Dear friends,

It is my great pleasure to write this foreword to Basketball Ireland's Annual Report, especially in view of my visit to Dublin for the Cup Finals weekend this past January. On that occasion, I witnessed first-hand just how much our sport means to so many people on the Emerald Isle. The past year has been both a memorable and unprecedented one for Irish basketball, with all signs pointing to more exciting times ahead. Basketball Ireland deserves high praise for organising and hosting

Foreword from FIBA

the hugely successful FIBA U18 Women's European

1

Patrick BaumannChampionship Division B tournament last August in Dublin. The 23 participating teams were made to feel right at home and played in an electric atmosphere in sold out venues. To top things off, Ireland’s own team finished second and as a result, earned promotion to Division A - the first time in the history of Irish basketball. The tournament generated such a huge buzz for underage Irish basketball - throughout its duration it trended on social media right across the country - that everyone is now eagerly anticipating the FIBA Women's European Championship for Small Countries taking place in Cork from June 26-July 1st. This is undoubtedly a highlight of the summer ahead, when no fewer than six Irish teams will compete in FIBA Europe competitions. There are many reasons to celebrate off the court too. Over the last 12 months, Irish basketball has continued to grow across all sectors, with the number of its stakeholders rising by 3.5 percent. This marks the sixth consecutive year of growth, during which time, the membership has increased by a staggering 59%. There are 240 basketball clubs across Ireland. At the highest level, in the senior national league where 13 trophies are on offer, only three of these went to Dublin teams this season. This is a clear indication that the sport’s growth extends to all parts of the country and is benefiting from an even geographical spread. At youth level, the sport is played in over 700 schools. Additionally, through initiatives such as the Green Shoots Player Pathway Programme and Urban Hoops, Basketball Ireland is providing opportunities and platforms for these youngsters to develop and fine-tune their skills. Like fellow smaller FIBA National Member Federations, Basketball Ireland is reaping the rewards of growing 3x3, the urban discipline set to make its Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games. This was evident in seeing over 9,000 people engage in the recent Hula Hoops 3x3 tournament in Dundrum. Of course, there are challenges ahead, but it is worth pointing out how several of them are of the positive kind, including having to find more referees, coaches and table officials - all requirements to keep up with basketball's impressive growth and the resulting need for support. I would like to thank your fully devoted and rightfully "happy" Secretary General Bernard O'Byrne who works tirelessly together with his Board and staff for the development of our beloved sport. They all deserve our appreciation for their dedication and hard work and we wish them many more successes on and off the courts. Last but not least, I also wish the very best to all Irish teams taking to the courts this summer.

Regards,

Patrick BaumannFIBA Secretary General and International Olympic Committee (IOC) Member

Chairperson’s ReportFellow basketball colleagues, it is hard to believe a year has passed since our CEO, Bernard O’Byrne, asked me to write my first address on behalf of the Board. In that address, I remarked on the honour bestowed on Basketball Ireland with FIBA entrusting the hosting of the 2018 U18 Women’s European Championship Division B to us. Little did we realise the phenomenal success that the championships would be, both on and off the court. The fantastic squad - including the management team - delivered huge excitement in front of full houses. Though they FRAN RYANlost out against a superb German team in the final, by reaching the final, they achieved a part of our Strategic Plan - attaining ‘A’ standard in European basketball. Off the court, the tournament demonstrated our team’s ability to deliver a superbly organised event involving over 400 participants from 23 countries. This would not have been possible without the great input of volunteers from our community who gave so much of their time and energy. A big thank you to all. The standard of basketball and coaching demonstrated and the successful organisation of this event are, I believe, a reflection of how basketball in Ireland is progressing and I am confident that its legacy will inspire others to become involved at all levels. We were also delighted that Kamil Novak, Secretary General of FIBA Europe, accepted our invitation to attend those championships, while we were honoured to welcome Patrick Baumann, Secretary General, FIBA World, to the National Cup finals. Further endorsement of our standing within FIBA came with the announcement that we will host the 2018 Women’s European Championship for Small Countries this summer.I would like to take this opportunity to thank my Board colleagues for their unflinching commitment, and specifically, the directors stepping down, Aaron O’Connell and Seamas Donnelly, who contributed significantly to the Board during their tenure. Although the past year has been very positive, we face significant challenges going forward including GDPR compliance and child welfare standards, and the fact that our core income is static, despite the improving economy. The Strategic Plan Implementation Group made recommendations to Board and Council, which have stimulated a joint review of our current structure. A subcommittee of Board and Council members is exploring a more effective national management structure along with bringing our constitutional documentation to a higher governance standard. We have engaged Reddy Charlton Solicitors to assist in this initiative. Our financial position remains stable if challenging. The Board’s objective to pay off all bank debt by December 2018 is still a possibility and, at worst, it will be paid off by the 2019 AGM. The Basketball Ireland club National Draw was again a huge success and, to date, has generated €513,000 for clubs all over the country.You will see from the audited accounts that, with reduced interest costs, the Board increased investment in basketball during the past season, resulting in a very small net surplus. Our objective going forward is to provide funding to help delivery of our Strategic Plan and to allocate funding to the various segments of our sport. Finally, we again acknowledge the tremendous amount of time given to basketball by all of the volunteers – without that input, basketball could not grow. Thank you,

Fran Ryan

2

Board of DirectorsBoard of DirectorsShe has been to European competitions at all levels as a manager, and two World University Games in 2003 and 2005. Some of her biggest achievements to date were volunteering at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic basketball competitions and acting as Sports Manager for Team Ireland at the World Special Olympics Games in 2011 and 2015.

Grace O’Sullivan Grace O’Sullivan has been involved with basketball for over 35 years. Current manager of the Irish Senior Women's team, Grace began her international coaching experience as an assistant coach in 1993 and has coached at international level. Coaching and administration have been a huge part of Grace's basketball life, beginning in Brunell Ladies BC at underage and National League in the 1990s to coaching at Post Primary and club level in Ballincollig for 20 years. During this time, Grace has acted as regional organiser for Post Primary schoolgirls and coached regional teams in Cork. Grace was awarded the Post Primary teacher's award for her volunteer work in basketball with the Cork Education and Training Board and in the past year, became principal of North Monastery School in Cork.

Padraig McLoughlin Padraig McLoughlin is CEO of a distribution company and a qualified Chartered Director. He has been associated with St Vincent’s Basketball Club all of his life and coached at National League level for both St Vincent’s and Meteors Basketball Club. In the last few years, he has coached underage basketball with Tolka Rovers Basketball Club and is currently back coaching underage with St Vincent’s.

Ken McIntyreKen McIntyre has been a director of J B Barry & Partners, one of Ireland’s leading consulting engineering practices, for over 20 years. He has been involved in the delivery of major infrastructure projects in Ireland and has also provided technical and institutional support to local administration on projects in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. He is a Fellow of Engineers Ireland, a Fellow of the Association of Consulting Engineers and a Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Water & Environmental Management. In his playing career, Ken was a founding member of Marian (now UCD Marian) Basketball Club with whom he won two national championships. He was an underage international at u15, u18 and u20 level and a senior international from 1970 to ‘79. Ken also played basketball in Sligo and, over the years, has been involved in both coaching and administration.

