Ireland women's hockey: Barr twins back in a squad which has notable absentees
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Roisin Upton (left) and Bethany Barr (centre) are named in Sean Dancer's squad but Chloe Watkins (right) is among the absentees
Fit-again sisters Bethany and Serena Barr have returned to an Ireland squad which also has notable absentees as this summer's World Cup approaches.
The Barr twins both missed the Olympic Games because of cruciate ligament injuries but are among eight Ulster players named in the squad.
Anna O'Flanagan and Chloe Watkins are not included and, as it stands, are set to miss out on the World Cup in July.
They are both unavailable at present while Zoe Wilson is also missing.
Wilson, like the Barr twins, was ruled out of the Olympics in Tokyo by an anterior cruciate ligament injury and an Irish Hockey statement said that "this selection round, unfortunately has come too soon" for the Ulster woman.
Ulster players joining the two Barrs in the squad are skipper Katie Mullan, Ayeisha McFerran, Zara Malseed, Erin Getty, Jane Kilpatrick and uncapped Charlotte Beggs.
Ireland, who took a surprise silver medal at the last World Cup, will open their campaign in the Netherlands on 2 July against the hosts in what will be a repeat of the 2018 final in London.
As it stands, squad stalwart Anna O'Flanagan is set to miss out on this year's World Cup in the Netherlands
The Irish will then face in Chile in their second group game three days later before the 6 July contest with Germany.
Ireland's 25-woman squad features 13 Olympians and 17 players who helped them qualify for the World Cup last October.
Other uncapped players joining Ulster Elks player Beggs in Sean Dancer's squad are Holly Micklem, Caoimhe Perdue, Síofra O'Brien, Ellie McLoughlin, Katherine Egan and Katie-Jane Marshall.
The selection follows a training camp in the south of France where Ireland won 3-0 and 4-0 against the hosts in uncapped fixtures.
From this panel of 25, a squad will next be selected for a series at Lilleshall against Great Britain in mid March before a further camp in the Netherlands from 27 March to 1 April.
Following the World Cup in July, Ireland will be back in action in August in the EuroHockey Championship qualifiers in Dublin.
"Our recent trip to France provided an excellent opportunity to see how our wider squad performed," said coach Dancer.
"Some stand-out performances from Charlotte, Caoimhe, Holly and Síofra has allowed them to gain inclusion into the national group for our next period of training and competition."
Ireland squad
Ayeisha McFerran (GK, SV Kampong), Róisín Upton (Catholic Institute), Lena Tice (Old Alex), Katie Mullan (Ballymoney capt), Sarah Hawkshaw (Railway Union), Deirdre Duke (Old Alex), Naomi Carroll (Catholic Institute), Elizabeth Murphy (GK, Loreto), Hannah McLoughlin (UCD), Sarah McAuley (UCD), Michelle Carey (UCD), Sarah Torrans (Loreto), Zara Malseed (Ards), Holly Micklem (GK, Old Alex), Caoimhe Perdue (UCC), Charlotte Beggs (Ulster Elks), Síofra O'Brien (Loreto), Ellie McLoughlin (GK, UCD), Erin Getty (Queen's), Jane Kilpatrick (Belfast Harlequins), Katherine Egan (UCD), Bethany Barr (Belfast Harlequins), Serena Barr (Belfast Harlequins), Katie-Jane Marshall (UCD), Niamh Carey (UCD)