Squash Ireland has expressed its condolences following the death of Michael Bradley, the well-known player and coach from Cork.
CEO Scott Graham said: “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Michael Bradley of Sunday’s Well Boating and Tennis Club squash section, who tragically passed away.
“Michael was a passionate squash player and coach who represented Munster at various levels. He started as a junior in Christy’s Squash Club, Blarney, went on to Orchard Squash Club and most recently played with Sunday’s Well.
“Michael was very involved with Cork and Munster squash for many years and was the winner of this year’s Men’s C section at the Munster Senior Open. Michael was a true gentleman and will be missed by all. May he rest in peace.”
Michael will be lying in repose at Crowley’s Funeral Home in Ballincollig on Friday, December 6th, from 6pm, with Requiem Mass to follow on Saturday at 12pm in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Blarney.
Squash Ireland CEO Scott Graham has expressed his delight that Belfast has been named a European City of Sport for 2026 following a two-day visit to the city in November by the Worldwide Capitals and Cities of Sport Federation (ACES) judging panel.
The decision by ACES to recognise Belfast alongside 20 other cities was reached after panel members met with the bid leaders, Belfast City Council, its leisure partners GLL and community sports organisations to look at how investment into sport and physical activity over the last decade is transforming health and wellbeing outcomes for residents.
Each year, ACES recognises capitals, cities, towns and regions worldwide celebrating sport through infrastructure, events and support for clubs and the awarding of the prestigious accolade to Belfast is the second time Northern Ireland has been awarded the European City of Sport title after Lisburn in 2013.
Graham said: “Squash Ireland was delighted to support Belfast City Council’s bid to become a European City of Sport 2026. The award provides an opportunity to raise the profile of squash and allows Squash Ireland and Squash Ulster to deepen our partnership with Belfast City Council.
“Thanks to the work of our club and community development officers, Niall Jackman and Will Nicholson, the commitment of the Squash Ulster committee and the enthusiasm of coaches and volunteers across Northern Ireland, the sport has seen a resurgence in recent years.
“To continue the positive momentum, we are already working on several exciting initiatives aimed at increasing the awareness and visibility of squash and, importantly, encouraging people of all ages and from all backgrounds to pick up a racket and enjoy the sport.”
Councillor Tracy Kelly, the Lord Mayor of Belfast, added: “This is a great achievement for Belfast and an endorsement of all the work that goes into supporting sport here – from the players, volunteers and coaches to the event organisers, fans and funders.
“Sport is a thread that runs through all communities and becoming a European City of Sport provides a unique opportunity to showcase the breadth of physical activity opportunities we have.”
During their visit to Belfast, the ACES panel heard how the council has invested £105million into six state-of-the-art leisure centres since 2015, while eight other centres have become community hubs, providing vital services to help communities stay fit and active.
Belfast’s bid outlined how new programmes, upgraded facilities, collaborations with sport governing bodies and the free 12-week Healthwise scheme for those recovering from ill health have all contributed to a significant increase in sports participation in the city – in the 2023/24 Continuous Household Survey, 50 per cent of adults reported taking part in sport in the last week, up from 43 per cent in 2022/23.
Michelle Vorel-Adams, the ACES UK and Ireland president, said: “We are delighted to be awarding the City of Belfast to become European City of Sport 2026. There is a clear strategy and commitment to investing and developing sport in the community for the next few years.
“It is an exceptional example of a city providing an array of high-quality sports facilities and services coupled with strong partnerships. A perfect combination to be an ACES award winner. We wish Belfast good luck for 2026 and look forward to visiting the city again.”
Residents will be able to get involved in Belfast’s European City of Sport 2026 celebrations through try-it activities in leisure and community venues, coach and volunteer development opportunities and a range of special events, with full programme details to be announced in January 2026.
Calling all schools in Ireland… Squash Ireland is relaunching its schools-level tournaments across five separate age-grades in 2026.
Catering for three-player teams in all four provinces, the tournaments will see boys and girls compete at U11, U13, U15, U17 and U19 in January and February.
The ambition is to re-establish squash in schools so that not only do club players have an extra outlet to play, but players currently not involved in the sport have an opportunity to take part.
Interested schools should contact Paul Nugent, Squash Ireland’s chief operating officer, at [email protected]
Squash Ireland has reiterated its call for clubs from around the country to nominate members for the Federation of Irish Sport 2025 Volunteers in Sport Awards. Entries close on December 15th, with an awards ceremony to follow in Dublin in February.
Dave Broderick, the Squash Ireland club and community development officer, said: “At this time of the year, the sporting community in Ireland pauses to recognise our fantastic volunteer base without whom our many and varied sports simply would not work.
“As a squash community, the Federation of Irish Sport 2025 Volunteers in Sport Awards is our chance to turn to our own volunteers and say, ‘Thank you. Tremendous job this year!’