Fran Ryan (Chairman) Fran Ryan is a long standing member of UCD Marian Basketball club having served as player, coach and administrator. He was a member of the MNCC for a number of years and joined the Basketball Ireland board in 2015, becoming chairman in 2016. Outside of basketball, Fran was a board director of IFG Group Plc for a number of years, and currently sits as executive and non-executive director for a number of private companies across various industries.

Prof. Seamas Donnelly (Deputy Chairman)Professor Seamas Donnelly is a Professor of Medicine at Trinity College Dublin. He has been involved with basketball for over 30 years, playing National League initially with Galway Democrats and subsequently playing with University College Cork (UCC) and North Mon. He is currently a member of Meteors Basketball Club and has coached at club, provincial and international level.

Aaron O’Connell (Company Secretary) Aaron O’Connell is a successful businessman and experienced entrepreneur. Originally from Cork, Aaron has been involved in basketball for the past 42 years, as a player, coach or administrator with North Mon, Blue Demons, Neptune, UCC and Cobh, Blarney Ladies, Fr. Mathews, Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal, Gael Cholaiste Mhuire AG, Brunell, Cobh, Carrig Na bhFear, Meteors and UCD, in addition to serving in an administrative capacity with BI Coaches’ Committee, Cork Men’s and Ladies’ Boards, and the Cork Post Primary School Girls’ Committee.

Tim Murphy Tim Murphy is Chief Operating Officer of DMS Governance Ltd. (DMS), and provides leadership support to the firm’s CEO and President in promoting innovation, quality service and cost-effective management of resources. Prior to joining DMS, Mr. Murphy served as Associate Partner for Novitas Partners LLP, Ireland a Corporate Advisory firm, where he was responsible for opening its Irish office and, among other roles, provided business development and product strategy advice and execution services for SME businesses in Ireland, Europe and the U.S.

Noreen O’Connell Noreen O’Connell is a member of staff in the UL Sport facility in Limerick. A sports enthusiast with over 15 years’ experience, she has been involved with Basketball Ireland since 1998 in a voluntary capacity holding numerous roles, such as international management, chairperson of the colleges, chairperson of the IAC committee and member of the council, to name but a few. Noreen is currently a member of the EPC.

3

Financial Report

4

Financial Report

Basketball Ireland has achieved signification group debt reduction, despite the challenges of reduced government support and a growing Federation.

5

very competitive games during the weekend. For the play off finals, we travelled to WIT Arena in Waterford. This worked out very well and was a great venue. We now look forward to the hosting of the FIBA Women’s European Championship for Small Countries at the Mardyke Arena UCC in Cork this June. A hard working team of dedicated people are working tirelessly to host another tournament that we will all proud of and I know this will be well supported by the basketball community in Ireland.

For a second year in a row, the Post Primary Schools Competitions recorded a double-digit increase in registration, with a record 751 schools now participating in the PPSC Cup and League competitions. With the PPSC overseeing more than a thousand school games, it is no surprise that the support and noise level in the Arena for the finals at A, B and C levels are extremely exciting. The streaming of the finals live at all levels brings the games back into the schools, workplace and homes for those who cannot attend. All these factors, together with the hard working schools committee, help explain the continued phenomenal growth, interest and participation of schools in basketball over these past few years. The introduction of the D league as a developmental league has also been a huge success in encouraging more schools to participate. We witnessed some fantastic games at all levels. Well done to all players, coaches and schools involved. A full list of all of this year’s winners can be found on pages 20 and 21 of this report. The PPSC Committee consists of 18 regional organisers from the registered schools. They are to be commended for the work they do on a voluntary basis, while the Basketball Ireland Competitions Officer is also much appreciated by the schools and their representatives for the support and work she does each year.

President's Address

Schools Annual ReportTHERESA WALSH

It has been a great year for basketball in Ireland and, in preparing this report, I would like to thank everyone for their ongoing support.It has been a great honour for me to serve as President, and I would like to thank all members of Basketball Ireland around the country, and those representatives on the National Council, for all of your support during the year. The highlight of the year was the hosting of the FIBA Under 18 Women’s European Championship Division B in Dublin last summer. It was a great honour for Basketball Ireland to host such a prestigious event and I must say that it was a massive success for all involved. This would not have been possible without the help and support of the basketball community throughout the country and all of the volunteers and officials who came to help over the 10 days. We hosted 23 countries here, and all of the feedback has been very positive, while the team and management performed to the highest standard and to see them in the final was a dream come true. During the year, I travelled all over the country for games, presentations and meetings, and the enthusiasm and support of members makes the future of Irish basketball very bright - we can build on this enthusiasm for our sport in the years ahead. I also attended the first hosting of the Belfast Classic in Belfast, and it was a superb experience. We had the FIBA General Secretary as our guest at the Hula Hoops National Cup finals in January. The finals were a great success and we witnessed some

6

Thanks

President's Address

To members of our sport who have lost loved ones during the last year my sincere condolences to you on your sad loss. To all the Basketball Ireland Council, Basketball Ireland Board, Bernard O'Byrne, all the team at BIHQ, and all Basketball Ireland members throughout the country thank you for your help, support and advice to me during the year. It was and is much appreciated.Enjoy the summer and we look forward to seeing you all at the Europeans in Cork.

Theresa

It gave me great pleasure to work along with Fran Ryan, chair of the Board of Basketball Ireland this year. Fran, along with fellow Board members, have worked tirelessly for our sport. I would like to thank the Board members who are due to retire at the AGM. Thank you for giving of your time to our sport. There are many challenges ahead but I am confident that with Council and Board working closely together with Bernard O'Byrne, we will together continue to put basketball in its deserved position in Irish sport. To all of our National Committees: the National Area Boards Committee,Women's National League Committee, Men's National Clubs Committee, Post Primary Schools Committee, Primary Schools Mini National Committee, National Basketball Colleges Committee, National Referees Committee, National Commissioners Committee, National Table Officials Committee, Coaching and Playing Standards Unit, Elite Performance Committee and Strategic Planning Implementation Committee, I would like to say thanks for all of your hard work and dedication to our sport throughout the year. It is the hard work and dedication of these Committees that ensures all sections of our sport grow and develop. We must look forward and plan ahead for the development our sport in the future. Congratulations to all teams who represented Basketball Ireland, their clubs and their families in Europe last summer. We look forward to supporting the teams who travel this summer and wish them the best of luck with their preparations.

