Billy McConnell (field hockey)


Billy McConnell is a former field hockey player from Northern Ireland who represented both Ireland and Great Britain at international level. He represented Great Britain at the 1984 Summer Olympics when they won the bronze medal. He also represented Ireland at the 1990 Men's Hockey World Cup.

Domestic teams

McConnell played club field hockey for Newry Olympic,
Belfast YMCA
and Holywood 87.

International

Ireland

McConnell was a member of the Ireland team that were silver medallists at the 1978 EuroHockey Junior Championship. Other members of the team included Martin Sloan, Jimmy Kirkwood and Stephen Martin. He made his senior Ireland debut in 1979 against the Netherlands. He subsequently represented Ireland at the 1990 Men's Hockey World Cup. In 2010 he was inducted into the Irish Hockey Association Hall of Fame.

Great Britain

McConnell represented Great Britain at the 1984 Summer Olympics. McConnell also represented Great Britain in Champions Trophy tournaments, winning a bronze medal in 1984 and a silver in 1985.
TournamentsPlaceTeam
1978 EuroHockey Junior Championship
1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy
1985 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy
1986 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy4th
1987 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy4th
1989 Intercontinental Cup
1990 Men's Hockey World Cup12th

Later years

Between 2007 and 2010 McConnell coached Pegasus. At the time, the Pegasus squad included his daughter, Kate McConnell. Kate was an Ireland women's field hockey international and in 2010–11 was a member of the Pegasus team that won an Women's Irish Hockey League/Irish Senior Cup. She also captained Pegasus. Billy McConnell has also coached at Queen's University.