“We invite all clubs and provincial associations to participate. As a smaller sport, this is a big opportunity for squash to highlight itself positively and for volunteers in our sport to be thanked for their tireless and selfless work promoting and delivering squash activity day-to-day, week-to-week, year in and year out.
“Our sport has its heroes – and we’d like you to tell us who they are. Category winners will be invited to the awards reception in February and all clubs that nominate a volunteer will be entered into a draw for a €250 voucher as a way of saying thank you for supporting this initiative.”
Squash Ireland is calling on clubs to nominate their best volunteers for the 2025 Volunteers In Sport Awards, hosted by the Federation of Irish Sport.
It’s believed that 460,000 volunteers are involved in all sport across the island of Ireland, with a fair chunk assisting the participation, growth and promotion of squash.
Nominations are now open until December 15th for the latest annual volunteer awards, with a celebration function to follow in Dublin on February 26th. The hope is that squash will feature strongly on the day.
A Federation of Irish Sport statement read: “The 2025 Volunteers in Sport Awards will bring together individuals from all 32 counties to celebrate their commitment to fostering participation and ensuring that sport is accessible to all.
“Their contributions not only inspire communities but also enable clubs and organisations to thrive, supporting social cohesion and well-being across Ireland. Without their dedication, many sporting opportunities simply would not exist.
“A new addition to the 2025 awards is the launch of a brand-new award – the Club/Community Sport Organisation award.
“This award recognises a volunteer-led sports club, community organisation, or group that has made an outstanding contribution to promoting sport, physical activity, and community well-being. It celebrates excellence in inclusion, participation, leadership, and positive impact through sport.
“In every corner of the country, from city centres and suburbs to rural villages, over 460,000 volunteers work tirelessly each week to bring sport and physical activity to life for people of all ages.
“Over 250,000 coaches volunteer one million hours a week to Irish Sport. The impact of their work is profound, providing multi-generational opportunities to engage in sport, build communities, and promote healthy lifestyles. The economic value of their contribution is estimated to be worth €1.5bn to the Irish economy.
“There are also two closed categories of Outstanding Achievement award and the addition of a Lifetime Achievement award. These prestigious awards are not open for public nomination.
“Recipients are selected by the judging panel from entries received from the county volunteers, based on outstanding merit, impact, or long-term contribution.”
Mary O’Connor, the FIS CEO, said: “The goodwill and work of volunteers cannot be taken for granted.
“These awards are our chance to say thank you and, in acknowledging the incredible efforts volunteers make, ensure that we continue to encourage more people to get involved and safeguard the future of sport in the country.”
Squash Ireland will host a free information webinar on November 3rd to help clubs access Sports Capital Grant funding. The SCG fund, which is now known as the Community Sports Facilities Fund, provides financial support for strategic projects out of financial reach for clubs around the country.
Squash Ireland have engaged the services of 2into3, the professional funding consultant organisation, for the 90-minute online presentation that will navigate the application process and provide winning strategies.
Dave Broderick, the Squash Ireland club and community development officer, said: “We encourage all squash clubs that have identified a structural or equipment development need within their club that is currently out of financial reach to send one or more attendees to this information session.
“Squash Ireland are also happy to receive questions and scenarios in advance that will be provided to 2into3 for pre-assessment so that robust discussions take place during this information session and in the follow-up process.
“This information session is at no cost to clubs and at no point is a club under any obligation to proceed in any direction. Treat this opportunity as a free consultation with an expert group that understands the Sports Capital Grant scheme inside out – thresholds, projects, bids, what is not allowed, where opportunities lie etc.
“Please save the date and start thinking about questions you would like to pose to our consultants before the session. No scenario is too complicated for some straight and hopefully valuable answers.
“2into3 are specialists at supporting sports federations and sports clubs to navigate the Sports Capital Grant (now called the Community Sport Facilities Fund) process and are happy to demonstrate practical winning strategies for making successful applications under this fund.
“2into3 have also offered its services to make applications to the CSFF scheme on behalf of clubs across sport in Ireland, although direct management will incur a percentage-based fee.”
This week’s Erasmus+ coach shadowing project in Amsterdam for 10 Irish grassroots coaches has been “impactful” and “eye-opening”.
Applications closed in June for the European Commission-funded initiative focused on coach education and inclusion in the Republic of Ireland.
Four months later, the October 5th-10th trip has proven invaluable in the upskilling of Irish coaches.
The aim is to strengthen grassroots development in the hope that they will return to their clubs and assist in building sustainable, inclusive participation programmes.
Jenny Dillion, the 2024 Squash Ireland coach of the year award winner, travelled to the Netherlands with the 10 coaches and they have been working with Rich King, a renowned and respected figure in European squash coaching.
On the Leargas-backed course, the grassroots coaches have been given real-world examples of inclusive programmes.
These include practical tools to support women in sport initiatives, teen and youth development ideas, and programmes for the elderly, LGBTQ+, rural communities and refugee/asylum seekers.