7

Media

The 2017/18 season was a landmark one for Irish basketball in the media as Basketball Ireland’s audience grew significantly in multiple areas. While getting traction in the mainstream media can often be a challenge for sports outside of the Big 3, Basketball Ireland (BI) embraced this challenge and nurtured its own digital and online community, aiming to become its own media house. This involved creating and distributing content to appeal to a captive audience and by extension, to the wider Irish public. Coverage across the game has been amplified even further due to advances with streaming, which has enabled fans to watch top quality live action from all corners of the island via YouTube or Facebook. Basketball games regularly get thousands of viewers on Facebook Live and this weekly live streaming, along with our new ‘Time Out’ Facebook Live show, are the touchpoints where the domestic game have flourished most. The ‘Time Out’ show is a recent development, which allows BI to introduce Irish basketball stars to the public discussing major talking points in Irish basketball. The viewership for the show is extremely high, particularly considering the 2017/18 season was its pilot season, and all of this new content on Facebook resulted in over one million minutes of video watched this season – an increase of 694% on last year. Streaming also played a major role outside of BI’s own channels. FIBA’s live streams of every international game helped supplement BI’s content and last summer’s FIBA U18 Women’s European Championship Division B in Dublin saw more than over 27,000 people watch the Ireland vs Germany final. This helped to drive coverage on other media sites in Ireland as they picked up on the incredible achievements of the girls in green. This year saw a partnership with Off The Ball for the Cup semi-finals in Cork which saw the games broadcast to a new audience, while Balls.ie came on board for the Hula Hoops 3x3 Championship in Dundrum. 2017/18 also saw the extension of the broadcast agreement with TG4 for another three years to ensure more fantastic coverage of our National Cup finals, while this year’s TV viewing figures for the Cup finals increased again, proving the fantastic appetite for basketball in Ireland. As the game is further supported online, our own channels continue to thrive, with increased traffic to the website, while on social media, Instagram and Snapchat are two of our fastest growing platforms.

8

All Stars

Basketball Ireland Men’s Super League All Star Team:Ciaran Roe (Pyrobel Killester)

Adrian O’Sullivan (UCC Demons)Royce Williams (Pyrobel Killester)

Dee Proby (DCU Saints)Jason Killeen (Black Amber Templeogue)

Basketball Ireland Men’s Super League All Star Second Team: Trae Pemberton (Garvey’s Tralee Warriors)

Conor Meany (UCD Marian)Lorcan Murphy (Black Amber Templeogue)

Mike Garrow (UCD Marian)Luis Filiberto Hoyos (Pyrobel Killester)

Basketball Ireland Men’s Super League All Star Third Team: Isaac Westbrooks (Griffith College Swords Thunder)

Neil Randolph (Black Amber Templeogue)Dan James (UCD Marian)

Kieran Donaghy (Garvey’s Tralee Warriors)Lehmon Colbert (UCC Demons)

Basketball Ireland Women’s Super League All Star Team: Tiffany Corselli (DCU Mercy)Sarah Woods (DCU Mercy)

Jazmen Boone (Courtyard Liffey Celtics)Alex Masaquel (DCU Mercy)

Breana Bey (Singleton SuperValu Brunell)

Basketball Ireland Women’s Super League All Star Second Team: Sorcha Tiernan (Courtyard Liffey Celtics)

Claire Rockall (Ambassador UCC Glanmire)Madelyn Ganser (Singleton SuperValu Brunell)Grainne Dwyer (Ambassador UCC Glanmire)

Hannah Thornton (Pyrobel Killester)

Basketball Ireland Women’s Super League All Star Third Team: Aisling McCann (Pyrobel Killester)

Maeve Parahus (IT Carlow Basketball)Ashley Prim (Ambassador UCC Glanmire)Aine O’Connor (Courtyard Liffey Celtics)

Devon Brookshire (Courtyard Liffey Celtics)

Basketball Ireland Men’s Division One All Star Team:Kevin Grey (Keane’s SuperValu Killorglin)

Matt St Amour (LIT Celtics)Ciaran O’Sullivan (Ballincollig)

Daniel Jokubaitis (Keane’s SuperValu Killorglin)Keegan Ryan (Gamefootage.net Titans)

Basketball Ireland Men’s Division One All Star Second Team: Chaz Watler (LYIT Donegal)Cameron Clark (Ballincollig)

Tim Stewart (Portlaoise Panthers)James Butler (Paris Texas Kilkenny)

Antuan Bootle (Scotts Lakers St Paul’s Killarney)

Basketball Ireland Men’s Division One All Star Third Team: Luke Eddy (Ulster University Elks)

Roy Downey (Neptune)Jimmy Gordon (IT Carlow Basketball)

Jarrel Marshall (Neptune)Ronan O’Sullivan (Ballincollig)

Basketball Ireland Women’s Division One All Star Team: Katie Fox (Marble City Hawks)

Niamh Dwyer (Fr Mathews)Kelly O’Hallahan (Marble City Hawks)

Mackenzie Burud (Fabplus North West)Shannon Brady (Meteors)

Basketball Ireland Women’s Division One All Star Second Team: Cathy Campbell (UL Huskies)

Kelsey Carey (Griffith College Swords Thunder)Rachel Sheehan (UL Huskies)Orlaith Woods (UL Huskies)

Nia Moore (Ulster University Elks)

Basketball Ireland Women’s Division One All Star Third Team: Eimear Mairtin (Meteors)

Faith Welch (Fabplus North West)Emma Gallagher (Fr Mathews)Kelila Atkinson (UL Huskies)

Kristine Miller (Griffith College Swords Thunder)

This year’s Basketball Ireland All Stars were proudly supported by Travelodge, and saw five players from each of the four divisions in the Basketball Ireland National League awarded first team All Stars for the 2017/18 season, with second and third teams also announced. The All Stars were voted for by the head coaches of every team in the divisions: Men’s Super League, Women’s Super League, Men’s Division One and Women’s Division One.

9

Annual AwardsPRESIDENT'S AWARD

NATIONAL LEAGUESMen's Super League Player of the YearWomen’s Super League Player of the YearMen's Super League Young Player of the Year Women's Super League Young Player of the Year Men's Division One Player of the YearWomen's Division One Player of the YearMen's Division One Young Player of the Year Women's Division One Young Player of the Year Men's Super League Coach of the YearWomen’s Super League Coach of the YearMen's Division One Coach of the YearWomen's Division One Coach of the Year

IWAIrish Wheelchair Basketball Men's Player of the Year Irish Wheelchair Basketball Women's Player of the Year

AREA BOARDSClub of the Year

COLLEGESDiv 1 Male Collegiate Player of the Year Div 1 Female Collegiate Player of the Year Div 2 Male Collegiate Player of the Year Div 2 Female Collegiate Player of the Year Div 3 Male Collegiate Player of the Year Div 3 Female Collegiate Player of the Year

Jimmy Diggins

Dee Proby Sarah Woods Eoin Rockall Sorcha Tiernan Daniel Jokubaitis Kelly O'Hallahan Dylan Corkery Hollie Herlihy Ioannis Liapakis Mark Byrne  Kieran O'Sullivan James Fleming

 Jonathan Hayes  Christine Doyle

Templeogue Basketball Club

Tomas MitkusAlex MasaquelMatt St AmourKelsey CareyColin Murray Clodagh Brennan

10

Annual AwardsPOST PRIMARY SCHOOLSTom Collins Award Boys A School of the Year Girls A School of the Year Girls B School of the YearBoys B School of the YearGirls C School of the YearBoys C School of the YearGirls D School of the YearBoys D School of the YearMale U19 Schools Player of the Year Female U19 Schools Player of the Year Male U16 Schools Player of the Year Female U16 Schools Player of the Year Girls School Coach of the YearBoys School Coach of the Year

PRIMARY SCHOOLS MINI-BASKETBALL NATIONAL COMMITTEE Appreciation AwardPrimary School of the Year

UNDERAGE COACHESMen’s Underage Coach of the Year Women’s Underage Coach of the Year

