OVER 9,000 athletes will come together in Gwangju, South Korea for the 28th World University Games, 3-14 July 2015, to compete in some 300 medal events, across 21 sports and with less than a month remaining until the Opening Ceremony, Student Sport Ireland (SSI) has announced the team representing Ireland in Gwangju, known locally as the “City of Hope and Light”.
Limerick is well represented on the Irish team with county natives Catherine Cronin (Football), Claire O’Riordan (football) and Fiona Doyle (swimming) all competing. Neasa O’Donnell of the University of Limerick will take up the role of Assistant Head of Delegation for team Ireland and will be joined by five University of Limerick students, across six sporting disciplines.
Korean Ambassador, Mr. Hae-yun Park, and Chair of SSI, Ms Carmel Lynch, were in attendance to meet the athletes as well as give encouragement in their medal quests. Ambassador Mr. Hae-yun Park congratulated the students and expressed his delight at the opportunities that the Games bring to Ireland. “With over 180 countries participating in 21 sports, attending the Games in Gwangju is a chance for the athletes to be ambassadors for Ireland in South Korea. It will be a place they can win together, learn about each other and better understand others, as well as experience the Korean culture.”
Trinity College Dublin’s Cathy Gallagher will lead the Irish Delegation for the third consecutive Games and as Head of Delegation stated “Team Ireland will compete in 6 of the 21 sports in Gwangju and comprises the creme-de-la-creme of our student athletes at third level. We welcome on board again Athletics and Swimming, Men’s & Women’s Football and the inclusion of Archery, Golf (Men & Ladies) and Judo to the 2015 delegation. Other than participating at the ultimate sporting occasion that is the Olympic Games, students will not have a similar opportunity to experience the cultural, interpersonal, camaraderie and lifetime synergies which are an integral part of the Games. We will respect and uphold the reputation of Ireland as a valued member of the FISU family and enshrine the achievements and memories of Gwangju 2015 for student sport benefit”.
Student Sport Ireland (SSI) Chairperson Carmel Lynch closed the ceremony by thanking all those involved, as the Irish Delegation and competitors are set to depart for Gwangju from 22nd June.
Ireland begins its medal quest on the 2nd July with Women’s Football taking on Chinese Taipei while the Men face Uruguay in the first of their group matches. Archery, Judo and Swimming all get underway from 5th July, where Eoin Fleming (Judo – 73kg category) & Darren Wallace (Archery) will travel directly from competing at the inaugural European Games in Baku and the 10 strong team of swimmers will hope to replicate Fiona Doyle’s silver medal performance at the 27th Games in Kazan, Russia in 2013. Golf and Athletics competitions commence on 8th July.
Full schedules are now available from the official Universiade 2015 Gwangju website. A complete listing of the Team Ireland athletes and officials is below.
Archery
Darren Wallace (NUI Galway)
John Smith (Dublin IT)
Martin Cunningham (Manager)
Athletics
Adam McMullan (University of Ulster)
Ciara Everard (University College Dublin)
Kevin Batt (Adams State University)
John Travers (Athlone IT)
Thomas Barr (University of Limerick)
Barry Pender (Dublin City University)
Neill Martin (Manager)
Football Men
Matthew Connor (Waterford IT)
Seamus Houghton (IT Carlow)
Conor O’Keeffe (IT Carlow)
Daniel Devine (IT Tallaght)
Dylan Mernagh (University of Limerick)
Jake Corrigan (Maynooth University)
Noel Haverty (IT Carlow)
Reece McEnteer (Dundalk IT)
Robert Gaul (Dublin City University)
Stephen Last (IT Carlow)
Alan McGreal (University College Dublin)
Andrew Mulligan (IT Carlow)
Brian Nolan (University of Limerick)
Conor McDonald (Dundalk IT)
Eric Molloy (IT Carlow)
Jonathon Bonner (IT Carlow)
Luke Kelly (Dublin City University)
Alan O’Sullivan (Dublin City University)
Dean Broaders (IT Carlow)
Danny Crowley (Manager)
Paul O’Reilly (Assistant Manager)
Paul Walsh (Coach)
Gary Sweeney (Video Analysis)
Football Women
Niamh Reid Burke (IT Blanchardstown)
Courtney Brosnan (Syracuse University)
Megan Campbell (Florida State)
Jessica Gleeson (Waterford IT)
Ciara O’Connell (University College Cork)
Niamh Walsh (University College Cork)
Rachel Doyle (Maynooth University)
Chloe Mustaki (University College Dublin)
Catherine Cronin (University College Dublin)
Emma Hansberry (IT Sligo)
Ciara Rossiter (Waterford IT)
Ciara Grant (University College Dublin)
Dora Gorman (University College Dublin)
Rachel graham (IT Carlow)
Julie Ann Russell (University College Dublin)
Orlagh Nolan (University College Dublin)
Claire O’Riordan (IT Carlow)
Sarah Rowe (Dublin City University)
Rosanne Maguire (National College of Ireland)
Sue Ronan (Manager)
Gerard Dunne (Coach)
Greg Yelverton (Coach)
Maz Sweeney (Coach)
Golf
Jessica Ross (Queen’s University Belfast)
Sarah Helly (Marshall University)
Sinead Sexton (Maynooth University)
Alex Gleeson (University College Dublin)
Stuart Grehan (Maynooth University)
Sean Flanagan (Maynooth University)
Gillian O’Leary (Manager)
Judo
Eoin Fleming (Queen’s University Belfast)
Ciaran Ward (Manager)
Swimming
Alex Murphy (University College Dublin)
Christopher Bryan (University of Limerick)
Dan Sweeney (Loughborough University)
Fiona Doyle (Calgary University)
Grainne Murphy (University of Limerick)
Jordan Sloan (Ulster University)
Nicholas Quinn (University of Edinburgh)
Shani Stallard (University College Dublin)
Shauna O’Brien (University College Dublin)
Sycerika McMahon (Texas A & M University)
Peter Banks (Director Swim Ireland)
Ruth McQuillan (Manager)
Paul Dennis (Coach)
Lars Humer (Coach)
