivan (Dublin IT)
Stephen Roche (Dublin IT)
Graham Rusk (University College Dublin)
Mark Surgenor (University of Ulster)
Alan Teggart (University Of Ulster)
Dean Zambra (Dublin IT)
Manager:Kieran Harding (Irish FA), Coach:Ger Dunne (Football Association of Ireland), Assistant Coach: Jimmy Cumiskey (IUFU & Trinity College Dublin)
Football (Women)
Zoe Doherty (Dublin City University)
Ruth Fahy (University of Limerick)
Emer Flatley (University of Limerick)
Rachel Furness (Northumbria University, UK)
Lynn Marie Grant (Waterford IT)
Aoife Herbert (University of Limerick)
Rachel Jenkins (Dublin IT)
Sarah McGrath (St. John’s University, USA)
Tiarna McKenna (University of Ulster)
Carla Moran (Dublin City University)
Niamh Mulcahy (University of Limerick)
Grace Murray (Dundalk IT)
Lorna O'Connell (University of Limerick)
Amanda Parkes (Colaiste Stiofain Naofa)
Louise Quinn (University College Dublin)
Bronagh Sheridan (Dublin City University)
Nicola Sinnott (University College Dublin)
Mary Waldron (University College Dublin)
Manager: Sue Ronan (FAI), Coach: Tom O'Connor (FAI), Assistant Coaches: Maz Sweeney (FAI and Athlone IT) & Emma Martin (FAI)
Universiade Belgrade 2009
World University Games Team Ireland Launch
03 June 2009
The Launch of Team Ireland for the upcoming World University Games takes place in the Pavilion Bar, Trinity College at 10am on Tuesday, 9th June 2009. The event is open to anyone who wishes to attend, and light refreshments will be served. Members of the team, and support staff shall be present to meet with members of the media.
World University Games Management Team
Thursday, 12th February '09
CUSAI have finalised some coaching and & management positions for a number of the sports which will be contested this summer in Belgrade, Serbia.
Administrative Staff:
Chef de Mission: Paul Davis
Asst Chef de Mission: Ken Robinson
Staff: Breifne Earley & Celia Hogan
Medical Team:
Chief Medical Officer: Dr. Patrina Bell
Sports Science Support: Ed Coughlan
Athletics:
Head Coach: Br. John Dooley
Coach: Teresa McDaid
Basketball (Women):
Head Coach: Mark Ingle
Fencing:
Team Manager: Nuala McGarrity
Football (Men):
Manager: Kieran Harding
Coach: Gerard Dunne
Asst Coach: Jimmy Cumiskey & Padraig Carney
Football(Women):
Manager: Sue Ronan
Coach: Alfie Wylie
Asst Coach: Maz Sweeney
Judo:
Head Coach: Ciaran Ward
Swimming:
To Be Confirmed
Taekwondo:
Head Coach: Robert Taaffe
Tennis:
Head Coach: Jamie Pilkington
Upcoming International Events
Dates: 1st Jul - 12th Jul
Universiade Belgrade (Soccer)
Belgrade, Serbia
Irish Delegation for 2007 World University Games Announced Tuesday, 24th July '07 (www.cusai.ie)
The Irish team for the 24th World University Games in Bangkok, Thailand, which take place in two weeks time, from August 7th – 18th was officially announced today at an event in Trinity College, Dublin.
The Irish team consists of sixty eight athletes; each a twenty strong men’s and women’s football team, three female golfers, one taekwondo representative, two fencers, eight swimmers, four tennis players, and ten track and field athletes. The athletes represent thirty nine third level institutions, including twenty overseas colleges.
The Games, which are held every two years, get underway on the 7th August for eleven days. Athletes from over two hundred countries will compete in fifteen sports.
Paul Davis, Sports Officer at NUI Maynooth will lead the Irish delegation as Chef de Mission at the Games; “The Games are the ultimate in achievement for student sports people. While the record five medal success of Izmir last time out will be hard to emulate, the achievement gives us reason to be confident in our athletes’ and players’ ability to compete for medals at this world level”.