REFEREESSenior Referee Development Award Young Referee of the Year

TABLE OFFICIALSTable Official of the Year  Young Table Official of the Year

Br Thomas Walsh Templeogue College, DublinScoil Chríost Rí, PortlaoiseLoreto Secondary School NavanSt. Oliver's Community College, DroghedaSt. Louis Secondary School, CarrickmacrossSt. Colmcille's Community School, KnocklyonKishoge Community College, LucanSt. Tiernan's College, BalallyPaul Kelly (St. Paul's, Oughterard)Sorcha Tiernan (Coláiste Chiaráin, Leixlip)C.J. Fulton (St. Malachy's College, Belfast)Shauna Dooley (Scoil Chríost Rí, Portlaoise)John Enright (Presentation Secondary School, Castleisland)Tom O'Malley (St. Joseph's College, The Bish Galway)

Tony DillonSt. Ainnin's National School Galway

Malcolm Thompson (Neptune BC) Jillian Hayes (Waterford Wildcats BC)

Ines Friere Mark Gilleran

Louise O'NeillWilliam O'Brien, St Paul's Juvenile Basketball Club

11

International--------While the Ireland Under 18 Women’s team made history in Dublin in the summer of 2017, securing a silver medal and promotion to Division A basketball (more on Page 14), nine other teams also represented Ireland across Europe last summer.

The Ireland Under 18 men’s and women’s teams were also in action at the FIBA 3x3 European Cup qualifiers in Riga, Latvia last summer. For the men’s team, it was a long and tough campaign, losing out their opening game to Latvia by just two points, before bringing Belarus to overtime and winning 17-15 in the second game. The third group game was a must-win for the team to advance on, and they did so in style, overcoming Russia, 21-14. A tough quarter-final was in store as the squad faced Romania, where they lost out 14-12, before falling to Ukraine 18-14 in their last game. There was heartbreak for the women’s team meanwhile as, after losing out to a dominant Spain in their opening group game, their must win clash against Romania saw them denied by just one point (12-11), to end their qualifying campaign.

Senior 3x3In 3x3 basketball, it was a very successful summer across the board, with the Ireland Senior Women’s 3x3 team qualifying for the Europe Cup following a superb run through the qualifiers, which saw them secure a memorable win over Ukraine in the quarter-finals before bowing out to Russia in the semi-final. The Europe Cup in Amsterdam saw Ireland drawn against France and the Netherlands, where they lost out to France in the opening game before losing to the hosts in the second group game. The Senior Men’s 3x3 team meanwhile travelled to Andorra for the qualifiers, where it went right to the death for the squad. A tough opening game saw them lose out

to Ukraine 21-7, teeing up a must- win clash against the hosts in the second game. This contest was to finish in heartbreaking fashion for the boys in green though as, after fighting back in style from an eight-point deficit early on, Ireland lost out by the smallest of margins (21-20), to put them out of the tournament.

Under 18 3x3

UNDER 20 MENDave Baker’s Under 20 men’s squad got off to a promising start in their opening game, winning comprehensively by 38 points over Moldova. More challenges lay ahead though, and Ireland faced a tough Portugal side in game two, losing out 81-53. Game three, four and five were tough losses to Kosovo, Croatia and Hungary. Ireland went on to defeat Malta in the first classification game, but lost out in their last game to Armenia.

Under 20 WomenMaeve Coleman travelled to Israel with a young Under 20 women’s team, where they faced a difficult task placed in Group B. They had a tough opening game against Great Britain, who pushed on in the fourth quarter to win 69-46. Next up were the hosts, who proved to be a strong physical side and won out 79-50. The tough group games continued with losses to Romania, Belarus and Croatia, and Ireland were also unlucky in the classification games, losing out to Ukraine and Iceland.

12

Pat Price’s Ireland Under 16 squad finished in 11th place at the FIBA U16 European Championships Division B last summer after a competitive and strong display throughout the tournament. A rough start saw Ireland lose out to a determined Hungary side, but they bounced back strong in the second game to win out 54-49 against Slovak Republic. Stand out performances from Paul Kelly and Sanmi Fajana – the latter finishing third on the overall tournament points scored, bagging 121 points throughout – helped Ireland on to a second win against Norway. Their next two games against Czech Republic and Bosnia and Herzegovina were just out of reach however. In the classification games, Ireland held on to win over Portugal, before losing out to Belarus. This loss teed up a mouth-watering rematch with Bosnia and Herzegovina though for the 11th-12th classification and the boys in green dug deep to finish strong and take the win 83-78.

got their first test in the opening round losing out to Slovenia. However, they bounced back in superb fashion to win out against Moldova the next day. Up next was one of the favourites – and eventual silver medal winners - Belgium, who delivered a concise and well-oiled performance to win out. Ireland added another win against the hosts, but the challenge of Ukraine proved too much. In the classification stages, Ireland edged Estonia and Switzerland, before losing to Israel in the 9-10th classification game.

Ireland Under 16 women finished the 2017 FIBA European Championship Division B in 10th place following a battle right until the very end in Skopje, FYR Macedonia. Placed in a tough Group B, Ireland

UNDER 16 MEN

International--------

Under 18 MenThe Ireland Under 18 Men’s team competed in Tallinn, Estonia last summer and contested Group D. The squad was dealt a blow early on when talented Cork players, Adam Drummond and Cian Heaphy were ruled out due to injury. Despite the best efforts of the squad and, most notably, Sean Jenkins who recorded a huge 42-point game in their classification match against Austria, it was a tough championships. They emerged from the group games without a win under their belts despite some solid performances. Losses to Austria, Albania and Luxembourg followed, to round off a tough campaign for the squad.

UNDER 16 WOMEN

13

InternationalDARING TO DREAM

A look back at a fairytale journey for Ireland U18 women

"Night after night we rolled from one game to the other, we didn’t get a chance to figure out what we’d just done,” said a dazed head coach, Tommy O’Mahony as the lights went down in the Arena. “Tonight wasn’t our night, but the girls have to realise what they’ve done and how big it is in the whole scheme of things. It’s hard to believe, we won’t comprehend it for a few weeks I’d say, but it’s been great.” Indeed, fast forward a few short months, and as summer 2018 approaches, six of that history making team are now preparing for the ultimate challenge – A Division basketball in Udine in Italy this coming August – where they, along with their teammates will have the chance to savour playing in the top flight of European underage basketball and there’s no doubt they will be supported every step of the way once more as Ireland Under 18 women continue to dare to dream.

August 2017 will live long in the memories of basketball fans near and far, as it saw the Irish Under 18 women’s team write themselves into the history books following an incredible performance at the 2017 FIBA Under 18 Women’s European Championship Division B hosted in Dublin. Driving through the group stages unbeaten, the talented team marched on, in front of sold out arenas, to storm all the way through to the final with wins over Israel and Poland in the quarter and semi-final stages. A country held its breath as the squad lined out against Germany on that final day, and although the result didn’t go Ireland’s way in the end, the legacy that they have left behind them - following a silver medal win and promotion to Division A basketball – is truly remarkable. Led by team captain, Claire Melia – who was also named on the tournament’s All Star Five team – the Irish team gave a fantastic account of themselves both on and off the court, leading to a standing ovation on the final buzzer from a crowd who supported them every step of the way.

