Ireland’s unlikely lads ready for action

One hundred and eight years — that’s how long it’s been since an Irish hockey team competed in the Olympic Games, a drought which is finally set to end this summer.

One hundred days — that’s how long the current squad has to wait before they take on India on August 6, completing one of the most unlikely journeys in Irish sporting history.

After all, this is a team with just seven professionals in its squad of 27, one which operates on a shoestring budget compared to international rivals, and one which despite qualifying for the Games last October, now has to resort to fundraising efforts to give themselves a fighting chance on the grandest stage of all.