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.

The Union is responsible for applying the Laws of hockey and the organisation of competitions for all affiliated clubs and schools.

Foundation

The first reports of hockey matches in Ulster appear in the Newspapers in the early 1890s.

The Ulster Hockey Union was formed in c1896. Later at a Special General Meeting of the Union held on 15 October 1897 in the Royal Avenue Hotel, Belfast, the Union resolved to form the Ulster Senior League and to seek to affiliate with the Irish Hockey Union.^[1] It was reported that Cliftonville, North Staffordshire Regiment, King's Own Liverpool Regiment, Ulster, North Down, Ards, Royal Hospital and Antrim would participate in the new League.^[2]

For approximately the first 75 years the Ulster Hockey Union did not represent clubs from the North West area of Ulster. Clubs in this area were members of the Northern Hockey Union. The Northern Hockey Union was formed at a meeting on 12 October 1896, with four member clubs. The founding members were The Route (Coleraine), Lacrosse (Derry), Ballymoney and Londonderry Hockey Clubs.^[3] This Union would become more commonly known as the North West Hockey League.

Current membership

The number of member clubs currently stands at 30. The first teams of these clubs play in the three sections of the Ulster Senior League with ten teams in each section.

Competitions

Clubs

• Ulster Senior League

• Ulster Junior League (Section 1 to Section 7)^[4]
  • Section 1 - The Bannister Cup
  • Section 2 - The Davidson Cup
  • Section 3 - The Athletic Stores Challenge Cup
  • Section 4 - The Braddell Shield
  • Section 5 - The Priory Cup
  • Section 6 - The County Hospital Cup
  • Section 7 - The Ludlow Cup

• Kirk Cup

• Anderson Cup

• Linden Cup

Schools

• Burney Cup

• McCullough Cup

• Richardson Cup

• Other Junior Trophies
  • Prior Shield - 2nd eleven, played in Winter Term. Format similar to McCullough Cup.
  • Dowdall Cup - 2nd eleven, played in Spring Term. Knockout Format.
  • Taylor Cup - High School competition for under-16 year old players.
  • Ferris Cup - for teams of under-14 year old players. Knockout Format.
  • Bannister Bowl - for teams of under-13 year old players. Knockout Format.

Defunct clubs

• Crossgar - Club folded prior to start of the 2007-08 season due to lack of playing members.^[5]

• Wanderers - Club existed initially from the 1920s until September 1955 when moved/rebranded to re-establish the N.I.C.S. Hockey Club.^[6] Reformed in the 1980s before finally folding in 1997. Falling playing numbers and the pressure on many clubs to play games on artificial turf contributed to their demise. Many members joined South Antrim Hockey Club.

• Beachlawn - Merged in 1972 with South Antrim Hockey Club.

• Lisburn Old Boys/F.S.O.B (Friends School Old Boys) - Folded in 1995 as a result of relegation from Senior hockey and a depleted playing membership.

• North of Ireland - Did not reform after World War I.

• Q.U.B. Old Boys - Former Queen's University players, club competed for 6 seasons.

• Belfast Y.M.C.A./Holywood '87 - In 1986 after an increase in rent charged at City of Belfast Y.M.C.A. Bladon Drive grounds, the club relocated and changed their name to Holywood 87. Relegation from Senior League One in 1998 and dwindling playing numbers forced the decision to fold.

• King's Scholars/Stranmillis - The club always struggled for playing numbers and in 1978 the decision was made to merge with the Queen's University Club.

• Corinthians - folded after a 'sine dies' suspension was imposed on the club at the end of the 1987-88 season.

• Down County Mental Hospital - works team that played for several seasons in the 1930s and 40s. Finalists in the Irish Junior Cup in 1939. Donated the Down County Hospital Cup that is still played for as the trophy for Section 6 of the Junior League.

• Montalto - folded during the 1963-64 season.
• St Donards - folded after the 1952-53 season
• Old Bleach - folded after the 1967-68 season.
• Holywood - folded after the 1967-68 season.

• Cloughfern
• Michelin
• Dunmurry
• Ards
• Ballycastle
• Malone
• Ulster Hockey Club
• Strabane
• Lissara
• Waringstown
• Whitehead
• Short & Harland
• Derry Y.M.C.A.
• Killyleagh
• Albert Foundry
• Hollerith/ICT
• Courtalds

In addition various army teams competed throughout the years.

Sources