14

International

“It’s great news that the Mardyke Arena UCC and Cork has been chosen to host the European Championships this summer,” said Ireland Senior Women’s team head coach, Mark Scannell. “Cork will support the tournament and for the team, the staff and myself, that will be a huge incentive to compete strongly for the gold medal.“Home advantage is very important, as was proven with the Under 18 girls in Dublin in August, and the Mardyke is as good as a home venue for us as we have trained and played there so often.”

Also looking ahead to the event, Secretary General of Basketball Ireland, Bernard O’Byrne stated: “We are really looking forward to welcoming all of the visiting teams and supporters to Cork and we are depending on the Cork basketball community in particular to help us to make this competition a memorable one for all.”Tickets are on sale now for the tournament on www.eventbrite.ie.

Aine McKenna, Ambassador UCC Glanmire Amy Waters, Singleton SuperValu Brunell Casey Grace, Ambassador UCC Glanmire

Claire Rockall, Ambassador UCC Glanmire Danielle O'Leary, Singleton SuperValu Brunell

Edel Thornton, Quinnipiac University Fiona O'Dwyer, Duran Maquinaria Ensino Lugo

Grainne Dwyer, Ambassador UCC Glanmire Hannah Thornton, Pyrobel Killester

Sarah Woods, DCU Mercy Sorcha Tiernan, Courtyard Liffey Celtics Stephanie O'Shea, Maxol WIT Wildcats

IRELAND SENIOR WOMEN’S TEAM GROUP GAMES:

Tuesday, June 26th, 2018Norway v Ireland, 18.15

Wednesday, June 27th, 2018Ireland v Luxembourg, 18.15

Thursday, June 28th, 2018Ireland v Cyprus, 18.15

Saturday and Sunday, June 30th and July 1st Classification games

CORK AWAITS IRELAND SENIOR WOMENHome advantage is set to become all the more significant for the Ireland Senior Women’s team this summer as they prepare to do battle with seven other countries in the 2018 FIBA Women’s European Championship for Small Countries. The Championships will tip off on June 26th at the Mardyke Arena UCC, and will see Ireland face Luxembourg, Norway and Cyprus in Group B. Reigning champions Malta – who edged Ireland for the gold medal in 2016 - will also compete for glory, and will contest Group A alongside Gibraltar, Moldova and Denmark.

The Ireland Senior Women’s team 2018:

18

Secretary General’s AddressI love basketball. I particularly love Irish basketball.Surely that has to be the reaction of all of us to a fantastic 2017/18 season for our sport? We thought we hit the highest possible note with the unforgettable experience of the U18 women’s performance in the Euros last summer. The marvellous atmosphere in the Arena married with the fantastic performance of the team produced indelible memories for all of us privileged to be present. Then, as the season unfolded we experienced incredible drama and level of performance in so many sections of the sport. The number of youngsters coming into the game continues to increase, a testament to local clubs but also the rollout by our Development Officers of the Green Shoots manual which present our sport as a fun and inclusive sport to younger players who

certainly the drama produced this season was a joy to behold.The Women’s National League went down to the last few games with Liffey Celtics and Glanmire trading excellent performances all the way to the line. The Men’s Super League was enthralling as, with three games to go, any one of five clubs could realistically have won the league. In the end, it came down to a play-off and UCD Marian lifted the title after a 40-year wait. I am sure that UCD Marian would willingly share the credit for a marvelously

may have never played the game before.Between 2011 and 2018, our Bernard O'Byrneregistered membership has increased by an incredible 66%. The challenge across the country is to cope – we need more coaches, referees, table officials and volunteers. It is a good problem to have. A huge positive of the season has been the formation of the Regional Academies. Some cynics ridiculed the idea but most are now recognising that it was an overdue development which can only be positive for the game. Hundreds of young players attended the academies this year and they, and their parents, are hugely supportive of this initiative by the Strategic Plan Implementation Group (SPIG). My thanks to Rachel O’Connell, Pat Price and Matt Hall (CPSU) who embraced the idea and made it real. Our marquee leagues are the four National Leagues and

entertaining season with the clubs who pursued them all the way.We have hardly had time to catch our breath before we now concentrate on welcoming visiting nations to Cork for the FIBA Women’s European Championship for Small Countries in late June. Hopefully, we are set for another joyous basketball event.A big mention also for a new event which I believe will be a fantastic showcase for our top basketball players and the sport itself, the Hula Hoops 3x3 event, first held at Dundrum Town Centre in May, is set to be unique. Another step forward for us all. My congratulations and thanks to all the individuals, committees and clubs around the country who are doing great work for the sport every day and very week. Finally, sincere thanks to the BIHQ staff who, throughout the year, strove to provide excellent back-up and service to the Irish basketball community.

See you all in 2018/19.

Bernard

19

RO 11 of HODO Ur

Men's Super League UCD Marian Black Amber Templeogue Garvey's Tralee Warriors

Courtyard Liffey Celtics DCU MercyAmbassador UCC Glanmire

Keane's SuperValu Killorglin Ballincollig BC IT Carlow Basketball Scotts Lakers St Paul's Killarney

Marble City Hawks

Fr Mathews Fr Mathews Ulster University Elks

KUBS BC DCU Mercy Templeogue BC DCU Mercy

DCU ULNUIGNUIG

NUIGDCU

DBSLYITIT Tralee IT Sligo

NUIGDCU UL Trinity College Dublin

DCU Saints Ambassador UCC Glanmire Gael Cholaiste Mhuire AG Cork Colaiste Chiarain Leixlip

All Ireland Club Championships U14A Girls Winners U14A Boys Winners U14B Girls Winners U14B Boys Winners U16A Girls Winners U16A Boys Winners U16B Girls Winners U16B Boys Winners

Brunell BC Maree BC St Mary's Castleisland Limerick Lions Waterford Wildcats Neptune BC Tralee Imperials Dundalk Ravens

National Intermediate Cup Competition Men's NICC Winner Women's NICC Winner

Blue Demons St Mary's Castleisland

Men's Super League ChampionsMen's National Cup Champions Champions Trophy Champions

Women's Super League Women's Regular Season Champions Women's National Cup Champions Women's Super League Champions

Men's Division One Men's Division lA ChampionsPresident's Cup Champions League Cup Champions Men's Division lB Winners

Women's Division One Women's Division One Regular Season ChampionsSenior Women's National Cup ChampionsWomen's Division One Champions WNLC Champions Trophy

Underage National Cups U20 Men's National Cup Champions U20 Women's National Cup Champions U18 Men's National Cup Champions U18 Women's National Cup Champions

Freshers Men's Cup Winners Women’s Cup Winners Men's Plate Winners Women’s Plate Winner

NBCC Leagues Men's Div.1 Winners Women’s Div.1 Winners Men's Div.2 Winners Women’s Div. 2 Winners Men's Div.3 Winners Women’s Div.3 Winners

Intervarsities Men's Div A Winners Women’s Div A Winners Men's Div B Winners Women’s Div B Winners

3x3 Champions Hula Hoops 3x3 Men's Champions Hula Hoops 3x3 Women's Champions Under 18 Schools 3x3 Boys National ChampionsUnder 18 Schools 3x3 Girls National Champions

