Maids of the Mountain Ladies Hockey Club (c.1918-2000)

Context

Creator(s): Maids of the Mountains Hockey Club Three Rock Ladies Three Rock Rovers Hockey Club (Ladies)

• Administrative History ↴

  The Maids of the Mountain Ladies’ Hockey Club was founded in 1918 by Hilda O’Reilly (1898-1962; later Martin). It merged with Three Rock Rovers Men’s Hockey Club in 1999 to become Three Rock Ladies, having shared facilities at the Rovers’ Grange Road, Rathfarnham complex since 1988. The founders were ‘maids’ (wives, girlfriends, sisters or daughters) of Three Rock Rovers players, whose grounds faced the Three Rock Mountain. The operetta Maid of the Mountains by Harold Fraser-Simpson was being performed in the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, August 1918; hence the club name was adapted to Maids of the Mountain. Hilda O’Reilly and the dozen or so founders were members of the Voluntary Aid Detachment serving during World War I (many of their relatives were serving soldiers). They founded Maids to counter the ‘closed nature’ of ladies hockey in 1918, when only past pupils or employees could join existing teams. Hilda was Maids president from 1935-1962. The team’s colours were a purple tunic with a mauve shirt, said to match that of heather on the mountains; lilac socks were added after 1959, and a wrap skirt replaced the tunic in the 1970s. Maids’ first grounds were shared with Three Rock Rovers, Foxrock between 1934-1986 they participated in the Men’s Hockey Union Templeogue grounds and pavilion scheme, where pitches were divided among a number of teams. When these grounds were sold in 1985/1986, Maids hired available pitches before moving to Grange Road. The club was administered by a President, Vice-Presidents, Captain, Club Secretary, Treasurer, General Committee (managing the finances and affairs of the club), Selection Committee and other committees (e.g. social, fund-raising). These were elected at the Maids’ Annual General Meeting. Membership consisted of the following categories: full, schoolgirl, pavilion, honorary, associate, veteran, and overseas. The club’s teams were also divided into a number of levels: Senior A & B (from 1990), Intermediate A (from 1965) & B (from 1988), Junior A & B (from 1985), Middle A (from 1974) & B (from 1990) and Minor (from 1974). When Maids moved to Grange Road in 1988, it became part of a Joint Executive with Three Rock Rovers, holding monthly committee meetings. Maids was affiliated with the Leinster Ladies’ Hockey Union. In 1920 it won the Irish Senior Cup, the Leinster Senior Cup and the Leinster Senior League; in 1923 the Irish Junior Cup. A complete list of Maids League and Cup victories can be found in The Lilac Years, pp. 32, 28. 32 Maids would play for the Irish ladies’ hockey team and founder Hilda O’Reilly was its captain in the 1920s. Maids toured regularly in Britain, in particular for the annual festival in Llandudno, Wales (1955-1987). International tours have included Germany (1937, 1982, 1986), Holland (late 1940s-early 1950s, 1970, mid-1970s, 1977-1979, 1983), USA (1981), Canada (1981, 1984), and Zimbabwe and South Africa (1997).

• Archival History ↴

  Papers maintained by Maids of the Mountain Hockey Club until transfer to Dublin City Council in Spring 2010. Deposited by Hilary McDonagh for Three Rock Ladies Hockey Club, formerly Maid of the Mountains Hockey Club, Spring 2010.

• Immediate Source Acquisition ↴

  Permanent Loan