Enniskillen Ladies Hockey Club is kickstarting its 50th Anniversary Celebrations on Friday February 9 with an event at Enniskillen Castle from 7pm to 9pm, with guest speakers Shirley McKay (MBE) - Ireland’s most capped Hockey player - and Kathryn Dane, former Enniskillen Ladies Hockey player and Ireland Rugby player. The event is open to all members, alumni, supporters and followers. If you would like to attend, please email enniskillenlhc@hotmail.com or contact Jill on 07789 225 468.

Established in 1974, Enniskillen Ladies Hockey Club has transformed and developed, facing many highs and lows over the last 50 years and looks ahead to revitalising the Club to ensure there continues to be hockey playing opportunities provided to children and adults across Fermanagh.

The Club has had its fair share of success over the years, most notably in 1994 when the club won the McConnell Shield and going on to represent Ulster in the All-Ireland White Cup in Kilkenny where they came runners up. The momentum and growth of the club continued, with a 2nd XI team formed in 1994/1995.

In 1996 the Club gained promotion to Senior League 2, and were the first club in the West of the province to play and compete in the dizzy heights of Senior League hockey. Success continued and the Club gained promotion, in 1998, to Senior 1 League which also saw the opening of a new artificial playing surface at the Bawnacre Leisure Centre, Irvinestown.

The Club continued to compete at a high standard of Senior hockey, with many members going on to represent Ulster and Ireland at inter-provincial level. The 2017/18 season saw the Club go unbeaten in the league and take home the Junior Plate, scoring one of the highest goal tallies in the history of the club with 69 goals and only conceded 15. The Ladies Vets Club had success as runners up in the Ulster Vets Blitz Tournament, and the Club also had members represent Ulster at vets’ inter-provincial tournaments.

While 2018 started off on a high for the Club, it ended with the ladies no longer able to call the Bawnacre their home due to the playing facilities no longer being fit for purpose. Enniskillen Ladies Hockey Club had to relocate, out of the County and Council Area and have since been playing at Fivemiletown College.

After a short hiatus following the Covid-19 pandemic, the Club is back competing once again in Senior 3, with over 40 Senior members training and playing matches across the province on a weekly basis.

Grassroots has been pivotal to the growth of the club, and this was evident through periods of rebuilding and new players progressing through the Junior club into Senior Ladies hockey. The Club are looking to further develop grassroots hockey within the County, having hosted a number of junior hockey sessions over the past 12 months and facilitated two summer camps.

However, many of the club players and officials feel that with the sport gaining a higher profile nowadays due to the success of Ireland Ladies and Men’s Hockey Club, the young players in Fermanagh will only maintain an interest in hockey, if playing facilities were available for them, within the County.

The Club will be hosting a number of events during 2024 as part of their 50th Anniversary, to showcase and highlight this minority sport, including the return of the annual Primary School Tournament.