It is a pleasure to present my President’s Report for the 2025/2026 Squash Ireland Annual General Meeting and to reflect on another important year in the continued development of our organisation, writes Rosie Barry.
Throughout the past year, our Strategic Plan, Connecting the Dots 2022-2027, has continued to provide a clear framework for decision-making and priority setting across Squash Ireland. The values underpinning this strategy remain central to how we govern, support and grow the sport at all levels.
From a governance perspective, the board has remained focused on its strategic oversight role, ensuring that Squash Ireland is well-positioned for long-term sustainability. Ongoing attention to governance standards, transparency and accountability has strengthened the organisation. The contribution of board members, along with the insights provided by our wider governance and advisory structures, continues to be invaluable.
Operationally, the organisation continues to evolve in order to meet the needs of our membership, which has been growing year on year since 2022. Our staff team, led by the CEO Scott Graham, has worked diligently to support core activities, deliver strategic priorities and enhance our engagement with clubs, volunteers and partners.
This work is complemented by the dedication of our volunteers, at local, provincial and national levels, whose commitment remains fundamental to the success of squash in Ireland. Our annual awards event is a particular highlight of our calendar in which we acknowledge and celebrate the work of standout clubs, volunteers, coaches and referees. Supporting and valuing this community remains a key focus for Squash Ireland.
At both the domestic and international levels, Squash Ireland continues to demonstrate resilience and ambition. Increased participation and competition across all age groups and levels is evident; new data on third-level and community programme engagement is particularly encouraging.
Our elite squash players are making their mark on PSA world rankings – currently, three Irish players are in the top 100. Squash Ireland’s high-performance structures have become a strong foundation to support our athletes and will continue to evolve with a keen focus on the European Games in 2027 and the Olympic Games in LA28.
In this regard, we are building on our integration with Sport Ireland’s national high-performance system, the Sport Northern Ireland Institute, and as members of the Olympic Federation of Ireland.
A significant milestone was the introduction of gender parity at the U17 European Team Championships (ETC) this year, matching the format of teams across ETC U19 and all junior teams in the annual Five Nations competition.
Notably, the European Squash Federation is investing in programmes focused on improving female coach development and a new female leadership initiative – Squash Ireland is linked closely with this strategy.
Our masters circuit continues to thrive with participation numbers increasing across all age groups again this season, and especially in the novice events for new female masters players. Competition for selection on Home International teams was intense and well-earned.
We remain proud of all those who represent Squash Ireland at junior, senior and masters levels and we are very grateful to the families and support networks who play such an important role behind the scenes.
As an all-island sporting organisation, we truly value the support from our funding partners Sport Ireland and Sport Northern Ireland. Essential collaboration with and support for our four provincial associations through the interprovincial forum (IPF) is further enabled this year through the efforts of our community development officers.
Squash Ireland continues to work in partnership with the Federation of Irish Sport, European Squash Federation, World Squash and the Professional Squash Association.
As we reflect on the year, it is clear that progress is best achieved through collective effort. I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has contributed to Squash Ireland over the past 12 months.
This includes the board, our staff, coaches, referees, volunteers, players, parents, sponsors and partners. Your passion for squash and your commitment to the organisation continue to drive us forward.
I invite you now to read the in-depth reports within this document in advance of the 2026 AGM, where the board and staff members will look forward to answering your questions. Equally, should any area of interest within our sporting organisation appeal to you from a volunteer or professional perspective, please do contact us!
Thank you all for your ongoing support, and I look forward to the 2026/2027 season ahead.
