Ireland Team

Simon Williams (Captain)

Simon Williams (C) has played regularly for Ireland since 1987, mostly in AC. He has been Irish GC Champion 5 times since 1996. Simon is a groundsman by trade, and formerly a musician and graphics technician. He is currently Chairman of the Croquet Association of Ireland

Patsy Fitzgerald

Patsy Fitzgerald is currently Ireland's top GC player and has won the Irish Championship 6 times.  He is an artist and runs the family farm in Co.Meath.  He is married to Hazel and has three young daughters.

Evan Newell

Evan Newell is a seasoned international.  He was third in the 1998 World GC Championship, but hi proudest moment was winning the Plate in the 2013 Egyptian Open!  Evan and Linda have one daughter and live in rural Co.Meath where Evan breeds and trains racehorses, in addition to his unfathomable other business interests.

​​​​​​​Robert O'Donoghue

Robert's croquet career has excelled since first appearing on the scene in Cairo for the U21 World Golf Croquet Championships in 2009. The ensuing decade has seen the globetrotting Irishman pick off numerous scalps and hard-earned victories on both the domestic and European circuit. With promising results in the European Championships in 2018 & 2019, Robert is tipped to make a splash at the highest level in 2020.

Son of champion sailor Don O'Donoghue, Robert has grown up competing in many sports at a top level. His most notable achievement is holding the course record in the number 1 par 3 golf course in the capital. Robert spends his days as a marketing executive in Dublin, whilst also being a keen film enthusiast.

O'Donoghue is an avid Tolkeinist, and is keen to visit New Zealand for the first time.

Mark Stephens

Mark has being playing croquet on and off for the past decade plus, he represented Ireland at the U21 world championships 2011 in Hunstanton and has since travelled and played in the 2017,2018 & 2019 EU Golf croquet championships spanning across the UK and Spain. The year 2019 also singled Mark's maiden appearance in the world golf croquet championship where results didn't go to plan, however mixing it up with the big boys for the first time was quite a thrill! Mark's claim to fame was beating Stephen Mullinar in a “Thunderstorm Match For The Ages” in the the EU champs quarter final winning 7-6 in game three, he hopes that, seeing as England are in the same group as Ireland, that he can get another crack at the Englishmen who has had Mark's number on most occasions. Mark is thoroughly looking forward to travelling and playing croquet in New Zealand and drinking/eating all that the country has to offer. The Irish are coming.