Cookstown Hockey Club

Cookstown Hockey Club is a hockey club based in Cookstown, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Hockey Association and was founded in 1951. The first team currently plays in the Premier League of the Ulster Senior League and are current holders of the Irish Senior Cup. In addition the club also fields five Junior League teams and two ladies' teams. The ladies' team currently play in the second tier of Ulster Hockey in senior league section one.

From their foundation in 1951, Cookstown gained promotion from the Junior League to Intermediate League Section A of the Ulster Senior League in season 1954-55.

A period of consolidation followed before Cookstown started to progress upwards in the ranks of Ulster hockey. In 1966-67 Intermediate League Section A was finally won to gain entry to Qualifying League Section B. The following season saw their league won again and promotion to Qualifying League Section A.

When the Ulster Senior League was re-organised after the 1968-69 season, Cookstown had performed well enough in their first season in Qualifying League Section A to secure a place in the new Section 2. For the next five seasons Cookstown proved to be one of the stronger teams in the Section, but always fell just short of promotion to the top flight of Ulster hockey.

Season 1974-75 finally brought the long-awaited win of Section 2 and Cookstown secured their place in the top flight of the Ulster Senior League. Their position in the top Section of the League has been retained continuously from that date.

The 1980s was a period of success for the club and saw Cookstown experience European competition for the first time.

In 1979-80 the club fought its way through to the Irish Senior Cup Final for the first time, losing to Belfast YMCA by two goals to nil. The disappointment was tempered when their opponents were unable to represent Ireland in the European Club Cup as participation would involve playing on a Sunday and Cookstown accepted an invitation to take their place.

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