20

Roll of Honour

All Ireland Schools League WinnersU19 BOYS A WinnersB Winners C Winners

U19 GIRLS

A WinnersB Winners C Winners

St Joseph's The Bish Galway St Paul's Oughterard Colaiste Pobail Beanntraí

Colaiste Chiaráin, Leixlip Loreto St. Stephen's Green Colaiste Pobail Setanta

U16 BOYS A Winners B Winners C Winners

U16 GIRLS A WinnersB WinnersC Winners

A Winners B Winners C Winners A Plate Winners

1ST YEAR - MINOR GRLS

A Winners B WinnersC WinnersA Plate Winners

2ND YEAR - JUNIOR BOYS

A WinnersB WinnersC Winners

2ND YEAR - JUNIOR GIRLS

A Winners B WinnersC Winners

U19 BOYS A Winners B Winners C Winners

Subway All Ireland Schools Cup Champions

U19 GIRLS

A Winners B Winners C Winners

U16 BOYS

A Winners B Winners C Winners

U16 GIRLS

A Winners B Winners C Winners

U14 BOYS A Winners

U14 GIRLS A Winners

U15 BOYS A Winners

U15 GIRLS A WinnersB Winners

1ST YEAR - MINOR BOYS

Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra Rathmore St Oliver's Community College, Drogheda St Patrick's Armagh

Scoil Chríost Rí, Portlaoise Presentation SS, Tralee Jesus & Mary Gortnor Abbey

Presentation Brothers College, Cork St Paul's OughterardMercy SS BallymahonSt Mary's CBS Portlaoise

Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra Rathmore St Aloysius College, CarrigtwohillSt Mary's BallinaScoil Chríost Rí, Portlaoise

Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra Rathmore Gael Cholaiste ChiarraíO'Fiaich College, Dundalk

Mercy WaterfordPobailscoil Inbhear Sceine, Kenmare Tullamore College

Templeogue CollegeSt Paul's OughterardSt Colmcilles, Knocklyon

Colaiste Chiaráin, Leixlip Loreto St. Stephen's Green Colaiste Pobail Setanta

St Malachy's BelfastColaiste Einde, Galway Sligo Grammar

Scoil Chríost Rí, Portlaoise Presentation SS, TraleeSt Colmcilles, Knocklyon

Calasanctius College, Oranmore

Colaiste Einde, GalwayPobailscoil Inbhear Sceine, Kenmare

Calasanctius College, Oranmore

Presentation Castleisland

21

After the hugely successful launch of the first Green Shoots coaching manual in 2017, Basketball Ireland launched the second edition of this LTAD (Long Term Athlete Development) coaching pathway in Cork in April. The second instalment of the Green Shoots coaching manual focuses on fundamental movement skills, developing team culture, decision making and defence. The new manual offers a host of games and drills for developing a fast paced style of play, and the launch saw children from around Cork take part in a fun event with Basketball Ireland development officers at Parochial Hall. Speaking about the launch, Head of Development at Basketball Ireland, Jason Killeen stated: “The aim of the manual is to deliver a player and coaching pathway that will lead directly into the regional academies. The coaching terminology and style of play will ensure that players will have all of the necessary tools they will need to be successful in the future of Irish basketball.“The goal of the Green Shoots programme is to make basketball a fun, enjoyable and social activity for children, while also being relevant and ensuring athletes are prepared for future national or international duty,” he continued. “Every club registered to Basketball Ireland has the opportunity to run a Green Shoots programme and start their young athletes on the developmental pathway. Each programme can also avail of the full international Kappa playing kit.” He added: “The game of basketball is constantly changing and evolving. The current style is a fast-paced game that employs quick thinking and reactions. The Green Shoots coaching manual will ensure that what we teach now will remain relevant in the future. There has been an overwhelmingly positive reaction to the first coaching manual and we hope to take another step in the right direction with the second book.” You can download the Green Shoots manual now from the Basketball Ireland website.

22

Following the introduction of a ‘Basketball for All’ strand to the event two years ago, inclusion continues to play an important role in the development of the event. Over 40 participants from special schools in Cork took part in a basketball workshop which concluded with a mini blitz as part of Cispheil na mBunscoil 2018. In addition, this year’s event was also supported by service users from Cope Foundation who are taking part in Cork Sports Partnership’s Community Sports Coaching Programme.

Sports Inclusion Disability Officer with Cork Sports Partnership Padraig Healy stated: “We had a fantastic day of basketball in the Parochial Hall. The aim is to get students of all abilities playing basketball in Cork and make all sporting programmes fully inclusive, and today was a clear example of this.” Anyone who is looking to get involved with a local basketball club in Cork City and County can contact Ciaran O'Sullivan at cosullivan@corksports.ie.

C is p he i I

Over 2,000 boys and girls from 103 Cork primary schools took to the basketball courts of Neptune Stadium, Parochial Hall and Upper Glanmire recently as part of Cispheil na mBunscoil 2018. Now in its eighth year, the primary school event aims to provide children of all abilities with a fun introduction to basketball, coordinated by Cork Sports Partnership’s Basketball Development Officer, Ciaran O’Sullivan, with support from the Cork Basketball Board, Basketball Ireland, local clubs, schools and volunteers. Blarney Street CBS and Scoil Bhride Eglantine emerged victorious from the competitive event, which saw 28 teams battle it out for the competitive boys and girls competitions. The non-competitive events on Wednesday and Thursday were a feast of basketball, with 67 teams taking part in boys, girls and mixed events. Speaking at this year’s event Ciaran O'Sullivan said: “To have over 2,000 children from primary schools all over Cork playing basketball is fantastic to see and we are delighted with the response. “Over 500 games took place over the four days,” he continued. “This would not be possible without the great support we receive from the basketball community in Cork. We are particularly grateful for the support of Teresa Murray and the Cork Basketball Officials Association for giving up their free time to provide referees for the event and to the Transition Year students of Colaiste Choilm Ballincollig, Gaelcholáiste Mhuire AG, Colaiste an Phiarsaigh and Presentation Brothers Cork who added to their Gaisce Award by helping out over the four days and were critical to ensuring that the event ran smoothly.”

23

Development--------

was another great success and as a result, has led to two of these tournaments being ran this year to meet the demand. Technical development - which includes introduction and Level One coaching courses and table officials courses - also included a Transition Year officiating program ran in association with Galway LSP, NUI Galway, Basketball Ireland and the National Referees committee. This was a pilot program and a total of 21 students from schools all over Galway took part in this 10 week course which ended with the students officiating at a primary schools tournament ran in NUIG. The Urban Hoops program, a day of fun basketball music and healthy food, was also run in Galway with the local primary schools. Over 90 primary school students took part and more are planned for the future following the success of this program. Galway basketball is in a good position currently with the GABB and local clubs doing an excellent job and constantly achieving national honours at all levels. Well done to all involved.

into the west

Galway Basketball has had a busy year with all areas experiencing an increase in participation numbers. Led by Basketball Ireland Development Officer, Mike Murray, the Green Shoots program used for primary schools visits has been a great success and this has been witnessed by the popularity of the school visits and the Active Day program.The annual primary schools tournament

HULA HOOPS 3X3

Hula Hoops and Basketball Ireland brought the first ever Hula Hoops 3x3 National League tournament to Dundrum Town Centre on May 12th, 2018. The hugely successful competition saw over 9,000 people engage with the event live at the venue, while the tournament trended throughout the day on social media. DCU Saints and Ambassador UCC Glanmire were crowned men’s and women’s Hula Hoops 3x3 basketball champions after a hugely competitive tournament, which also saw two games go to overtime and a number of nail-biting finishes. Sixteen teams from the Basketball Ireland men’s and women’s national leagues took part at the tournament in Dundrum, and a delighted Ian O’Rourke, Brand Activation Manager with Largo Foods stated: “Our very first Hula Hoops 3x3 Championships were a tremendous success. Over 9,000 people engaged with the event here in Dundrum, which is fantastic. Our partnership with Basketball Ireland is going from strength to strength and we’re looking forward to continuing to grow basketball in Ireland.”

