Top Four / Champions Trophy Finals 1977-Present

Year	Winners		Runners-Up
	ABAI MNL D1		Top Four Finals
1977-78	Marian	64	St Vincent’s Dublin	57
1978-79	Blue Demons	89	Marian	87
	IBBA MNL D1		Top Four Finals
1979-80	St. Vincent’s Killarney	104	Blue Demons	73
1980-81	Blue Demons	77	St. Vincent’s Killarney	74
1981-82	Gleneagle Killarney	100	Team Britvic Blue Demons	97 ot
1982-83	St. Vincent’s Dublin	83	Sporting Belfast	78
1983-84	St. Vincent’s Dublin	104	Gleneagle Killarney	76
1984-85	Team Britvic Blue Demons	77	Burgerland Neptune	74
1985-86	Jameson St. Vincent’s	89	Premier Milk Killester	81
1986-87	Burgerland Neptune	95	Premier Milk Toppers Killester	84
1987-88	Dawn Milk Blue Demons	89	Burgerland Neptune	88
1988-89	Burgerland Neptune	95	Harp Ballina	82
1989-90	St. Vincent’s Dublin	81 +	Harp Ballina	81
1990-91	Burgerland Neptune	92	North Monastery 96ers	91
	Budweiser League Playoffs		IBA MNL Budweiser League
1991-92	Connacht Gold Ballina	91	Jameson St. Vincent’s	78
1992-93	North Monastery 96ers	79	Jameson St. Vincent’s	62
	National Championship		IBA MNL Super League
1993-94	Jameson St. Vincent’s	82	Garvey’s Tigers Tralee	75
1994-95	Marathon Sports St. Vincent’s	103	Delta Notre Dame	88
1995-96	Star of the Sea	106	Marathon Sports St. Vincent’s	83
1996-97	Star of the Sea	90	Neptune Camlec	85
1997-98	Star of the Sea	92	Denny Notre Dame	74
1998-99	Marathon Sports St. Vincent’s	86	Killester	78
1999-2000	Denny Notre Dame	93	St. Vincent’s Dublin	74
2000-01 ^	Season Not Completed
2001-02	Frosties Tigers Tralee	78	DART Killester	69
2002-03	ITP Saints	115	Notre Dame	84
	Super League Final		BI MNL Super League
2003-04	Tralee Tigers	69	DART Killester	54
2004-05	UCC Demons	91	Tralee Tigers	81
2005-06	Roma St. Vincent’s	104	Limerick Lions	74
2006-07	DART Killester	95	Merry Monk Ballina	90
2007-08	Abrekebabra Tigers Tralee	66	DART Killester	62
2008-09	UCC Demons	81	DART Killester	76
2009-10	DART Killester	74	UL Eagles	64
2010-11	DART Killester	84	Bord Gais Neptune	80
2011-12	UL Eagles	70	DCU Saints	56
2012-13	UCC Demons	73	DCU Saints	62
	Champions Trophy Finals		BI MNL Premier League
2013-14	UCC Demons	79	Killester	70
2014-15	UCC Demons	85	Templeogue	73
2015-16	UCC Demons	82	Pyrobel Killester	77
	Champions Trophy		BI MNL Super League
2016-17	Garvey’s Tralee Warriors	74	Templeogue BC	73 ot
2017-18	Garvey’s Tralee Warriors	73	Black Amber Templeogue	61
2018-19	Templeogue BC	77	Belfast Star	62
2019-20 &	Season Not Completed

Note: + Title Awarded to Jameson St. Vincent’s. Harp Ballina refused to play overtime due to a controversial refereeing decision.