The Colleges and Universities Sports Association of Ireland (CUSAI) is the driving force behind this Irish team for the Games, with Bangkok the eleventh representation at the Summer Universiade. CUSAI Chairman Kieran Dowd stated: “Bangkok will be an amazing experience for our athletes. For some it will represent the pinnacle of their sporting careers, for others it will be a major milestone on the way to greater success, as it was for Sonia O’Sullivan, Gary O’Toole, and more recently Derval O’Rourke.”
The track and field team won a record five medals last time out in Izmir; cork duo Ailis McSweeney and Derval O’Rourke the shining stars taking individual medals as well as a relay medal together with Anna Boyle and Emily Maher. Boyle and McSweeney are part of the team again for Bangkok, notably joined by the in form Eileen O’Keeffe who smashed her Irish hammer record over the weekend at the National Championships. The Kilkenny athlete O’Keeffe is studying Theatre Nursing in the Royal College of Surgeons.
The women’s soccer squad, coached by Irish International manager Noel King boasts eleven players with full Irish caps, and one Northern Ireland International as well as five more of the team who have been capped at underage level for Ireland. The Irish women lost out at the quarter-final stage in Izmir to eventual winners China, and with many of that team travelling again will be focused on at bettering that result.
The men’s team is led by Noel O’Reilly and comprises of players from eight educational institutions across the country. UCD account for eight players and two of those; James O’Sullivan and Darren Forsyth won under-19 caps for the Republic of Ireland last season.
O’Reilly is pleased with how his players have taken to the task: “I’m delighted with their attitude and application so far, there is a lot of potential within the squad. We have a difficult group; we’re in with the top seeds; the Czechs, hosts Thailand and Canada. Six International matches over the space of eleven days is a demanding schedule but we’ll be giving it our best shot.”
Golfers Danielle McViegh, Niamh Kitching, and Gillian O’Leary will be hopeful of strong showing in the team event, with the format three to play and two to score.
Dubliner Barry Murphy leads the challenge of the eight strong swimming team. In Fencing Olympic hopeful Siobhan Byrne place seventh at the last Games, and will be hoping to advance that position in Bangkok; she is joined by UCD’s Owen McNamee. Mark Casserly of DCU competes in Taekwondo with reigning Irish close champion James McGee heading the tennis team.
Complete Delegation
Administration
Chef de Mission: Paul Davis (NUI Maynooth)
Assistant Chef de Mission: Cathy Gallagher (QUB) & Ken Robinson (DCU)
Medical Team
Chief Medical Officer: Dr. Barbara Fair
Medical Officer: Dr. Patrina Bell
Physiotherapists: Claire Briggs, David Minion & Caroline Woods
Media:
Press Officer: Sinead McElroy
Photographer: Brian Lawless
Athletics
Coach: Br. John Dooley
Assistant Coach: Teresa McDaid
Athletes:
Anna Boyle (University of Ulster)
Ailish McSweeney (Dublin City University)
Joe McAlister (Queens University, Belfast)
Thomas Chamney (Notre Dame, USA)
Eoin Everard (Dublin City University)
David McCarthy (University of Limerick)
Eileen O'Keeffe (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland)
Sharon Heveran (University of Wales Institute Cardiff, Wales)
Orla Drumm (University College Cork)
Deirdre Byrne (California Polytechnic, USA)
Football (Men)
Manager: Noel O'Reilly (FAI)
Coach: Kieran Harding (Irish FA & Queens University, Belfast)
Assistant Coach: Jimmy Cumiskey (Trinity College) & Padraig Carney (CFAI)
Athletes:
Billy Brennan (University College Dublin)
Carl Caulfield (Cork IT)
Robbie Coombes (University of Limerick)
Darren Forsyth (University College Dublin)
Killian Gallagher (Dublin IT)
Ciaran Harte (University College Dublin)
Ray Lally (Cork IT)
David Last (University College Dublin)
Seamus Long (Cork College of Commerce)
Stephen Lowry (University of Ulster)
Conor McDonald (Waterford IT)
Evan McMillan (University College Dublin)
Fran Moran (University College Dublin)
Ken Murphy (Cork IT)
Declan O'Donnell (University College Dublin)
