Ireland men's national basketball team

The Ireland national basketball team (Irish: Foireann cispheile náisiúnta na hÉireann) represents the island of Ireland in men's international basketball competition. It is governed by Basketball Ireland with players from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Ireland plays their home matches at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght, Dublin.

Ireland

FIBA ranking	103 1 (9 December 2020)[1]
Joined FIBA	1947
FIBA zone	FIBA Europe
National federation	Basketball Ireland
Coach	Mark Keenan
Nickname(s)	The Green Army
Olympic Games
Appearances	1 (1948)
Medals	None
FIBA World Cup
Appearances	None
EuroBasket
Appearances	None
Championship for Small Countries
Appearances	6
Medals	Gold: (1994) Silver: (1988) Bronze: (2018)
Home Away

Ireland doesn't have much history on the international stage, as they have yet to reach qualification to top tournaments being the EuroBasket or the FIBA World Cup. However, the national team did manage to reach the Summer Olympics once, in 1948.

History

Ireland (white) against Luxembourg (blue) in 2009

The Amateur Basketball Association of Ireland (ABAI; now Basketball Ireland) was formed in 1945 and affiliated to FIBA in 1947. An indoor version of basketball had been played in the Irish Army from 1936, but using non-standard rules to create an indoor winter substitute for Gaelic football; until 1943, the Army Athletic Council officially recognised only Gaelic games.[2] The ABAI sent a team of the best Army players to the 1948 Olympic tournament in nearby London, despite the refusal of Army command to release the players for intensive training. The team coaches were officers unfamiliar with the sport, who outranked the players and ignored their advice. Although many top sides were absent from the London Games in the aftermath of World War II, the Irish team finished last, losing every match heavily; the worst a 71–9 loss to Mexico, who finished fourth.[3] Only two members of the team were over 6 feet (1.8 m) tall.[4]

The team's standard improved gradually from the 1970s to the 2000s, as more school leavers won scholarships to play US college basketball, and some Irish American professional players took up eligibility to compete for their ancestral country. Ireland entered European-zone Olympic qualification tournaments in 1972,[5] 1976,[6] 1984,[7] and 1988,[8] losing every match each time. In 1988, Ireland finished runner-up in the inaugural Promotion Cup, the third tier of EuroBasket, later named EuroBasket Division with Timmy McCarthy and Tom Sullivan as their key players and now the FIBA European Championship for Small Countries. In 1993, the National Basketball Arena opened in Dublin, which became the team's new permanent home. Division C was hosted there the following year, and Ireland beat Cyprus 81–78 in the final to gain promotion to EuroBasket Division B. Ireland narrowly failed to win promotion to Division A in FIBA EuroBasket 2001 and 2005 Division B, losing to Denmark

In February 2010, during the Irish financial crisis, Basketball Ireland announced that it was €1.2m in debt and was deactivating its senior international squads to cut costs.[9] In December 2015, the team was reactivated for 2016.[10]

In December 2015, it was announced that Ireland would play at the 2016 FIBA European Championship for Small Countries.[11] The team finished in the fourth position overall.

Ireland played in the 2018 FIBA European Championship for Small Countries, held in San Marino from 26 June to 1 July. After finishing 1–1 in group play—losing to Malta then defeating Andorra–Ireland lost to Norway and then defeated Gibraltar to finish in third place.[12]

Competitive record

FIBA World Cup World Cup Qualification Year Position Pld W L Pld W L 1950 Did not enter 1954 1959 1963 1967 1970 1974 1978 Did not qualify 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 Did not enter 2019 2023 Total 0/19 Olympic Games Olympic Games Qualifying Year Position Pld W L Pld W L 1948 23rd 6 0 6 1952 Did not enter 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 Did not qualify 4 0 4 1976 5 0 5 1980 1984 3 0 3 1988 4 0 4 1992 5 0 5 1996 to 2020 Did not enter Total 1/19 6 0 6 21 0 21 Championship for Small Countries FIBA European Championship for Small Countries Year Position Pld W L 1988 5 4 1 1990 4th 5 3 2 1992 4th 5 2 3 1994 5 5 0 2016 4th 5 3 2 2018 4 2 2 Total 29 19 10