Note 2: ^ League abandoned 7 March 2001 due to outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease and Killester declared champions 29 March 2001

Note 3: & League abandoned in March 2020 due to COVID-19 Cornavirus Pandemic and Belfast Star declared winners 14 March 2020

Composite Standings 1977-Present

Team	P	W	L
UCC Demons / Blue Demons (Team Britvic)	11	9	2
DCU Saints / St. Vincent’s Dublin (Jameson, Marathon Sports, ITP)	16	9	7
Belfast Star / Star of the Sea	4	3	1
Tralee Tigers (Abrekebabra / Garvey’s)	5	3	2
Neptune (Burgerland / Camlec)	7	3	4
Killester (Premier Miilk Toppers, DART)	12	3	9
Tralee Warriors (Garvey’s)	2	2	0
St. Vincent’s Killarney (Gleneagle)	4	2	2
UCD Marian / Marian	2	1	1
North Monastery 96ers	2	1	1
UL Eagles	2	1	1
Notre Dame (Delta, Denny)	3	1	2
Ballina Braves (Harp, Connacht Gold, Merry Monk)	4	1	3
Griffith College Dublin Templeogue BC (Black Amber)	4	1	3
Limerick Lions	1	0	1
Sporting Belfast	1	0	1

Report

The Amateur Basketball Association of Ireland instituted the Top Four Playoffs in 1977-78. Marian and Blue Demons were the first two winners. In 1979-80 the name of the organization was changed to the Irish Basketball Association (IBBA) to reflect the new paid imports from America. Between then an 1991 St. Vincent’s (Gleneagle) Killarney won it twice, St. Vincent’s (Jameson) Dublin four times, Blue Demons (Team Britvic) from Cork three times, and Neptune (Burgerland), also from Cork, three times.

In 1991-92 the two Men’s Divisions were merged into one Budweiser National League, won by Ballina (Connacht Gold) from Co. Mayo in 1991-92 and North Monastery 96ers, from Cork in 1992-93. The League was again split into two divisions in 1993-94 with the top division renamed the Men’s Super League.

From 1993-94 to 2002-03 the National Championship was won on four occasions by St. Vincent’s Dublin (Saints), Star of the Sea (Belfast) on three occasions and Notre Dame (Tallaght) and Tralee Tigers on one occasion each.

The Association rebranded as Basketball Ireland in 2003 and the two Conference (North and South) system was re-introduced (as in 1991 to 1993). The Super League Playoff Final was won three times between then and 2013 by both UCC Demons (Blue Demons merged with UCC) and DART Killester. Tralee Tigers won it twice and St. Vincent’s Dublin and UL eagles once.

In 2013-14 the Super League was renamed the Premier League for three seasons before reverting to the Super League name, and the National Championship renamed the Champions Trophy. It was won on three occasions by UCC Demons, twice by Garvey’s Tralee Warriors and once by Templeogue BC between 2013-14 and the present.

References

Sources / Newspapers

[1] A Special Correspondent (1978) “Weekend Results Round-Up: Basketball “ The Irish Times Monday, March 13, 1978. pg. [Internet] Available from: https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1978/0313/Pg003.html#Ar00300:05DC360C1C4D [Accessed 1 January 2020]

[2] A Special Correspondent (1979) “Basketball : Celtic now have tough relegation battle” The Irish Times Wednesday, March 14, 1979. pg. [Internet] Available from: https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1979/0314/Pg018.html#Ar01805:49C6C74AC6E84AB6CA4C26E74C16C74CF6E84CF6CA50C6E7 [Accessed 1 January 2020]

Bibliography

[3] Shannon, Kieran (2009) “Hanging from the Rafters: The story of Neptune and the Golden Age of Irish Basketball” Appendix Section 1: The Irish Men’s Game: The Complete Records: National League Tables and Top Four semi-finals and Finals. Pp. 516-527.

Magazine Articles

[4] (1984) “National League 1983-84”. IBA Official Basketball Magazine. October 1984.

[5] (1985) “Final Standings”. IBA Official Basketball Magazine. Autumn 1985.

[6] (1986) “National League Standings 1985-86”. IBA Official Basketball Magazine. 1985-86 Season.

[7] (1987) “National League 1986-87”. IBA Official Basketball Magazine. 1986-87 Season.