24

Development

Basketball is thriving in the north and north west thanks to the hard work of development officers, Patrick O’Neill and Niall McDermott. Patrick joined the Basketball Ireland Development Officer team earlier this season, and is currently running a fourth Green Shoots programme there, with hopes to grow this programme even further over the coming years.A mini blitz was held at Ulster University for local secondary schools in May - the first of an annual series for

This season saw the inaugural year of the Regional Academies, with seven Regional Academies opening in October 2017 to provide high level coaching to Under 15 boys and girls throughout the country. The Regional Academies cast a wide net, identifying over 300 boys and girls to participate in seven regions. Players were selected at the BIPPS tournament and from multiple talent

schools in the area, while hard work is ongoing with the head coach of the North Academy and new access programmes, targeting students new to the game at Ulster University, have also been rolled out. A joined programme of 3x3 one-day tournaments across Ulster has been held, while, in partnership with the NBCC and Student Sport Ireland, five 3x3 tournaments in Universities and Colleges across Ireland have also been run. In the North West, more than 200 hours of basketball coaching has taken place through programmes such as Green Shoots, Elites in Schools, 3x3 and Urban Hoops. Regional academies have also been run at u14 and u16 level across the region. Basketball continues to grow in LYIT, with both women’s and men’s teams now competing in the top tier of Irish College Basketball, with the women’s team securing promotion to Division One. After launching a men’s National League team in 2016/17, this season saw a women’s team enter the National League as Fabplus North West.

identifications sessions, while over 30 high level coaches were recruited to deliver 50 hours of coaching under the supervision of Coach Pat Price. The Regional Academy structures are based on international best practice and represent the beginning of a player pathway for performance and elite players. Coaches in all regions deliver a standardised curriculum of key skills, and players are taught skills and tactical concepts during 50 hours of development delivered locally. In April, coaches and players from all regions came together for a three-day residential camp in Gormanston. This camp was designed to bring all players together and they were exposed to a variety of coaches and coaching styles during the camp. Special ambassador, Coach Pat Burke, was on hand to speak to all players during the camp, while the newly appointed Head Coaches of the U16 national teams got to observe and learn about all academy players. The Regional Academies have been a very positive experience for both coaches and players. The CPSU is very excited to see the Regional Academies continue to work, expanding on the success of this past year.

REGIONAL ACADEMIES

BASKETBALL THRIVING IN NORTH AND NORTH WEST

25

Total

Year

Membership

2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018

14,934 13,493 15,892 18,880 20,595 23,866 24,730

Basketball Ireland has enjoyed significant growth in club membership since 2011. The total membership is inclusive of both players and registered technical members. Total membership is up 66% during this period with the most significant growth in the 10 to 14 year-old age categories. Programmes like Green Shoots and Urban Hoops, has helped Basketball Ireland development officers to concentrate their efforts on this age group. By providing a player pathway that will take players from the under 10 age group to the regional academies, Basketball Ireland hopes to retain more players and lessen the drop-off rate for teenage athletes.

Membership

The above graph depicts the total Basketball Ireland club membership from the 2015/16 season to the 2017 /18 season. There are three bars in each age category, which represent the total membership over a three-year period. The graph is further broken down into membership numbers based on gender. During the 2017/18 season, males made up 50.34% of all membership, while females accounted for 49.66%. During this period, Basketball Ireland has enjoyed some growth in each age bracket. There is a significant drop off in membership after the age of 16 and is consistent across the sporting community in Ireland.

Basketball Ireland club membership

26

This year’s National Camp will mark the 47th year, making it Ireland’s longest running residential basketball camp. Over the last 10 years, the camp has gone through a lot of changes including a change of venue from its spiritual home in Dungarven up the east coast to Gormanston Park, Co. Meath. In making this move, it has allowed the National Camp to grow both in terms of size and quality, with Gormanston one of the few gyms in the country that has four full size indoor courts. Gormanston Park also offers 250 rooms for campers and coaches along with fully catered meals to keep the campers going through the long days of non-stop basketball. The camp has a long tradition of famous coaches, and the move to Gormanston has not changed this. The national camp numbers have grown steadily over the last eight years and this year, with the extension at Gormanston, we have been able to offer 220 places for the camp. Even with the extra places, Week 1 of the camp was sold out in the first week of April with Week 2 selling out before the start of May.

The camp philosophy over the last five years has been centred around the standard of coaching provided to Ireland’s junior basketball players. The camp caters to all standards from beginner to international players, so having a wide range of experienced coaches from both home and abroad has become one of the big draws for players. With the basketball day running from 9am until 9pm for the 5 days of the camp, players attending really do get a great basketball experience as well as getting the unique chance to make new friends in the basketball world. The friendships formed has always been one of the big selling points for the camp dating back to its early years in Dungarven. This is still a huge part of the camp and, with over 40 overseas players attending the camp in 2016, the friendships - and the camp - have now become truly global. With the national camp constantly evolving with new ideas and new exciting initiatives being added to the camp each year, it really is the place to be for both players and coaches from all over Ireland.

N atio na I cam P

27

National DrawNational Draw

Here is a full list of the 2018 winners:1.2.3.4.5.6.7.

Fiona Doyle - CAR WINNERFódhla NyhanLara McCannAssumpta O’DonoghueNora CarrOisin ChambersTeresa Long

Last season, Basketball Ireland once again made the National Draw available to all clubs to use as a fundraiser. It was a another great success, generating over €135,000 in funds for all clubs that participated, added to the €375,000 raised since year one, and we aim to achieve even more success again this year.The National Draw was held at the National League finals in Waterford at the weekend, with the winners overseen by CEO of Basketball Ireland, Bernard O’Byrne.The National Draw out turn is €135,897 raised by the clubs for themselves, which brings the total from year one to a phenomenal €513,636 raised by clubs.

28

The 2018 All Ireland Club Championships (AICCs) took place over two weekends in April. It kicked off on April 7th and 8th, where the Under 14s got the chance to test themselves against the very best in their age group from teams all over Ireland. This was followed one week later on April 14th and 15th when the Under 16s took to the court. This year saw 12 teams split across four different pools in each venue. All teams played each other once in the pools to determine their playoff positions and when the pool games were finished, the playoff games saw some very exciting game indeed. Finally the final games were played on the Sunday of each weekend to determine the final standings and the full list of winners are listed below.