James O'Sullivan (University College Dublin)
Stephen Roche (Dublin IT)
Richie Ryan (Waterford IT)
Sean Ward (University of Ulster)
Paul Whelan (Dublin IT)
Football (Women)
Manager: Noel King (FAI)
Coaches: Niall McGonagle (Letterkenny IT), Harry McCue (FAI) & Myles Kelly (FAI)
Athletes:
Sarah Peters (UC Davis, USA)
Lynn Bradley (Colaiste Ide)
Emma Griffin (Waterford IT)
Edel Malone (Hofstra University, USA)
Susan Byrne (St. John's University, USA)
Marie Curtin (Hofstra University, USA)
Sarah McGrath (St. John's University, USA)
Emma Mullin (Sligo IT)
Carol Breen (Waterford IT)
Yvonne McMonagle (Letterkenny IT)
Nikita Burke (Letterkenny IT)
Victoria Mallett (Queen's University, Belfast)
Denise Thomas (Central Connecticut State University, USA)
Michelle O'Brien (Florida International University, USA)
Sonya Hughes (Lyndsey Wilson College, USA)
Niamh Fahey (NUI Galway)
Meabh deBurca (NUI Galway)
Golf
Manager: Ray Robinson (University of Ulster)
Athletes:
Niamh Kitching (University of Limerick)
Danielle McVeigh (Texas A&M, USA)
Gillian O'Leary (University College Cork)
Swimming
Coach: Keith Bewley (Swim Ireland)
Asst. Coach: Martin McGann (NUI Maynooth)
Athletes:
Barry Murphy (University of Tennessee)
Sharon Coady (Trinity College Dublin)
Florry O'Connell (Trinity College Dublin)
Kevin Stacey (NUI Maynooth)
Claire Dawson (University of Stirling, Scotland)
Melanie Nocher (University of Ulster)
Ciara Farrell (Loughborough, England)
Jonathan Nixon (Loughborough, England)
Taekwondo
Coach: Terry McGuinness (Irish Taekwondo Union)
Athlete:
Mark Casserly (Dublin City University)
Tennis
Coach: Jamie Pilkington (Dublin City University)
Athletes:
Colin O'Brien (College of William & Mary, USA)
James McGee (North Caroline State, USA)
Leigh Walsh (University of Utah, USA)
Anne Marie Hogan (University College Dublin)
Fencing
Coach: Nuala McGarrity (Irish Amateur Fencing Federation)
Athletes:
Siobhan Byrne (Ohio State University, USA)
Owen McNamee (University College Dublin)
Colleges and University Sports Association of Ireland (CUSAI):
In November 2005 following a two year consultation between the two bodies responsible for the development and promotion of Sport at third level, the College's and University Sports Association of Ireland (CUSAI) was formed. With the support of the Irish Sports Council the merger between the Council of University Sports Association of Ireland (formed in 1986) and the Irish Student Sports Association in Ireland (formerly the Higher Education Sports Federation established in 1971) has proven to be an unqualified success. Prior to this development each sports association ran its own domestic programmes with very many of these events open to both university and college entries. On the international front the Colleges Association entered teams in many invitation events abroad. Since 1987 the Universities Association through its affiliation to the Federation International du Sport Universitaire (FISU) and along with invited College's representatives undertook to arrange for the selection and preparation of Irish Delegations for various FISU competitions, such as the World University Games and World University Championships, participating in the former since 1987 and every second calendar year since and in the latter since 1988 and in every second year since.
Soccer is one of the team sports available for entry at the World University Games with a men's team competing on all eight occasions since the first ball was kicked in Sheffield in 1991. An Irish women's team was first entered at Daegu Korea in 2003 and on each of the two occasions since then. August 2007 in Bangkok proved to be an outstanding achievement with an Irish women's team reaching the semi-final of a major world championship for the first time. The support of the Football Association of Ireland has been ever present since Sheffield in 1991 and the additional support by the Irish Football Association for 2007 was very welcome. The Irish Sports Council's support is dependant on each National Governing Body of Sports listing in its strategic plan participation in the World University Games as an important vehicle for the development of its young sports persons.
