If you have an interest in basketball in Ireland, then Kieran Shannon’s magnificent opus on the history of the game Hanging from the Rafters would have been on your Christmas wish list. The award winning journalist’s trawl back through the glory days of Irish basketball is a must read for any sports fan, not only those who are fans of basketball. In the book Shannon dedicates a chapter to the boys from Ballina and their triumphs and tragedies, concentrating on the glory days around the early 1990s.
While the game may have lost some of the glamour it once had to those with a passing interest, Ballina has never lost its lust for the game and after having come through some testing times over the past couple of years, the current incarnation of the club is back on the doorstep of cup glory. They have moved on from the old hall in Killala to the Sports and Leisure Centre in the heart of the town, but on Saturday there will be plenty of the old memories stoked when they make the trip down to Cork to take on Blue Demons, in the old citadel of basketball in Ireland, Neptune Stadium. Before the National Basketball Arena opened in Tallaght, the Cork gym was the Mecca of basketball in Ireland and with Liam McHale still playing as well as coaching the side along with the his brothers Sean and Anthony, there will be plenty of memories of the old hall to draw on for inspiration on Saturday.
While Team Loftus Recycling Ballina as they are now known may not be operating out of the Super League anymore, there is nothing that inspires Ballina more than a chance at having a crack at cup glory. This Saturday’s game in the National Cup semi-final against Cork side Blue Demons promises to be one with everything on court from the north Mayo boys.
Team Loftus Recycling have been doing well in the men’s division one this year, and although it is not the lofty level that is remembered in Shannon’s book, a cup final is at place and Ballina expects and hopes for a berth in the final. All eyes will be on Ronan McGarrity from the Ballina faithful, but it’s far from a one man show with Peter Papik, Colm Leonard, Paul Barrett, Dara McGarrity (brother of Ronan ), Taofik Mustapha, and of course the ageless McHale all ready to be pressed into action, making sure Ballina have plenty of on court quality to see off the challenge of the Corkonians. Blue Demons themselves will be no slouches with Tim O’Halloran, Shane McCarthy, Robbie McGowen, and Shane Buckley bringing a great mix of experience and athletic talent, while Brian O’Neill will add some great outside shooting ability for the Corkonians.
The shootout on Saturday will tip off at 2pm, in Neptune Stadium, and Ballina will be looking to get out of the blocks early as they try to book their place on the bus for cup final in the National Basketball Arena in Dublin on Sunday.
