Ed Joyce returns to Ireland men as batting coach
Ed Joyce is back with Ireland's men as a batting coach. Cricket Ireland confirmed the appointment on 28 September 2026, with Joyce taking charge of batting across the senior men's squad and the male talent pathway — the route that carries young players through to international cricket RTÉ.
Cricket Ireland has billed the job as National Batting Coach for the men's programme, under the title High Performance Batting Coach Cricket Ireland. It is a full-circle moment. Joyce retired from playing in 2018 and knows the system from the inside.
The numbers explain why. Joyce played 151 times for Ireland and scored 5,552 runs at an average of 40.82, with 10 centuries and 29 half-centuries BBC Sport. A century is 100 runs or more in one innings. An average above 40 marks a consistently productive international batter.
He also brings a rare dual perspective. Joyce, a left-handed top-order batter — one of the first batters sent out to face the new ball — played 19 times for England during his career BBC Sport. That spell came during an era when Ireland did not hold full-member status and its best players often sought Test cricket elsewhere.
After finishing as a player, Joyce moved straight into coaching. He became head coach of Ireland Women in 2019 and stayed in the role until stepping away in February 2025. He had earlier joined Cricket Ireland's High Performance Committee, which shapes planning for the international sides.
For fans, this means a familiar face in a specialist role. A batting coach works on technique, shot choice and game plans rather than picking the team. Ireland's men have a busy international calendar across Tests, one-day internationals and T20s, and Joyce's experience of long innings and short-format pressure covers all three.
