It’s that most wonderful time of the year for Irish masters squash players, the annual four-leg Home Internationals.
Eighty-eight players across 15 teams have been selected to represent Ireland against England, Scotland and Wales.
The competition starts in Galway this Friday before moving on to Nottingham and Aberdeen and then finishing in Wales in early May.
A year ago, it was teams representing Ireland at MO35, MO55, WO55 and MO75 age-grades that played at the Galway LTC.
Twelve months on, the Threadneedle Road club will play host to 23 Irish players featuring on WO35/40, MO40, MO60 and WO60 teams that are respectively captained by Siobhan Parker, Donnagh Crowley, Teddy Reinecke and Squash Ireland president Rosie Barry.
This two-day event, which begins this Friday, will be followed by legs in England on April 17th-18th, Scotland on April 24th-25th and then Wales on May 8th-9th.
It was February 28th, following the completion of the Irish Masters Nationals in Dublin, when the Ireland team selections were announced, and Squash Ireland Masters committee chairperson Eugene Walker said the reaction was terrific.
“The teams were announced live. There was excitement, a feeling of pride, you know what I mean,” he explained.
“Look, the thing about it is when you represent your country, it’s a proud day. While these are masters players, they are no different than a 13-year-old kid making an Irish team.
“With masters squash, it’s different. Lots of these people, we’ll say, have played through the juniors, never made an Irish team and come in afterwards to play. It’s just being so proud to play for your country. It’s another level.”
Celtic club member Walker can’t wait to see what unfolds during Galway’s second successive year to host the Irish leg of the Home Internationals before the venue switches back to Dublin next year.
“Every two years, it goes between Galway and Dublin. This is the last year in Galway, and then it will move to Dublin next year for two years. It’s because of the court space; the venues each have six courts,” he said.
“Galway is a fine club. They have three glass-backed courts, and one of them has all-seating. It’s a proper venue. The visiting teams love it in Galway; it’s a lovely city.
“The Home Internationals is a massive highlight of the season,” he continued, “and we do have a few new players representing Ireland. In Galway, a first-time cap would be Marie O’Brien from Waterford in the WO35/40. The rest would have played before and might have played at senior level as well.
“Historically, England would probably be the strongest,” Walker added, assessing Ireland’s chances of first leg success. “Now I do think we have a chance in the MO40s in Galway, and we probably have a little squeak with the W035/40.”
The Home Internationals are taking place following a bumper domestic tour season for masters squash, with the numbers taking part in all the showcase tournaments handsomely up on previous years.
For example, there were 69 at last summer’s Waterford Masters, up from 40 in 2024. There was also a jump from 112 to 138 at the Leinster Masters and an increase from 100 to 122 at the Munster Masters.
Masters committee chairperson Walker, who doubles up as a tournament director, was chuffed with this exciting growth in popularity. “It was unbelievable,” he enthused. “We had the highest numbers we have had in years, like.
“We never had a number before like we had in Munster; the same in Leinster. And at the Nationals, we had massive numbers as well (154, up from 122 in 2025). Masters squash in Ireland just seems to be growing and growing every year.
“I don’t have any reason why, but it just seems to be so popular. For the last couple of months, I have been trying to think why it is getting so popular and I can’t put my finger on it.
“But we have people competing at O75s. We have one person, Michael McGrath from Limerick’s CIAC. He is 83, as far as I know, and he is playing the O75s.
“The players just seem to enjoy it, and it’s all good fun. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s very, very competitive. But everybody seems to get on. It’s a good bit of fun, and there is a great bit of banter with everyone.”
IRELAND’S MASTERS HOME INTERNATIONALS TEAMS 2026
Galway, April 10th/11th
WO35/40: Ciara Davey, Ciara Moloney Doheny, Aoileann Ni Chomhrai, Maria O’Brien, Siobhan Parker ©, Tanya Scullion;
MO40: Brian Byrne, Donnagh Crowley ©, Michael Ely, Mark Furlong, Dermot MacNamara, David Noone, Niall Rooney;
MO60: Gerry Callanan, Myles Fitzpatrick, David Hazzard, Donal Kelly, Andre Maur, Teddy Reinecke ©;
WO60: Rosie Barry ©, Josie Grogan, Mary Keyes, Diane Lanigan.
Nottingham, April 17th/18th
MO35: Pieter Bekker, Rory Canavan, Michael Conroy, Mark Gilliland, James Judge, Peter McNeice ©, Sam Olwill;
MO55: David Cassidy, Tom Crowe, Stephen Fasenfeld ©, Brian Lalor, Adrian Leeson, Stephen Mooney;
WO55: Sarah Berkeley, Jennifer Dillon, Danielle Donohue, Lynda Dunlop ©, Emer O’Brien, Beverley Scott;
MO75: Paddy Butler ©, Seamus Daly, David Gotto, Michael McGrath.
Aberdeen, April 24th/25th
MO50: David Ayerst, John Hurley, Neal Murphy, Vincent Pippet ©, Dave Riordan, Derek Ryan;
WO50: Kinny Bolton, Aisling McArdle, Rachel McNulty, Sue Murphy, Suzanne O’Shaughnessy, Suzanne Swan ©;
MO70: Bert Cotter, Donal Coughlan ©, Michael Conlon, Robert Garvin, Patrick Hanley, Kyran Hurley, Peter Stephens.
Cardiff, May 8th/9th
MO45: Kevin Knox, Neil McCarron, Kevin Moore ©, Patrick Morrissey, William Nicholson, Nigel Peyton, Ronan Peyton;
WO45: Suzie Connors, Niamh Darcy, Rachel McNulty, Sarah Scanlan ©, Suzanne Swan, Sandra Walshe;
MO65: Gerard Connaughton ©, John Dineen, David Lalor, James McSweeney, Michael Roden, Nicky Rusk;
WO65: Maureen Duke, Rose Hynes, Marian Mullen ©, Dympna Reardon.
