Late starter Perdue edges closer to first Ireland senior cap

Caoimhe Perdue Picture: Adrian Boehm

Caoimhe Perdue looks set to become the first graduate of Cashel New Inn Hockey Club to earn a full senior international cap following her inclusion in the Irish panel for a busy summer.

Perdue – who has also lined out for the Tipperary senior camogie side – joined the club after taking up the sport in her first year of secondary school. Now, the current UCC player could feature two World Cups as she is set to co-captain the Irish U21s in April and will then battle, as part of a panel of 25, for inclusion in the senior World Cup line-up.

It follows head coach Sean Dancer naming his latest panel in the wake of an impressive uncapped series in Antibes where Ireland beat France 4-0 and 3-0. Perdue got the nod from there for ongoing inclusion along with uncapped players Holly Micklem, Charlotte Beggs, Síofra O’Brien, Ellie McLoughlin, Katherine Egan and Katie-Jane Marshall. The panel will feature 13 Olympians and 17 players who helped Ireland qualify for the World Cup last October in Pisa with Katie Mullan continuing her role as captain of the Green Army. Beth and Serena Barr are working their way back into the fold after ACL surgery last year. On the flip side, Chloe Watkins and Anna O’Flanagan have taken the decision to focus on their careers and so will sit out this summer’s schedule.

Next on Ireland’s agenda is a St Patrick’s week trip to Bisham Abbey to take on Great Britain behind closed doors and then they go to the Netherlands in early April. The Dutch were confirmed this week as Ireland’s first World Cup opponent, the sides meeting on July 2nd in a repeat of the 2018 final.

Ireland senior women's panel for spring/summer 2022 (club/caps): Ayeisha McFerran (GK, SV Kampong, 113);  Róisín Upton (Catholic Institute, 89);  Lena Tice (Old Alex, 122);  Katie Mullan (Captain, Ballymoney, 206);  Sarah Hawkshaw (Railway Union, 46);  Deirdre Duke (Old Alex, 154);  Naomi Carroll (Catholic Institute, 121);  Elizabeth Murphy (GK, Loreto, 13);  Hannah McLoughlin (UCD, 26);  Sarah McAuley (UCD, 9);  Michelle Carey (UCD, 10);  Sarah Torrans (Loreto, 33);  Zara Malseed (Ards, 7);  Holly Micklem (GK, Old Alex, 0);  Caoimhe Perdue (UCC, 0);  Charlotte Beggs (Ulster Elks, 0);  Síofra O'Brien (Loreto, 0);  Ellie McLoughlin (GK, UCD, 0);  Erin Getty (Queen's, 11);  Jane Kilpatrick (Belfast Harlequins, 1);  Katherine Egan (UCD, 0);  Beth Barr (Belfast Harlequins, 20);  Serena Barr (Belfast Harlequins, 10);  Katie-Jane Marshall (UCD, 0) Niamh Carey (UCD, 3).