Oisin Logan and Lydia McQuillan upset the favourites at the Munster Senior Open, defeating the No.1 seeds in their respective men’s A and women’s finals at Highfield Squash Club.
The No.3 ranked Logan, the Sutton player affiliated to the Southgate Squash and Racketball Club in London, picked off the No.2 Sean Conroy, the Leinster CC player, 3-1 (11-4, 9-11, 11-6, 11-3) in his semi-final. He then nailed a 3-2 title win over the top-seeded Michael Creaven of Sutton.
All the more admirable was the length that Logan had to go to secure the victory in the all-Dublin final, as he was 0-2 down after losing the opening games 12-14 and 8-11. However, he then reeled off a trio of 11-4 games to take the title in a 13-player event.
Six players took part in the women’s event, and victory in the all-Northern Ireland final went the way of the No.2 McQuillan of Lisburn and Belfast BC with a 3-1 win over the No.1 seeded Aimee McConnell of Ballynafeigh.
Similar to the men’s final, there was a comeback involved as McConnell took the first game 8-11 before McQuillan, the 2025 Italian Junior Open GU19 champion, came to the fore with 11-4, 11-9, 11-5 games.
The theme of top seeds missing out on titles continued in the other two Munster events as the men’s B No.1, Fawwad Sidduqui of Limerick, lost his first match 0-3 to the 16th-seeded David Sheehan of Thurles.
That upset paved the way for Nathan Walsh, the No.2 from Celtic, to come through the bottom half of the draw and take a 3-0 win in the final against the No.5 seed, Maciej Truchan of Gleneagle.
Victory in the men’s C category went the way of the No.2, Michael Bradley of Sunday’s Well. He was a 3-1 winner in his final against Jamie Ryan, the No.8 from Thurles.
World Squash Day is back on October 11th, and this year’s theme – ‘Bring a friend on court’ – has been welcomed by Squash Ireland.
Squash participation levels have been on the rise throughout the country in recent years, and this World Squash initiative is the latest opportunity for clubs to reach out to potential new members.
World Squash Day was founded in 2001 by Alan Thatcher and a group of squash-playing friends as a memorial to squash players who were killed in the September 11th terrorist attacks in New York.
Since then, World Squash Day has grown to become the world’s biggest grassroots promotion of squash, with clubs, federations and players from all over the world celebrating an annual festival of the sport.
With the theme for October 11th now agreed, World Squash has encouraged every member of the global squash community to introduce a new face to the sport.
World Squash CEO William Louis-Marie said: “This is a great moment for our sport. World Squash Day is an incredible demonstration of the unity and diversity of the global squash community.
“On October 11th, squash enthusiasts worldwide will unite to celebrate the sport they love. From courts and clubs to communities, let’s invite a partner, a colleague, a friend, a member of your family and showcase how squash and squash57 is fun, enjoyable and helps you share amazing moments also off the court.
“World Squash, and the sport of squash as a whole, owes Alan a huge debt for the incredible work he has done for the sport, particularly in his tireless championing of World Squash Day for over 20 years, and our current partnership with Alan will provide greater momentum to this year’s World Squash Day and future editions.
World Squash Day founder Thatcher added: “World Squash Day gives the sport the perfect platform to build on its momentum following our inclusion in the Olympic Games.
“For many years, this event has brought the entire community together, fostering a sense of unity and shared passion. A prime example of this was in 2012 when we saw 40,000 players compete in a single global match.
“In the lead up to LA28, I’m convinced the 2025 edition will gain massive traction, capture the public imagination and celebrate everything that makes our sport great.
“We are excited about the potential for clubs worldwide to fly the flag for squash and we eagerly anticipate reaching new heights this October.”
In4Squash players won 13 medals at the recent LGBTQIA+ Squash European Open in Dublin, including three gold.
The two-day event was hosted by Sutton LTC in Dublin on September 19th/20th, and tournament organisers In4Squash took home three gold, five silver and five bronze medals.
The three players who finished on top of the podium were Lorcan Walsh (B Plate), Stephen Conlon (C Overall) and Joseph Orgin (D Overall).
Sifting through the five second-place finishers, John Ward was the pick of the list with his silver in the A Overall category. Other second-place players were Albert Dolan (B Overall), Mario Morales (C Plate), Steven Kelly (D Overall) and Ray Gath (D Plate).
Switching to bronze, the In4Squash medallists were Max Schorm (B Overall), Brett Stout (C Overall), Graham Pigeon (C Plate), Horacio Diaz (D Overall) and Thomas Wilson (D Plate).
Previously hosted in Berlin, Amsterdam and Paris, the Dublin event was the fourth edition of the LGBTQIA+ European Open.
The success of the MoveHome.ie-supported tournament in celebrating inclusion and bringing squash to a wider audience marked another milestone in the progress of the In4Squash club, which last year joined the Leinster League for the first time.
