Local lad heads for World Championship

When you think of Ireland's great sporting achievements, Ice Hockey doesn't immediately spring to mind, but one young man hoping to change all that is Wilson's student - sixteen-year-old Brendan Saunders. Brendan has been chosen to represent Ireland in the Ice Hockey World Championships in Monterrey, Mexico in March, a great honour as not only is Brendan the only player from Westmeath, but one of only five from the Republic of Ireland, the rest of the team hailing from the North. Brendan who is Canadian originally, played one Ice Hockey season in the home of Maple Syrup, moving to Multyfarnham with his family as a result of his Dad Brian, who is a pilot by profession. Having lived for eleven years in the Netherlands, Brian saw an job opportunity in Ireland, and decided to make Westmeath his home having attended flight school with an Irish man from Multyfarnham. Brendan played six seasons in total in the Netherlands for many years, giving him a heads up when he arrived in Ireland. In March he and the team face Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa and Israel. His mum Cathi is Brendan's biggest fan, taxiing him and his sister Dawn to Dundalk every week for practice, and as far as Belfast for try-outs for the Irish team during the recent cold snap: "Everyone thinks I'm mad but you'd do anything for your children," remarks Cathi. "We're all very proud of him and we're looking forward to travelling to Mexico to see him play," she said. "He's getting really excited too," she added. The first ever recorded Ice Hockey match in Ireland took place in the Dolphins Barn ice rink between the Dublin Stags and the Liverpool Leopards in 1983, Dublin won 3 v 2. Since then the sport has progressed to all levels. Following Ireland's inauguration to the Irish Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) in 1997 the IIHA decided to take part at junior level in the IIHF World Championship Games. Ireland travelled to Bulgaria, Luxembourg and Iceland to take part in IIHF Division III International competitions, with Under 18's and Under 20's Teams representing Ireland for the first time. Domestic competition flourished and cross border leagues between, Dublin, Belfast, and Coleraine provided a platform to compete at a high level. However in 1999 the two ice rinks in Dublin closed down and players had to drive once a week to Belfast to train, while others resorted to in-line hockey. In 2001 the Dublin City Council recruited the IIHA to help out in running an outdoor rink in the centre of Dublin over the festive season. Once again the players both junior and senior had home ice. The IIHA submitted its first Senior Men's National Squad to IIHF Competition in Reykjavik, Iceland March 2004. Ireland was back on the map. Although Ice Hockey is not a mainstream sport here in Ireland, the game has somehow manage to survive and defy all the odds over the past 20 years. This is not down to luck or circumstance, but commitment, dedication, passion, plus a lot of hard work from players, officials and parents.