Ireland 162
Best and worst case scenarios for Ireland’s men next summer
With the draw for the second round of pre-qualifiers for EuroBasket 2025 being made, there’s a slightly clearer picture of who Ireland might face in their August 2023 qualifiers The draw for round two of EuroBasket’s drawn-out qualification process for the 2025 tournament was made on Thursday. Who Ireland’s men will face, indeed how many […]
This is what it takes
The tough results for the Irish women’s Under 20 team in Sopron, Hungary, are an inevitable and important part of the nation’s progression in the sport It’s easy to feel sorry for the 12 player roster Ireland sent to Sopron. Ireland won promotion to the A Division at the Under 20 level all the way […]
Ireland’s men face a bigger question after Sunday’s game
With direct progress all but mathematically ruled out in EuroBasket 2025 qualification, there’s an existential issue that Basketball Ireland needs to address after Sunday’s game with Switzerland Formats can force decisions. They can make people get off the fence and give up humming and hawing. That’s what happened last summer after Ireland won the men’s […]
Calixte shows his class to send Warriors to title game
Aaron Calixte took charge in the second half as Tralee Warriors downed Éanna to progress to the Irish men’s Super League title game The difference between bad offence and great defence is naturally subjective but, if you watch basketball even casually, you quickly learn to spot the difference. The first half of Sunday’s semi-final in […]
Melia bests Greenberg in compelling cup final duel
Bailey Greenberg and Claire Melia delivered a battle for the ages in the National Basketball Arena but it was Glanmire’s Melia who had the final say to claim the Irish cup crown Speed kills, Glanmire showed that from the off, but Claire Melia could slow the game down to her liking as the Ireland international […]
Neptune surge past NUIG Maree into cup final
Neptune got the job done in front of their own fans as they cruised past a brave NUIG Maree side that simply lacked the firepower to compete in the end. Emmet Ryan reports from Neptune Stadium There was plenty of space for both sides to operate early in this one as Cian Heaphy set the […]
Warriors survive 40 minutes of fury to reach Irish cup final
O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend The brightest heaven of invention, A gym for a stage And highlight reel displays to behold the swelling scene On this unworthy scaffold to bring forth So great an object: can this colum hold The many dunks of Gilmore? or may we cram Within this medium […]
Mercy grit it out to see off Wildcats
It was old school, it was gritty, and it was a street fight. WIT Wildcats and DCU Mercy brought a fight to Neptune Stadium early on a Saturday afternoon. Emmet Ryan watched Mercy ensure they’d be going back to Dublin with a cup final to look forward to The first quarter felt like being sucked […]
Tough lessons well learned by Ireland on Euros return
The opening quarter removed any doubt about the result but Ireland’s first appearance in a EuroBasket qualifier since 2009 was a valuable learning experience that offered real promise for the future after a rotten start. Emmet Ryan reports from Amsterdam. It’s a step up. Everyone knew it was going to be but you don’t know […]
Tough draws for both Irish national teams
Ireland hasn’t participated in EuroBasket qualification for men or women since 2009 and the draws for both the men and women’s sides will prove tough tests Started from the bottom, now we’re here. Started from the bottom, now the whole team here, or teams technically in this case. After gold for the men and silver […]
What a return to international qualification would look like for Ireland
With the men taking gold in Dublin and silver for the women in Cyprus at the 2021 FIBA European Championships for Small Countries, Emmet Ryan explains what a return to the main international qualification pool would look like for Ireland Two things to bear in mind before we get to the nitty gritty. No formal […]
The long wait is over
Ireland ended a near three decade wait to complete a perfect 4-0 week and lift the trophy at the 2021 FIBA European Championship for Small Countries. Emmet Ryan was at the arena in Dublin to drink it all in That night in 1994, I was 13 years old and didn’t even know the game was […]