Hearty Congratulations to the Bulls B Team that came out as eventual winners over the Hawks B in a thrilling conclusion to the IIHL RD season at the Ice Dome recently. The tournament was a huge success, and everyone enjoyed the great hockey that was on show. Thanks are due to all those who gave of their time so generously, from the Referee in Chief, who, on the weekend of the London Marathon, must easily have covered the 26 miles and more in his 10 hour stint on the ice, to Andrew, Aiden and Jim who have been there pressing all the right buttons whenever needed all through the season, to Dean Kelly and his legions of volunteers who jumped in to help whenever needed. A special mention must also go to Pat Jarrett who did a great job organising the whole weekend, eh ?
Sadly the I.I.H.A. must announce the premature closure of the 2009 season which has been forced on the premier division of Irish Ice Hockey leaving us without the opportunity to stage our Playoff Tournament before high Summer is upon us.
No fewer than three separate dates were suggested, for what was finally whittled down to single game, and which would bring our season to it’s conclusion. Every proposal was turned down by the only rink currently available. Regrettably we see no other option but to postpone the 2009 Playoff Final between the Hawks and the Dublin Rams to later in the year when more opportunities might be available to the Association.
This disappointing news came on the very weekend when 10 hours of icetime were provided, at the Associations expense, in Dundalk, concluding a wonderful IIHL Recreational Division season, indeed, the sport as a whole has been a huge supporter of the rink since its inception, but sadly, and all too often, that support has not been reciprocated.
On a more cheerful note we look forward in anticipation, to a new venture which hopefully can correct the situation that sees Dublin as the only capital city in Europe without an ice rink.
An announcement is imminent on a new facility, easily accessible from the M50, on Dublin’s Northside. Hopefully this arena will be more welcoming to, and supportive of, The Coolest Game on Earth, so check back regularly on www.iiha.org for the latest developments as we are looking into the possibility of showcasing the sport, over the summer, here in the nation’s capital , from where it has been absent for far too long.