Basketball Ireland

Basketball Ireland was founded as the Amateur Basketball Association of Ireland in 1947, and after playing a County and Club Championship format for nearly 30 years switched to a National Basketball League based on clubs in 1973. This became professionalised with the import of American players during the 1979-80 season and the name of the organisation was changed to the Irish Basketball Association to reflect this. The IBA became Basketball Ireland in 2003 and organises National Leagues, Cups and Tournaments as well as entering International competitions.

National Basketball Leagues

This is the Eirball Index Page to the All-Time Results and Standings of the Basketball Ireland National Leagues. First founded in 1973-74 after 27 years of the Amateur Basketball Association of Ireland All-Ireland Club and County Championshps, the National Basketball Leagues have two tiers in both Men’s and Women’s Basketball.

Header Picture Credit: [1] Folan, John | Irish Basketball Memories of the 80s And 90s Facebook Group (2020) Post to Page, January 27, 2020″Fantastic team loved going to see them play” [Internet] Available from: https://scontent-dub4-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/84031072_1023908997993251_8391839803976450048_n.jpg?nc_cat=104&_nc_sid=ca434c&_nc_ohc=eZjapq8zlu4AX9QUva&_nc_ht=scontent-dub4-1.xx&oh=03447b305a695c8d4a572078f382a059&oe=5E9F44CB [Accessed 25 March 2020][Adjusted]

IBA / BINL Men’s Super League 1993-Present

In 1991 the Association merged the Men’s Divisions 1 & 2 into one National Basketball League, with two conferences: North & South. At the same time it reduced the number of paid American Imports from two to one, thinking the Irish playerscould make the step up. The fans lost interest, however, with just one American on the teams, and it is regarded as the end of the “Golden Era”. After two seasons under this format, the two division set-up was reinstated, with Divisions 1 & 2 now named the Super League & Division 1.

The Irish Basketball Association was rebranded in 2003 as Basketball Ireland, and the two Conference (North & South) model was again reintroduced, although the two Division (2 levels) set-up was retained. The Women’s 2nd Level was reinstated at this time also, although the Women’s Divisions never had North & South Conferences.

In 2013 the Super League underwent a name-change to the Premier League, as a drastic attempt was made to fix the National Leagues and the massive debt Basketball Ireland had built up.   In 2016 the Super League brand made a comeback and by 2019 it was stated on the Basketball Ireland website that the €1.4 Million debt was paid off.

ABAI / IBBA National Basketball League Division 1 1975-1993

The Amateur Basketball Association of Ireland was formed in 1947. After 25 years of All-Ireland Championships based on a Club & County basis like in the GAA, the ABAI created the first National Basketball League based on clubs in 1972-73.

In 1979-80 St. Vincent’s Killarney brought in two paid American Imports, contrary to the rules of the ABAI, but after taking no action against them for most of the season, they relented having seen how many fans it was bringing in, and allowed paid imports, changing the name of the Association to the Irish Basketball Association to reflect this. This era, from 1980-1991 is regarded by many in Irish Basketball as its “Golden Era”

IBA / BINL Women’s Super League 1997-Present

IBBA National League Ladies / Women’s Division 1 1979-1997

Irish Basketball Association / Basketball Ireland Men’s Division 1

In 1993 the Men’s Budweiser League was again split between two levels, with the highest level being named the Super League and the second level Division 1.

Irish Basketball Association Men’s Division 2

The Amateur Basketball Association of Ireland created a second level for Men’s Basketball in 1977-78, known as Division 2, which remained Division 2 after the re-branding of the organisation in 1979-80. For the 1991-92 season, both Divisions were merged into one Budweiser-sponsored League with North and South Conferences and American-style playoffs.

Basketball Ireland Women’s Division 1

Irish Basketball Association Ladies / Women’s Division 2

Basketball Ireland National Cups

All-Ireland Basketball Championships

From the formation of Basketball Ireland as the Amateur Basketball Association of Ireland in 1947 until 1979, the Irish Basketball Championship was organized on a Club and County basis, with Provincial Championships preceeding the All-Ireland Championships. from 1980 onwards with the formation of the National Basketball League, the All-Ireland Championship and Regional Championship was reserved for Underage Competitions.

Featured Image Credit

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

All-Ireland Underage Club Cups and Championships

Underage Basketball Championships have been held in Ireland since the time of the Amateur Basketball Association of Ireland (1947-1979) – then known as Minor Championships, they were based on the GAA system of County and Club Championships, with Provincial Championships preceeding the All-Ireland Championships.

After the ABAI was renamed the Irish Basketball Association in 1980 there was widespread restructuring within Irish Basketball, with the counties replaced by Area Boards, and a National League based on Clubs replacing the All-Ireland County and Club Championships. With this there were only Area Board Leagues for Underage grades and son a Playoff system was introduced for the winners of each. The Under 19 Regional Championships were played from the 1980s to early 2000s when again the Regional Championships were replaced by the All-Ireland Club Cups after the rebranding of the IBA as Basketball Ireland.

Amateur Basketball Association of Ireland 1947-1979

The Amateur Basketball Association of Ireland (now Basketball Ireland) was the organisation in charge of running Basketball in Ireland from 1947 to 1979 when it changed its name to the Irish Basketball Association. From 1953 to 1973 it was organised on a Club and County basis like the Gaelic Athletic Association.

The All-Ireland Blitz from 1953 to 1964 was the Club Championship, held on a Blitz basis over the course of a weekend in one venue. It was replaced by the National Basketball Cup, in which the top 16 teams from the four provinces played in four groups of four over the course of a year with semi-finals and final. In 1973 a National League based on clubs replaced the All-Ireland County Championships and National Basketball Cup.

Basketball Tournaments in Ireland

Basketball Ireland Teams

Neptune in Cork were the first ever Irish Civilian Basketball Team, founded just after World War II when the first gyms outside of Defence Force facilities were built. Reference: [1]

[1] Kieran Shannon (2022) “Hanging From the Rafters”.

Basketball Ireland Teams

Basketball Ireland Players