Glenanne’s Barbara named President of Hockey Ireland

At the Hockey Ireland Annual General Meeting held on May 25 Glenanne’s Barbara O’Malley was appointed President of Hockey Ireland for a two year tenure.

Barbara has had a remarkable hockey career spanning over 50 years and has dedicated her life to the sport both on and off the pitch.

Her journey began at Sandymount High School, where she started playing school hockey before joining Glenanne Hockey Club in 1975.

At Glenanne, Barbara’s contribution both on and off the pitch have been instrumental to the success of the club.

Barbara had the privilege of playing for all the women’s teams at various stages, served on the club committee in many different roles, managed the Women’s 1s team for several years and Barbara also had the honor of being President of her club on more than one occasion.

In 2006, Barbara joined the Leinster Ladies Hockey Union (LLHU) Committee as a club representative.

Her commitment to the sport led her to be appointed Vice President for the 2007-2008 season, where she represented the LLHU on the Merger Committee. This committee worked diligently to facilitate the proposed merger of the LLHU, the Men’s Leinster Branch, and the South East Ladies Branch.

In 2008, Barbara was elected President of the LLHU, serving a three-year term during a pivotal time for women’s hockey in Leinster. Following the successful completion of the merger in 2011, she was honored to be appointed as the first President of the Leinster Hockey Association (LHA), a role she held until 2013.

Barbara later returned to Glenanne, where she served as President once again. In recognition of her contributions to hockey, Barbara was named the first Honorary Life Member of the LHA in 2019.

Barbara continues to play a key role with Glenanne Hockey Club as a member of the Glenanne Golf Committee who organise a hugely successful fundraiser for Glenanne each June.

Hockey is a passion in the O’Malley family where Barbara has been a familiar face in the crowds supporting her 3 sons Edward, Kevin and David as they navigate their own successful hockey careers and her husband Eddie who continues to represent Ireland at master’s level.

In 2023, Barbara was honored to be appointed Vice President of Hockey Ireland, a role that has allowed her to further advocate for the development and growth of hockey across Ireland.

Barbara is passionate about fostering a vibrant hockey community and looks forward to continuing to the sport she loves.