Greenfields girls head for play-offs

Date Published: 01-May-2009

CONNACHT Senior League champions Greenfields will make their bid to join the elite of Irish hockey when they contest the Irish Hockey League playoffs at Three Rock Rovers, Dublin, this coming weekend.

After capturing the provincial title in late March, their first in 15 years, Greenfields have now also the opportunity to become the first Galway and Connacht club to qualify for the premier league.

Charged with captaining Greenfields Hockey Club this season is Neasa McGettigan, daughter of well-known legal eagle and former St. Grellan’s player and ex-Corofin manager Paul McGettigan.

For her part, Neasa McGettigan is blazing her own trail in her sport and if she can help guide Greenfields successfully through the playoffs this weekend, that achievement would rival any feat her dad achieved in his many illustrious years in Gaelic football. It won’t be easy, though.

Traditionally, Connacht hockey has been looked upon as the backwater of the Irish game, but it should be noted that huge strides have been made in the province in recent times.

“Connacht hockey has been very successful this year,” says 18-year-old McGettigan, who has represented Connacht at U-16, U-18 and U-21 level.

“For our part, we have four or five girls who played for the Jes team which won the All-Ireland schools hockey title earlier this year. We also have…