It appears that basketball was initially introduced to many European countries by U.S. troops in 1917. It surfaced in Ireland as an attempt to broaden the physical exercise routines of military units stationed in Derry in the early 1920s. This practice was then introduced in the Curragh in 1927 by Sergeant Major Michael Doogan who became the first P.T. Instructor in the Irish Army. It quickly spread to many other military installations through both the North and the South. In the early years the military became one of the driving force(s) for the development of the game. In 1925 two championship competitions were held in the Curragh (in Kildare). In 1927 the Army also introduced the first competition for Ladies basketball in the Curragh. See the Basketball History of the Irish Defense Forces.
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Civilian teams in the North also developed in those early years thru the efforts of men like George Glasgow, Ken Davenport, Denis Hughes and Brian McMahon. Two of the more prominent teams of the 50's and early 60's were the Belfast Celtics and Collegians ( which were off -shoots of St Malachy's College and Methodist College Belfast respectively) . The Belfast Celtics played in front of a huge crowd of over 8 thousand fans when they took on the Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid in the 1963 European Cup Basketball Tournament held in Belfast. Later in the 60' s and 70's teams such as the Ardglass Sharks from Down (the 1966 Roy Curtis Tournament Champions) and St Gall's from Belfast with the legendary Big John Kennedy dominated the North.
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During those early years another champion of the sport appeared in Dublin. Fr Joseph Horan was an integral part of expanding the sport beyond the military and introducing it to the
schools. In 1945 he helped in establishing the (ABAI) Amateur Basketball Association of Ireland and the the formation of the University College Dublin team (the first college club team). This was quickly followed by the establishment of the first Intervaristy Competitions in 1946. Other prominent college teams in the 40's and 50's were Trinity College, the Royal College of Surgeons, Queens University of Belfast and University College of Galway. These five schools competed in the first National Intervarsity Championship Tournament in 1951 at the Portobello Barracks in Dublin and was won by UCG.In 1947 the sport took a major step forward when Irish Basketball became affiliated with FIBA The International Basketball Federation.
In just a couple of years after its foundation the Amateur Basketball Association set a goal for Irish basketball to compete in the 1948 Olympics. Since the military was still dominant in the sport Fr Horan and the ABAI worked with the Army and the Western Command in Athlone to establish a team. This team was comprised almost entirely of soldiers (except for the legendary Harry Boland). One of the challenges the team faced was the physical version of basketball played in Ireland at the time. It was played more like a (no blood ... no foul) version of GAA football . Experience and intensive training would be necessary to learn the higher level basketball skills and adapt to the less physical International Standards.
Unfortunately this transition did not take place fast enough. The Irish team lost all of their games by a sizable amount ( for example they lost to Mexico 71-9 ) and ended in 23rd and last place in the competition. Despite that, the Irish team learned significant lessons on how to improve the game in Ireland. For more details of the 1948 Olympics ( Click Here )
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Again during those early years the military continued to play a prominent role. The gymnasium at the Cathal Brugha Barracks in Rathmines was one of the primary facilities for Dublin at the time. Fr Horan was determined to change that.
Fr Joe will probably be remembered most for promoting the construction of a National Basketball Stadium (in 1957) with a one block at a time approach along with his efforts in building the Oblate Hall in 1971. Although the National Stadium effort took many more years than he envisioned; the Hall was made possible when Fr Horan donated a sizable inheritance to the building fund. The Oblate Hall would become one of the best venues for basketball competitions in the country at that time. The Hall soon became home to Corinthian's Roy Curtis Tournament one of the more prominent tournaments in Ireland where the local powerhouse teams that dominated the Irish basketball scene of the 70's ( St Vincents , Marian and Killester) regularly competed against top Irish and International teams. This high level competition was further developed in other Dublin tournaments such as the St Vincent's International and the Glen Abbey.Finally there is also a story told about how protective Fr. Horan was of his creation in Inchicore. It is said that when the Americans in the 80's started their aerial acrobatics (dunking and hanging on the rims) a certain priest would come charging out on the floor yelling ( Shhooos! Shhooos! Stop that ! Don't you know you can bend my rims doing that ! ). I wonder who that was?
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Meanwhile down in Cork this sport with the "big bouncy ball" was developing into a blood sport which would result in one of the great rivalries in Irish sports. Like other areas of the country, the military was instrumental in spreading the sport. Collins Barracks was one of the few places with an actual gym and became the epicenter of the basketball world in Cork. Being situated up the Northside of the city, the basketball virus quickly spread throughout the area with the team from the Army's Southern Command being the local basketball ambassadors during the 40's an 50's.
Back in the 40's a couple of Cork youngsters running in and out of the gym up at Collins Barracks were Donal O'Donoghue and Niall O'Riordan. It wasn't long before they and Donal's younger brothers Leo and Jim among others got the idea to start their own club. With Humphrey Lynch (a member of the local naval defence force and the first cub chairman) leading the way, Neptune was established as the first independent "civilian" club in the country in 1947. Initially their main practice facility was in the O'Donoghues yard on Barry's Place up the Northside of Cork. It then moved next door to the Finn's Yard which consisted of a piece of plywood and a rim hanging off the side of Mick Finn's mothers house.
A major upgrade occurred when the club offered to build an outdoor court behind the "new" local school next door on Cathedral Road. This was quickly commandeered by these hoopsters and became Neptune's main practice facility for many years until they got this idea to build a "little stadium".