EuroBasket EuroBasket Qualification Year Position Pld W L Pld W L 1947 Did not enter 1949 1951 1953 1955 1957 1959 1961 1963 1965 1967 1969 1971 1973 1975 1977 Did not qualify 5 1 4 1979 Did not enter Did not enter 1981 Did not qualify 4 0 4 1983 5 0 5 1985 Did not enter Did not enter 1987 Did not qualify 4 0 4 1989 Did not enter Did not enter 1991 1993 1995 1997 Did not qualify 5 2 3 1999 8 4 4 2001 11 3 8 2003 21 10 11 2005 Division B 8 5 3 2007 Division B 6 1 5 2009 Division B 8 2 6 2011 Did not enter 2013 2015 2017 2021 Total 0/37 85 28 57

Team

Current roster

Roster for the 2018 FIBA European Championship for Small Countries[13]

Ireland national basketball team roster
Players	Coaches
}} Pos. No. Name Age – Date of birth Height Club Ctr. G 4 Adrian O'Sullivan 24 – 21 July 1993 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) UCC Demons SG 5 Aidan Quinn 22 – 10 July 1995 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) Belfast Star SF 6 Lorcan Murphy 23 – 8 December 1994 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) Templeogue BC PG 7 Patrick Lyons 22 – 16 August 1995 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) Moycullen BC SG 8 Travis Black 27 – 16 January 1991 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) Swords Thunder F 9 Jordan Blount 21 – 5 January 1997 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) UIC Flames C 10 Ciaran Roe 25 – 21 June 1993 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) Killester BC SF 11 Matthew Kelly 30 – 15 October 1987 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) UCD Marian F 12 Taiwo Badmus 24 – 3 July 1993 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) Virginia–Wise C 14 Keelan Cairns 26 – 26 May 1992 2.09 m (6 ft 10 in) Belfast Star C 15 Eoghain Kiernan 21 – 10 July 1996 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) Killester BC C 16 Paul Freeman 35 – 31 March 1983 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) Moycullen BC	Head coach Pete Strickland Assistant coach(es) Ioannis Liapakis Legend (C) Team captain Club – describes last club before the competition Age – describes age on 26 June 2018

Depth chart

Pos.	Starting 5	Bench
C
PF
SF
SG
PG

Head coach position

• / Jay Larrañaga – (2008 – 2010)
• Mark Keenan – (2014)
• Colin O'Reilly – (2015)
• Pete Strickland – (2016 – 2018)[14]
• Mark Keenan – (2019 - present)[15]

Notable players

• Pat Burke – Only Irish-born to have played in the NBA, played for Orlando Magic & Phoenix Suns. Also a Euroleague and ULEB Eurocup winner with Panathinaikos BC and Real Madrid Baloncesto
• Marty Conlon – NBA player for Seattle SuperSonics, Sacramento Kings, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Bullets, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, and Los Angeles Clippers, but not born in Ireland
• Cal Bowdler – NBA player for Atlanta Hawks, but not born in Ireland
• Jay Larrañaga – former captain of Ireland national team
• Billy Donlon – former head coach of the Wright State University men's basketball team and as of 2019 head coach of UMKC.[16]
• Donnie McGrath - Irish American, he played for Anadolu Efes, Spartak St. Petersburg and Žalgiris Kaunas amongst others

Past rosters

1948 Olympic Games: finished 23rd among 23 teams

4 Donald O'Donovan, 5 Frank O'Connor, 6 Paddy Crehan, 7 Jimmy McGee, 8 Bill Jackson, 9 Harry Boland, 10 Tommy Keenan, 12 Dermot Sheriff, 13 Danny Reddin, 14 Paddy Sheriff, 15 Jim Flynn, 16 Christy Walsh (Coach: ?)