Waterford WildcatsLiffey CelticsBrunellMareePortlaoise PanthersLimerick Celtics

7. Carrigaline8. Templeogue BC9. Titans10. Andersonstown Tigers11. St. Mary’s Castleisland12. Liby Dynamites

U16 Girls A Final Standings

Tralee ImperialsKilkenny StarsTullamore BCBelfast PhoenixDonegal TownMuckno Lakers

7. St.Colms8. Crossmolina BC9. Meteors10. Letterkenny Blaze11. Mohill BC12. Longford Falcons

U16 Girls B Final Standings

NeptuneSt. BrendansTitansSt. VincentsEannaMaree

7. Kestrels8. Belfast Star9. Ballincollig10. Claregalway11. Limerick Celtics12. Waterford Vikings

U16 Boys A Final Standings

U16 A Girls CLBB: Parochial HallWaterford Wildcats 50 v 43 Liffey Celtics - 1/2Brunell 56 v 55 Maree - 3/4 FinalLimerick Celtics 29 v 51 Portlaoise Panthers - 5/6 Final Carrigaline 51 v 41 Templeogue BC - 7/8 Final Andersonstown Tigers 39 v 43 Titans - 9/10 FinalSt. Marys Castleisland 52 v 28 Liby Dynamites - 11/12 Final

U16 B Girls DLBB: St. Davids CBS Artane and The Carroll Arena

Tralee Imperials 32 v 29 Kilkenny Stars- 1/2 Final Tullamore 42 v 18 Belfast Phoenix - 3/4 Final Muckno Lakers 31 v 37 Donegal Town - 5/6 Final Crossmolina 21 v 40 St. Colms - 7/8 Final Letterkenny Blaze 26 v 27 Meteors - 9/10 Final Longford Falcons 21 v 24 Mohil - 11/12 Final

U16 A Boys GWAB: Colaiste Iognaid and St. Mary's CollegeNeptune 48 v 43 St. Brendans - 1/2 FinalSt. Vincents 44 v 59 Titans - 3/4 FinalEanna 46 v 28 Maree - 5/6 FinalKestrels 32 v 30 Belfast Star - 7/8 FinalBallincollig 49 v 27 Claregalway - 9/10 Final Waterford Vikings 31 v 37 Limerick Celtics - 11/12 Final

U16 B Boys Kilkenny & South East: Loreto and O'Louughlin Gaels GAA Club Longford Falcons 33 v 59 Dundalk Ravens - 1/2 Final Sligo All Stars 29 v 37 Letterkenny Blaze - 3/4 Final KCYMS 56 v 36 Drogheda Bullets - 5/6 Final Limerick Lions 39 v 43 Queens - 7/8 FinalKilkenny Stars 39 v 40 Athlone - 9/10 Final Ballinamore Blazers 0 v 20 Shannon Jets - 11/12 Final

Dundalk RavensLongford FalconsLetterkenny BlazeSligo All StarsKCYMSDrogheda Bullets

7. Queens8. Limerick Lions9. Athlone10. Kilkenny Stars11. Shannon Jets12. Ballinamore Blazers

U16 Boys B Final Standings

29

1.2.3.4.5.6.

1.2.3.4.5.6.

1.2.3.4.5.6.

1.2.3.4.5.6.

U14 A Girls DLBB: NBA Tallaght

Brunell 37 v 27 Kenmare Kestrels - 1/2 Final Waterford Wildcats 48 v 19 Liffey Celtics - 3/4 Final Corrib 15 v 16 Killester - 5/6 FinalLimerick Celtics 24 v 12 Maree - 7/8 FinalTyrone Towers 24 v 33 Athlone BC - 9/10 Final Fr. Mathews 49 v 24 Castlecomer - 11/12 Final

BrunellKenmare KestrelsWaterford WildcatsLiffey CelticsKillesterCorrib BC

7. Limerick Celtics8. Maree9. Athlone10. Tyrone11. Fr. Mathews12. Castlecomer

U14 Girls A Final Standings

St. Mary’s CastleislandLongford FalconsEast Cavan EaglesMuckno LakersLetterkenny BlazeBallina Pacers

7. Springfield LBC8. Sligo All Stars9. Tullamore BC10. Clare Comets11. Andersonstown Tigers12. Mohill

U14 Girls B Final Standings

MareeBallincolligLimerick CelticsBlue DemonsMalahideNeptune

7. Corrib8. Templeogue BC9. Cavan Lakers10. St. Brendans Tralee11. Athlone12. Belfast Phoenix

U14 Boys A Final Standings

U14 B Girls KWAB: Mercy Mounthawk SS and Cuman Iosaef CS

Longford Falcons 29 v 41 St. Mary's Castleisland - 1/2 Final East Cavan Eagles 16 v 14 Muckno Lakers - 3/4 Final Letterkenny Blaze 40 v 15 Ballina Pacers - 5/6 Final Springfield LBC 35 v 25 Sligo All Stars - 7/8 Final Tullamore BC 34 v 27 Clare Comets - 9/10 Final Andersonstown Tigers 33 v 17 Mohill BC - 11/12 Final

U14 A Boys CMBB: Parochial Hall

Ballincollig 25 v 39 Maree - 1/2 FinalBlue Demons 34 v 36 Limerick Celtics - 3/4 Final Neptune 21 v 28 Malahide - 5/6 FinalTempleogue 26 v 39 Corrib - 7/8 FinalSt. Brendans Tralee 25 v 32 Cavan Lakers - 9/10 Final Belfast Phoenix 25 v 34 Athlone - 11/12Final

U14 B Boys KWAB: Moyderwell Primary School Tralee and Presentation SS TraleeKillarney Cougars 28 v 37 Limerick Lions - 1/2 Final Carrick Cougars 9 v 37 Muckno Lakers - 3/4 Final Longford Falcons 38 v 28 Ballyshannon 88ers - 5/6 Final Letterkenny Blaze 25 v 33 Portlaoise Panthers - 7/8 Final Kilkenny Stars 22 v 26 Andersonstown Tigers - 9/10 Final Clare Cascaders 37 v 17 Old Leighlin - 11/12 Final

Limerick LionsKillarney CougarsMuckno LakersCarrick CougarsLongford falconsBallyshannon 88ers

7. Portlaoise Panthers8. Letterkenny Blaze9. Andersonstown Tigers10. Kilkenny Stars11. Clare Cascaders12. Old Leighlin13. Lough Conn Rangers

U14 Boys B Final Standings

30

1.2.3.4.5.6.

1.2.3.4.5.6.

1.2.3.4.5.6.

1.2.3.4.5.6.

Club DirectCLUB DIRECT GRANT SCHEMEThe Board of Basketball Ireland has revived the previous system of direct funding to its clubs as the financial state of the Federation continues to strengthen. This new scheme is called the CLUB DIRECT grant scheme.

The Board invites applications for some help in your activities. It is hoped that this will be helpful to clubs in promoting the sport of basketball throughout the country.

In Year One, the maximum grant will be €1,000 but it is believed that the average grant will be in the €200 to €500 spectrum. The Board has also stated that they also favour matching funds grants i.e. if your club has €200, they will look to match it.Activities that it is wished to support will be:• To increase participation• To encourage Women in Sport• To promote cultural inclusivity• To encourage players with disabilities

The CLUB DIRECT application form is available on the Basketball Ireland website and only online forms will be accepted for this application.

Applications will be processed by BIHQ under the supervision of the Secretary General and will be put before the regular Board meetings for assessment.

The first allocations were made after the May 2018 Board meeting.Applications can be submitted anytime during the year by emailing clubdirect@basketballireland.ie

31