Over the years Neptune became a major promoter of the sport. They became the host club of the Lota Tournament, one of the first tourneys in Cork and expanded their youth and girls programs until they were one of the largest, most successful basketball clubs in the country. This helped make the "Northside" synonymous with Cork Basketball. (See the Cork Neptune Page for More Info )
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Down the road a bit in Sundays Well, a nearby Cork neighborhood, another youth group started to influence the basketball scene in the late 1950s. The Depaul Boys Club made its mark on the local minor league and quickly established a senior men's team known as the Blue Demons. This team was started in 1966 with Jim Dineen, Noel McCarthy and Michael O'Sullivan laying the foundation. Demons soon made a major impact on both Cork and Ireland's basketball world. They brought home a championship in the National League's inaugural (1973-1974) season. They also brought the Major Extra Size International Tournament to Cork with high level international talent. For more info on the Blue Demons (Click Here)
Over the years the Demons and Neptune developed a rivalry on both the local and national levels which became as much a legend as the age old Cork and Dublin rivalry. The "derby" games were held in the Parochial Hall up in Gurranabraher which became the heart of Cork Basketball. This contributed to Cork's dominance of the national basketball scene in the 80's and 90's. Either Neptune or Demons won the National League (Super League) title 13 times over that 2 decade span which is referred to as the Golden Era of Irish Basketball. See Cork Basketball in the 80s
This basketball "thing" wasn't confined to just the major cities like Dublin, Belfast and Cork. The West also saw basketball growing in areas such as Kerry, Galway, Ballina and Sligo. According to the legendary Weeshie Fogarty , the first Killarney Basketball Club was founded by Ben Campion in October 1951.
Basketball in Kerry continued to grow during the 1950s with strong teams in Tralee and Killorglin. In the late 1950's Weeshie and his friends founded the Killarney Busby Babes (circa: 1958). A team that became one of the early powerhouse Kerry teams in the mid to late 1960's. One of the young hoopsters that Weeshie mentored was Killarney's Paudie O'Connor, an Irish Basketball icon, who led the way in developing another great team of the 1970's St Vincents Killarney. Along with being one of the greatest Irish Basketball players, Paudie paved the way for Irish Basketball to enter into its Golden Era. ( Click here to see the We Got Game Video)
A little further north in 1965 a Sligo newspaper article appeared announcing the formation of a new basketball club in the process of recruiting players. This club became known as the Sligo All Stars and attracted many players from the local schools and youth groups. They quickly became the dominant team in Connacht. By the early 1970's they were regular participants in the major tournaments in Belfast Dublin and Cork. The All Stars rapidly developed into one of the top teams in the country. Then 1971 became a milestone year for the club. They were invited to compete in the Great Britain and Ireland Championship Tournament in Scotland as well as starting their own tournament. The GWI Invitational Tournament attracted the top teams in the nation and was quickly added to the list of major tournaments in Ireland. For more All Stars info ( Click Here )
The above history reflects just a small portion of the contributions made by many clubs, players, coaches, families and fans that laid the foundations for Irish Basketball to rise to the heights of the Golden Era of the 1980's and the early 1990's. Hopefully with a little luck it can return.
Miscellaneous Histories
A major upgrade occurred when the club offered to build an outdoor court behind the "new" local school next door on Cathedral Road. This was quickly commandeered by these hoopsters and became Neptune's main practice facility for many years until they got this idea to build a "little stadium".
Over the years Neptune became a major promoter of the sport. They became the host club of the Lota Tournament, one of the first tourneys in Cork and expanded their youth and girls programs until they were one of the largest, most successful basketball clubs in the country. This helped make the "Northside" synonymous with Cork Basketball. (See the Cork Neptune Page for More Info )
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Down the road a bit in Sundays Well, a nearby Cork neighborhood, another youth group started to influence the basketball scene in the late 1950s. The Depaul Boys Club made its mark on the local minor league and quickly established a senior men's team known as the Blue Demons. This team was started in 1966 with Jim Dineen, Noel McCarthy and Michael O'Sullivan laying the foundation. Demons soon made a major impact on both Cork and Ireland's basketball world. They brought home a championship in the National League's inaugural (1973-1974) season. They also brought the Major Extra Size International Tournament to Cork with high level international talent. For more info on the Blue Demons (Click Here)
Over the years the Demons and Neptune developed a rivalry on both the local and national levels which became as much a legend as the age old Cork and Dublin rivalry. The "derby" games were held in the Parochial Hall up in Gurranabraher which became the heart of Cork Basketball. This contributed to Cork's dominance of the national basketball scene in the 80's and 90's. Either Neptune or Demons won the National League (Super League) title 13 times over that 2 decade span which is referred to as the Golden Era of Irish Basketball. See Cork Basketball in the 80s
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A little further north in 1965 a Sligo newspaper article appeared announcing the formation of a new basketball club in the process of recruiting players. This club became known as the Sligo All Stars and attracted many players from the local schools and youth groups. They quickly became the dominant team in Connacht. By the early 1970's they were regular participants in the major tournaments in Belfast Dublin and Cork. The All Stars rapidly developed into one of the top teams in the country. Then 1971 became a milestone year for the club. They were invited to compete in the Great Britain and Ireland Championship Tournament in Scotland as well as starting their own tournament. The GWI Invitational Tournament attracted the top teams in the nation and was quickly added to the list of major tournaments in Ireland. For more All Stars info ( Click Here )
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Miscellaneous Histories
- A Glance Back at the 50's and 60's
- Short History of Kerry Basketball
- Oughterards Basketball History
- Galway's Intervarsities History
- Dawning of a New Era in Sligo
- Irelands Basketball History (by Blackwater Steelers Basketball Club
- Basketball History of Ireland (best basketball tips)
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Some of the better accounts of Irish Basketball History can be found on the Basketball Ireland's web site (1) and on the Dublin Mens Basketball Board site (2). But even those don't come close to telling the story. So again this site will try to summarize some of that which is already documented as well as fill in some of the gaps and patch it together to hopefully draw a better picture.
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Note: Some newspaper articles have been reformatted for display purposes.
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