Grace O'Flanagan

Grace O'Flanagan (born 7 April 1989) is an Ireland women's field hockey international. She was a member of the Ireland team that played in the 2018 Women's Hockey World Cup final. In 2009 O'Flanagan also won an Irish Senior Cup final with UCD and in 2012–13 won a Women's Irish Hockey League/Irish Senior Cup double with Railway Union. O'Flanagan is also a qualified doctor and cancer survivor.

Grace O'Flanagan
Personal information
Born (1989-04-07) 7 April 1989 [1]
Playing position Goalkeeper
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2010 UCD Ladies
2010– Railway Union
2010–2016 → RCSI
National team
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–  Ireland 34
Medal record
World Cup
2018 London

Early years and education

Between 2001 and 2007 O'Flanagan attended Loreto College, Foxrock.[2][3] Between 2007 and 2010 she attended University College Dublin where she gained a Bachelor of Commerce in Banking And Finance. Between 2010 and 2016 she attended the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and subsequently qualified as a doctor. While attending RCSI, O'Flanagan also played for the college's hockey team.[2][4][5][6]

Club career

UCD

Between 2007 and 2010 O'Flanagan played for UCD. In addition to playing as a goalkeeper for the first team she also served as club treasurer.[2] In 2009 she kept goal for UCD as they defeated Pegasus 4–1 in the Irish Senior Cup final.[7][8]

Railway Union

In 2012–13 O'Flanagan was a member of the Railway Union team that won a national double, winning both the Women's Irish Hockey League [9] and the Irish Senior Cup. In the cup final Railway Union defeated UCD 3–2. O'Flanagan's teammates at Railway Union included Cecelia and Isobel Joyce, Emer Lucey and Kate McKenna.[10][11] O'Flanagan has also represented Railway Union in European club competitions,[12] including the 2014 EuroHockey Club Champions Cup.[13]

Ireland international

O'Flanagan made her senior debut for Ireland in 2012.[3][14][15] She subsequently represented Ireland at the 2013 Women's EuroHockey Nations Championship.[16][17] On 22 July 2017 at the 2016–17 Women's FIH Hockey World League Semifinals, after Ayeisha McFerran was sin-binned in the seventh and eighth place play-off against India, O'Flanagan came on as replacement. With her first touch she saved the subsequent penalty stroke. Ireland were 1–0 down at the time but eventually went onto win 2–1. Ireland's seventh-place finish in at the tournament eventually saw them qualify for the 2018 Women's Hockey World Cup.[18][19][20][21][22] At the 2017 Women's EuroHockey Nations Championship, O'Flanagan was Ireland's first choice goalkeeper.[23][24]

O'Flanagan represented Ireland at the 2018 Women's Hockey World Cup and was a member of the team that won the silver medal.[25][26] During the tournament she served as the reserve goalkeeper to Ayeisha McFerran.[27][28][29] She featured in several games during the tournament, including the pool stage game against England [30][31] and in the final against the Netherlands.[32]

Tournaments Place
2013 Women's EuroHockey Nations Championship [16][17] 7th
2016–17 Women's FIH Hockey World League Semifinals [20][21][22]7th
2017 Women's Four Nations Cup [33]2nd
2017 Women's EuroHockey Nations Championship [23][24] 6th
2018 Women's Hockey World Cup [32][34]

Personal life

O'Flanagan is a qualified doctor.[3][14] Since January 2018 she has worked as a Senior house officer in Otolaryngology at the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital. She has previously trained at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and St. Vincent's University Hospital.[2][6] In 2015, while still a medical student, O'Flanagan discovered a tiny lump at the back of her neck. She was subsequently diagnosed with the epithelioid variant of myxofibrosarcoma, an aggressive cancer. She eventually made a full recovery following surgery.[18][25]

Honours
Ireland
Railway Union
UCD

References
  1. "Vitality Hockey Women's World Cup 2018 – Team Details Ireland". fih.ch. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  2. "Grace O'Flanagan". ie.linkedin.com. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  3. "Grace O'Flanagan". www.hookhockey.com. 21 July 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  4. "UCD land second Varsity double in three years". www.hookhockey.com. 30 October 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  5. "Ireland's fairytale World Cup ends with historic silver for UCD athletes". www.ucd.ie. 7 August 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  6. "Ireland's history-making World Cup hockey heroes". www.ucd.ie. 8 August 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  7. "UCD stun Pegasus in Irish Senior Cup showdown". www.hookhockey.com. 26 April 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  8. "UCD & Pembroke claim Cup titles". www.rte.ie. 29 April 2009. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  9. "Loreto Hockey Club v Railway Union - Electric Ireland Irish Hockey League Women's Final Photos". www.sportsfile.com. 5 May 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  10. "Railway Union 3-2 UCD". www.rte.ie. 24 March 2013. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
  11. "Delany strike sees Railway Union complete the trophy set with controlled Irish Senior win". www.hookhockey.com. 24 March 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  12. "Euro joy for Railway and UCD as men's EHL place hangs in balance". www.hookhockey.com. 20 May 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  13. "Railway produce first draw with German opposition but fall short on penalties". www.hookhockey.com. 20 April 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  14. "Get To Know The Green Army Goalkeepers". www.hockey.ie. 16 July 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  15. "Grace O'Flanagan". www.hockey.ie. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  16. "Seven changes as Smith shuffles his deck for European championships". www.hookhockey.com. 15 July 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  17. "Scotland send Ireland down to European second tier". www.hookhockey.com. 24 August 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  18. "'I went from being a healthy 26-year-old to maybe not being alive in five years' - Grace O'Flanagan opens up about cancer battle". www.irishexaminer.com. 26 July 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  19. "McFerran hails O'Flanagan "turning point" as Ireland prove their quality on world stage". www.hookhockey.com. 25 July 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  20. "Women's World League: Ireland edge India to boost World Cup hopes". www.bbc.co.uk. 22 July 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  21. "Two goals in two minutes keep Ireland's slim World Cup dream alive". www.the42.ie. 22 July 2017. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  22. "Ireland beat India to keep slim World Cup hopes alive". www.rte.ie. 22 July 2017. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  23. "O'Flanagan set to don number one smock at Euros". www.hookhockey.com. 9 August 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  24. "Czech favour rescues Irish women's Euro status". www.hookhockey.com. 27 August 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  25. "20 things you didn't know about Ireland's hockey heroes". www.irishexaminer.com. 5 August 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  26. "Meet Ireland's history-making World Cup hockey heroes". www.irishtimes.com. 1 August 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  27. "In pictures: How Ireland girls secured World Cup semi-final spot with shoot-out success". www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk. 3 August 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  28. "Superb McFerran named goalkeeper of the tournament". www.rte.ie. 5 August 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  29. "'We don't often get the chance to shine': The goalkeeping coach behind Ireland's World Cup hero". www.the42.ie. 11 August 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  30. "Giselle Ansley takes England past Ireland before hard work begins". www.theguardian.com. 30 July 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  31. "Ireland Lose Narrowly To World Number 2". www.hockey.ie. 29 July 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  32. "No fairytale ending as Dutch masters prove step too far for Ireland". www.independent.ie. 6 August 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  33. "Irish Women's 4 Nations squad announced". www.bbc.co.uk. 7 June 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  34. "Ireland v Spain - Women's Hockey World Cup Finals Semi-Final Photos". www.sportsfile.com. 4 August 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
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