Tokyo 2020 Olympian Deirdre Duke has set her sights on All-Ireland glory with London’s Holloway Gaels.
The 33-year-old former Ireland hockey star lines out for Holloway on Sunday in the intermediate club championship quarter-final against Leinster and Louth champions St Fechin’s.
Duke, who was also a member of the Ireland team which won silver at the 2018 World Cup, has starred for the Londoners in her debut season this year, helping them to county and provincial title success.
Duke came close to reaching an All-Ireland senior final with her home club Kilmacud Crokes in 2022, during a six-month post-Tokyo break from hockey. But the Dublin side’s Croke Park dream was ended by Monaghan’s Donaghmoyne. Three years on, Holloway has given her another shot at winning an All-Ireland title.
The World Cup in 2018 in London was probably the best three weeks I’ve ever had in an Irish jersey.
“I always had an eye on the All-Ireland series and getting back to Ireland,” said Duke, who was recently named London Ladies’ intermediate championship player of the year. Maybe that wasn’t something spoken about within the team, but it’s certainly something that drove me through pre-season and the preliminary rounds of the league. The goal still remains to get to Croke Park and progress the whole way. I don’t tend to play things, unless I’m trying to win them.”
Sunday will be just Holloway’s second venture into the intermediate All-Ireland, four years after losing out to eventual champions St Sylvester’s. It’s also nine years since Parnell’s were the last British champions to get beyond the quarter-final stage. Duke, though, is unperturbed by the history stacked against the Londoners.
“There’s no reason why a team like Holloway can’t win the entire competition,” she said. It’s difficult to know where we’re at with the standard at home, but no one plays in an All-Ireland quarter-final to make up the numbers.
“We’re certainly not there to make up the numbers, that’s for sure. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t going home to win that game – and I’ve no doubt everyone else feels the exact same way.”
She added: “No doubt it’s going to be really, really tough. They’re a very good team having come through Louth and Leinster so it’s going to be a tough battle. But there’s no reason why on the day we can’t come out on top.”
Retirement
Duke made the move to London in the summer of 2024 after announcing her retirement from international hockey. She played 173 times for Ireland. The “impetus” was the team missing out on qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Having initially “flirted” with the idea of joining a hockey team in London, she instead reverted to her “first love” – the GAA. She reached out to Holloway via the club’s Instagram page on the recommendation of Kilmacud Crokes. The rest, as they say, is history. It was all a bit random. I didn’t know any clubs in London and I didn’t know any of the girls at all,” says Duke.
Her involvement to begin with was limited to just training, having missed the transfer cut off. So, she watched on as Holloway claimed its second intermediate county title – ten years after the first – only to lose out in the All-Britain semi-finals. She’s made up for it this year, though, by helping the club retain the London IFC title and claim just its second-ever All-Britain intermediate championship.
Duke came off the bench to score 4-2 in Holloway’s county semi-final win over Wandsworth Gaels, and added 1-2 (0-1f) in the final against Tir Chonaill Gaels at McGovern Park.
In Holloway’s 3-8 to 0-9 victory over defending British IFC champions Dunedin Connolly’s at Páirc na hÉireann, she chipped in with a point and set up the first of their three second half goals. Throw in a Division 1 League title and a few cups and it’s been a highly successful first season for the ex-Ireland star.
“There’s a serious group of players there and it’s been really good to be a part of it,” said Duke. I know nothing else but being part of a team and while I was still able to kind of get around the pitch I wanted to keep playing competitively if I could. It’s been great to be a part of the squad, and it’s definitely given me that outlet and helped me transition away from hockey.”
GAA household
Growing up a in a “GAA household” it was perhaps inevitable that she’d initially follow that path. Good enough to play for Dublin at half back, she won an All-Ireland under 14 title in 2005, beating Donegal in the final. She also reached an under 16 final only to lose out to Cork.
Duke subsequently took a “step back” from both club and inter-county football to concentrate on hockey.
“I would have spent a lot of time in Croke Park watching the Dublin men and women over the years – and it all started down at Kilmacud Crokes when I was five or six,” she says.
“I probably got swept up in hockey based on my skill, but GAA is definitely where it all began. It’s funny how it’s gone full circle.”
There’s no reason why a team like Holloway can’t win the entire competition
Although also skilled enough to represent the Republic of Ireland at under 17 and under 15 level, it was the appeal of representing her country on the Olympic stage which won through. After missing out on Rio 2016, Duke was then part of the team which secured Olympic qualification for the first time with a thrilling shoot-out win over Canada at Donnybrook to reach Tokyo.
“That was ultimately always the draw. The opportunity to play in an Olympic Games is what brought me to hockey and playing on the international stage,” she says. Olympic qualification followed on from Ireland’s silver medal winning exploits at the 2018 World Cup in England.
“The World Cup in 2018 in London was probably the best three weeks I’ve ever had in an Irish jersey,” reflects Duke. “To be so close to home and actually work relatively close to Lee Valley stadium. I’ve been down there to games, so it’s really nostalgic. It was an incredible period for Irish hockey. Incredible to have made it to a couple of World Cups and ultimately the [Olympic] Games. Unfortunately, we didn’t quality for Paris in 2024 and at that stage I felt like I’d given all that I could.”
Holloway Gaels have been the beneficiaries – even more so if Duke can help them to an All-Ireland title.
