Alison Meeke
Irish field hockey player
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Alison Meeke (born 7 June 1991), also referred to as Ali Meeke, is an Ireland women's field hockey international. She was a member of the Ireland team that played in the 2018 Women's Hockey World Cup final. Meeke has also won Irish Senior Cup and Women's Irish Hockey League titles with Loreto.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alison Meeke | ||
| Born | 7 June 1991 [1] | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder/Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2003–2009 | The High School, Dublin | ||
| Senior career | |||
| Years | Team | ||
| 200x–200x | Corinthian | ||
| 200x– | Loreto | ||
| 2009 | → DCU | ||
| 2018 | → PSI All Stars | ||
| National team | |||
| Years | Team | Caps | Goals |
| 2014– | Ireland | 117+ | |
Medal record | |||
Early years, family and education
Between 2003 and 2009 Meeke attended The High School, Dublin.[2][3] Between 2010 and 2013 she attended Sallynoggin College of Further Education where she studied Fitness and Personal Training.[2][4] Since 2017 she has attended St Mary's University, Twickenham where she is studying for a Master's degree in Strength and Conditioning.[2][5] During her youth, Meeke also played Gaelic football with Ballyboden Wanderers. Together with Nicola Daly, she was a member of the Wanderers team that won 2008 Dublin Ladies Junior E Football Championship.[6][7][8]
Domestic teams
Early years
Between 2003 and 2009, Meeke played field hockey for The High School, Dublin. Her teammates and fellow students included Nicola Daly.[3][9] Meeke and Daly were members the High School team that finished as runners-up in the 2005 Leinster Schoolgirls' Premier League. In the final they lost 2–0 to an Our Lady's, Terenure team captained by Emer Lucey.[10][11] In her youth Meeke also played for Corinthian Hockey Club.[6][7][12] Meeke played for Dublin City University at intervarsity level, featuring in the 2009 Chilean Cup tournament. Her DCU teammates included Hannah Matthews.[13][14]
Loreto
In 2008–09 Meeke was a member of the Loreto team that won the inaugural Women's Irish Hockey League title.[15] She was also a member of the Loreto team won the 2009–10 Irish Senior Cup.[16] Meeke has also represented Loreto in European competitions.[17] In June 2011 she was a member of the Loreto team that won the EuroHockey Club Champion's Challenge II.[18] In June 2014 she was also a member of the Loreto team that finished third at the European Club Championship Trophy tournament hosted by Leicester Hockey Club.[19][20] In May 2018 Meeke was named Player of the Tournament as Loreto won the EY Champions Trophy.[21][22][23] Meeke's teammates at Loreto have included Nikki Symmons, Lizzie Colvin, Hannah Matthews and Nicola Daly.[15][18]
PSI All Stars
In December 2018 Meeke played for the Pro Series Indoor International All-Stars in a series of exhibition indoor hockey games against South Africa.[24][25][26][27]
Ireland international
Meeke made her senior debut for Ireland in April 2014 against India.[6][7] In March 2015 Meeke was a member of the Ireland team that won a 2014–15 Women's FIH Hockey World League Round 2 tournament hosted in Dublin, defeating Canada in the final after a penalty shoot-out.[28] She was also a member of the Ireland team that won the 2015 Women's EuroHockey Championship II, defeating the Czech Republic 5–0 in the final.[29] In 2017 Meeke made her 100th senior Ireland appearance during a series of games against Spain.[30]
Meeke represented Ireland at the 2018 Women's Hockey World Cup and was a prominent member of the team that won the silver medal.[8][12][31][32][33][34] She featured in all of Ireland's games throughout the tournament, including the pool games against the United States,[35] India [36] and England,[37] the quarter-final against India,[38][39] the semi-final against Spain [40] and the final against the Netherlands.[41][42] In the quarter-final against India, Meeke scored in the penalty shoot–out to help send Ireland through to the semi-final.[38][39]
Occupation
Meeke works as a field hockey coach and fitness instructor. Since 2011 she has coached at The High School, Dublin and since 2012 she has worked as a fitness instructor at University College Dublin. Since 2017 she has served as an ambassador for DB Sports Tours.[2][17][52] Since September 2016 she has also served as an assistant coach at Rathgar Hockey Club.[53][54]
Honours
Field hockey
- Women's Hockey World Cup
- Runners Up: 2018
- Women's FIH Hockey World League
- Winners: 2015 Dublin
- Women's EuroHockey Championship II
- Winners: 2015
- Women's FIH Hockey Series
- Runners Up: 2019 Banbridge
- Women's Four Nations Cup
- Runners Up: 2017
- Women's Hockey Champions Challenge I
- Runners Up: 2014
- EuroHockey Club Champion's Challenge II
- Winners: 2011: 1
- Women's Irish Hockey League
- Winners: 2008–09: 1
- Runners Up: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15: 3
- Irish Senior Cup
- Winners: 2009–10: 1
- Runners Up: 2011–12: 1
- EY Champions Trophy
- Winners: 2018
Gaelic football
- Dublin Ladies Junior E Football Championship
- Winners: 2008