---

2016 FIBA European Championship for Small Countries: finished 4th among 8 teams[17]

Ireland national basketball team roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Name Age – Date of birth Height Club Ctr. G 4 Adrian O'Sullivan 22 – 21 July 1993 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) UCC Demons G 5 Paul Dick 25 – 30 April 1991 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) Cheshire Jets SF 6 Lorcan Murphy 21 – 8 December 1994 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) Neptune Cork SF 7 Ciarán O'Sullivan 25 – 27 December 1990 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) Swords Thunder SF 9 Stephen James 24 – 16 March 1992 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) Cheshire Jets C 10 Brian Fitzpatrick 26 – 6 November 1989 2.04 m (6 ft 8 in) Horsens IC C 11 Keelan Cairns 24 – 26 May 1992 2.09 m (6 ft 10 in) UCC Demons PF 12 Colin O'Reilly 32 – 30 January 1984 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) UCC Demons SF 13 Jordan Blount 19 – 5 January 1997 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) UIC Flames C 14 Conor Gallagher 31 – 15 September 1984 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) Dart Killester F 15 Kevin Lacey 27 – 24 February 1989 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) Swords Thunder PG 16 Kyle Hosford 27 – 27 June 1989 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) UCC Demons	Head coach Colin O'Reilly Assistant coach(es) Puff Summers Legend (C) Team captain Club – describes last club before the competition Age – describes age on 28 June 2016

Kit

Manufacturer

2016: Macron [18]

See also

• Sport in Ireland
• Ireland women's national basketball team
• Ireland national under-19 basketball team
• Ireland national under-17 basketball team
• Ireland national 3x3 team
• Super League

References

1. "FIBA Ranking Presented by Nike". FIBA. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
2. Mac Lua, Brendan (1967). "12: The Passing Years". The steadfast rule : a history of the G.A.A. ban. Dublin: Press Cuchulainn. pp. 85–87. OCLC 16988629.
3. "Ireland: 1948 Olympic Games : Tournament for Men". Results archive. FIBA. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
4. Hunt, Tom (July–August 2012). "Ireland 'slam-dunked': basketball at the 1948 games". History Ireland. 20 (4). doi:10.2307/41588713.
5. "Ireland: 1972 European Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men". Results archive. FIBA. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
6. "Ireland: 1976 European Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men". Results archive. FIBA. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
7. "Ireland: 1984 European Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men". Results archive. FIBA. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
8. "Ireland: 1988 European Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men". Results archive. FIBA. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
9. Duggan, Keith (24 February 2010). "Basketball Ireland pull plug on international sides". The Irish Times. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
10. "IRELAND SENIOR MEN RETURN TO ACTION". BasketballIreland.ie. 16 December 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
11. "Ireland's men's basketball team to re-enter European competition in 2016". Inside the games. 22 December 2015. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
12. "Ireland - FIBA European Championship for Small Countries". fiba.basketball. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
13. "Ireland at the 2018 FIBA European Championship for Small Countries". Retrieved 26 June 2018.
14. "Pete Strickland takes over as head man of the Irish men's national team". Retrieved 18 November 2016.
15. "Basketball Ireland names Mark Keenan coach of the men's national team". Retrieved 8 October 2018.
16. "Billy Donlon will draw from his Northwestern, Michigan days to build UMKC basketball". Kansas City Star. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
17. "Ireland at the 2016 FIBA European Championship for Small Countries". Retrieved 28 June 2016.
18. Ireland - FIBA European Championship for Small Countries, FIBA.com, Retrieved 10 January 2017.

External links

• Official website
• Ireland at FIBA site
• Ireland National Team - Men at Eurobasket.com
• Ireland Basketball Records at FIBA Archive