[8] (1989) “National League 1988-89 Final Standings”. IBA Official Basketball Magazine. Number 12. 1988-89 Season. pg. 28

[9] (1990) “National League 1989-90 Final Standings”. IBA Official Basketball Magazine. Number 15. March 1990 pp. 18

[10] (1991) “National League Tables 1990/91”. IBA Official Basketball Magazine. Number 18. May 1991 pp. 14

Newspapers

[11] (1983) “Scene is set for top-four showdown”. Irish Press. Monday, March 16, 1983.

[12] (1988) “Dawn Milk leave it to last seconds”. Irish Press. Monday, March 21, 1988. pp. 12-13.

[13] (1989) “Neptune find right formula”. Irish Independent. Monday, March 20, 1989. pp. 14-15.

[14] (1990) “Ballina overtime ban hands it to Vincents”. Irish Independent. Monday, March 19, 1990. pp. 12-13.

[15] (1991) “Last gasp Neptune!”. Irish Independent. Monday, March 25, 1991. pp. 22-23.

[16] (1983) “Vincent’s, North Mon on top”. Irish Examiner. Monday, March 21, 1983. pp. 14-15.

[17] (1984) “Top two titles stay in Dublin”. Irish Examiner. Monday, March 19, 1984. pp. 16-17.

[18] (1985) “Formula finally right”. Irish Examiner. Monday, March 18, 1985. pp. 16-17.

[19] (1986) “Dubliners basket top four honours”. Irish Examiner. Monday, March 17, 1986. pp. 12-13.

[20] Anon. (1981) “Pride for the Blues | Div. One (Men)”. Irish Independent. Wednesday, March 25, 1981. pg. 13.

[21] (1992) “League title goes West”. Irish Examiner. Monday, April 13, 1992. pp. 12-13.

[22] Anon. (1993) “For the Record | Basketball”Sunday Independent, April 4, 1993. pg. 52

[23] (1994) “Rose Breen Orchestrates Victory”. Irish Examiner. Monday, March 14, 1994. pp. 20-21.

[24] (1994) “Basketball”. Irish Examiner. Monday, March 18, 1994. pp. 18-19.

[25] Anon. (1995) “Neptune squeeze through” Irish Examiner. Saturday, March 25, 1995 [Pg. 33 Irish Newspaper Archive]

[26] Anon. (1995) Kerry spring surprise” Sundat Independent. March 26, 1995. [Pg. 49 Irish Newspaper Archive]

Magazine Articles

[27] (1996) “Tralee Tops in Budweiser Superleague Marian: Back in big-time after unbeaten campaign”. IBA Official Basketball Magazine. Number 33. April 1996. pg. 27

Newspapers

[28] (1997) “Basketball”. Irish Independent. Monday, March 17, 1997. pp. 26-27.

[29] (1998) “Basketball”. Irish Independent. Monday, March 2, 1998. pp. 20-21.

[30] (1998) “Basketball”. Irish Independent. Monday, March 16, 1998. pp. 34-35.

[31] (1999) “Basketball”. Irish Independent. Monday, March 29, 1999, pp. 40-41.

[32] (2000) “Basketball”. Irish Independent. Monday, March 20, 2000. pp. 38-39.

[33] (2001) “Basketball”. Irish Independent. Monday, February 26, 2001. pp. 28-29.

[34] (2002) “Basketball”. Irish Independent. Monday, March 25, 2002. pp. 74-75.

[35] (2003) “Basketball”. Irish Independent. Monday, March 24, 2003. pp. 34-35.

[36] (2004) “Basketball”. Irish Examiner. Monday, March 15, 2004. pp. 26-27.

[37] (2005) “Basketball”. Irish Independent. Monday, March 21, 2005. pp. 36-37.

[38] (2005) “Basketball”. Irish Examiner. Monday, March 14, 2005. pp. 28-29.

[39] (2007) “Basketball”. Irish Examiner. Monday, March 26, 2007. pp. 30-31.

[40] (2008) “Basketball”. Irish Examiner. Monday, March 31, 2008. pp. 26-27.

[41] (2009) “Basketball”. Irish Examiner. Monday, March 30, 2009. pp. 28-29.

[42] (2010) “Basketball”. Irish Examiner. Monday, March 8, 2010. pp. 30-31.

[43] (2011) “Basketball”. Irish Examiner. Monday, March 7, 2011. pp. 24-25.

Websites

[44] Eurobasket (2014) Basketball Ireland Super League 2004-05 [Internet] Available from: www.eurobasket.com/Ireland/basketball-Super-League_2004-05.asp [Accessed 22 September 2016]

[45] Eurobasket (2014) Basketball Ireland Super League 2005-06 [Internet] Available from: www.eurobasket.com/Ireland/basketball-Super-League_2005-06.asp [Accessed 22 September 2016]

[46] Eurobasket (2014) Basketball Ireland Super League 2006-07 [Internet] Available from: www.eurobasket.com/Ireland/basketball-Super-League_2006-07.asp [Accessed 22 September 2016]

[47] Eurobasket (2014) Basketball Ireland Super League 2007-08 [Internet] Available from: www.eurobasket.com/Ireland/basketball-Super-League_2007-08.asp [Accessed 22 September 2016]

[48] Eurobasket (2014) Basketball Ireland Super League 2008-09 [Internet] Available from: www.eurobasket.com/Ireland/basketball-Super-League_2008-09.asp [Accessed 22 September 2016]

[49] Eurobasket (2014) Basketball Ireland Super League 2009-10 [Internet] Available from: www.eurobasket.com/Ireland/basketball-Super-League_2009-10.asp [Accessed 22 September 2016]

[50] Eurobasket (2014) Basketball Ireland Super League 2010-11 [Internet] Available from: www.eurobasket.com/Ireland/basketball-Super-League_2010-11.asp [Accessed 22 September 2016]

[51] Eurobasket (2014) Basketball Ireland Super League 2011-12 [Internet] Available from: www.eurobasket.com/Ireland/basketball-Super-League_2011-12.asp [Accessed 22 September 2016]

[52] Eurobasket (2014) Basketball Ireland Super League 2012-13 [Internet] Available from: www.eurobasket.com/Ireland/basketball-Super-League_2012-13.asp [Accessed 22 September 2016]

[53] Basketball Ireland (2018) History [Internet] Available from: http://www.basketballireland.ie/history/ [Accessed 26 May 2018]

Newspapers

[54] Anon. (2014) “Basketball”. Irish Examiner. Monday, March 24, 2014. pp. 52-53.

Websites

[55] Basketball Ireland Comortais (2015) Men’s Champions Trophy 2014-15 [Internet] Available from: http://bi.comortais.com/competition.aspx?oId=1001&id=1211 [Accessed 27 October 2016]

[56] Basketball Ireland (2016) Men’s Premier 2015-16 [Internet] Available from: http://www.basketballireland.ie/menspremier/ [Accessed 21 September 2016]

[57] Basketball Ireland (2016) Men’s Champions Trophy 2015-16 [Internet] Available from: http://www.basketballireland.ie/championstrophy/ [Accessed 21 September 2016]

[58] Basketball Ireland (2018) Mens Champions Trophy [Internet] Available from: http://www.basketballireland.ie/championstrophy [Accessed 28 March 2017]

[59] Basketball Ireland (2018) Mens Champions Trophy [Internet] Available from: http://www.basketballireland.ie/menschampionstrophy [Accessed 12 March 2018]

[60] Basketball Ireland (2018) MSL Champions Trophy [Internet] Available from: http://www.basketballireland.ie/league/138821/ [Accessed 23 April 2019]

[61] Basketball Ireland (2020) MNCC confirms winner of Basketball Ireland Men’s Super League [Internet] Available from: https://www.basketballireland.ie/news-detail/10061709/mncc-confirms-winner-of-basketball-ireland-mens-super-league/ [Accessed 28 April 2020]

Note: Copies of The Irish Independent, Irish Press & Irish Examiner are available to view online at the Irish Newspaper Archive: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ which is a subscription service.

Images

[62] 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]

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Rob Gihbu and John Folan.

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 27 May 2020

(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2020

You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved.