Final Standings
| P | W | L | PF | PA | Pts | |
| Star of the Sea (C-SF) | 18 | 17 | 1 | 52 | ||
| Denny Notre Dame (SF) | 18 | 13 | 5 | 44 | ||
| Marathon Sports St. Vincent’s (SF) | 18 | 10 | 8 | 38 | ||
| Killester (SF) | 18 | 10 | 8 | 38 | ||
| Dungannon | 18 | 9 | 9 | 36 | ||
| Longnecks Ballina | 18 | 8 | 10 | 34 | ||
| UCD Marian | 18 | 7 | 11 | 32 | ||
| Kerry Spring Water Killarney | 18 | 6 | 12 | 30 | ||
| Neptune | 18 | 5 | 13 | 28 | ||
| Garvey’s Tigers Tralee | 18 | 5 | 13 | 28 |
National Championships
| Date | Home Team | Away Team | ||
| Semi-Finals | ||||
| 14.03.1998 | Star of the Sea | 94 | Killester | 72 |
| 14.03.1998 | Denny Notre Dame | 97 | Marathon Sp St. Vincent’s | 70 |
| Final | ||||
| 15.03.1998 | Star of the Sea | 92 | Denny Notre Dame | 74 |
Regular Season Results
| W/E | Home Team | Away Team | ||
| Week 1 | ||||
| 05.10.1997 | Marathon Sports St. Vincent’s | 90 | Dungannon | 81 |
| 05.10.1997 | Longnecks Ballina | 74 | Star of the Sea | 90 |
| 05.10.1997 | Killester | 83 | UCD Marian | 73 |
| 05.10.1997 | Kerry Spring Water Killarney | 87 | Denny Notre Dame | 98 |
| Week 2 | ||||
| 12.10.1997 | UCD Marian | 86 | Neptune | 80 |
| 12.10.1997 | Garvey’s Tigers Tralee | 91 | Longnecks Ballina | 81 |
| 12.10.1997 | Killester | 85 | Denny Notre Dame | 93 |
| 12.10.1997 | Kerry Spring Water Killarney | 74 | Dungannon | 75 |
| 12.10.1997 | Star of the Sea | 92 | Marathon Sports St. Vincent’s | 75 |
| Week 3 | ||||
| 17.10.1997 | Denny Notre Dame | 80 | UCD Marian | 60 |
| 19.10.1997 | Garvey’s Tigers Tralee | 74 | Marathon Sports St. Vincent’s | 78 |
| 19.10.1997 | Dungannon | 63 | Killester | 78 |
| 19.10.1997 | Longnecks Ballina | 99 | Neptune | 89 |
| 19.10.1997 | Star of the Sea | 95 | Kerry Spring Water Killarney | 50 |
| Week 4 | ||||
| 26.10.1997 | AMEV UCD Marian | 93 | Dungannon | 94 |
| 26.10.1997 | Neptune | 95 | Denny Notre Dame | 112 |
| 26.10.1997 | Killester | 84 | Star of the Sea | 95 |
| 26.10.1997 | Kerry Spring Water Killarney | 86 | Garvey’s Tigers Tralee | 80 |
| 26.10.1997 | Marathon Sports St. Vincent’s | 95 | Longnecks Ballina | 115 |
| Week 5 | ||||
| 09.11.1997 | AMEV UCD Marian | 81 | Star of the Sea | 90 |
| 09.11.1997 | Denny Notre Dame | 108 | Dungannon | 75 |
| 09.11.1997 | Garvey’s Tigers Tralee | 90 | Killester | 70 |
| 09.11.1997 | Longnecks Ballina | 85 | Kerry Spring Water Killarney | 77 |
| 09.11.1997 | Neptune | 84 | Marathon Sports St. Vincent’s | 87 |
| Week 6 | ||||
| 16.11.1997 | Denny Notre Dame | 92 | Star of the Sea | 84 |
| 16.11.1997 | Dungannon | 76 | Neptune | 67 |
| 16.11.1997 | Garvey’s Tigers Tralee | 60 | AMEV UCD Marian | 82 |
| 16.11.1997 | Longnecks Ballina | 85 | Killester | 102 |
| 16.11.1997 | Marathon Sports St. Vincent’s | 109 | Kerry Spring Water Killarney | 95 |
| Week 7 | ||||
| 23.11.1997 | Denny Notre Dame | 109 | Garvey’s Tigers Tralee | 83 |
| 23.11.1997 | Killester | 72 | Marathon Sports St. Vincent’s | 78 |
| 23.11.1997 | Kerry Spring Water Killarney | 89 | Neptune | 83 |
| 23.11.1997 | Dungannon | 77 | Star of the Sea | 87 |
| 23.11.1997 | Longnecks Ballina | 81 | Amev UCD Marian | 77 |
| Week 8 | ||||
| 30.11.1997 | Marathon Sports St. Vincent’s | 91 | UCD Marian | 93 |
| 30.11.1997 | Longnecks Ballina | 78 | Denny Notre Dame | 92 |
| 30.11.1997 | Garvey’s Tigers Tralee | 70 | Dungannon | 72 |
| 30.11.1997 | Killester | 96 | Kerry Spring Water Killarney | 89 |
| 30.11.1997 | Neptune | 91 | Star of the Sea | 107 |
| Week 9 | ||||
| 05.12.1997 | Denny Notre Dame | 99 | Marathon Sports St. Vincent’s | 85 |
| 07.12.1997 | Kerry Spring Water Killarney | 82 | Amev UCD Marian | 81 |
| 07.12.1997 | Dungannon | 85 | Longnecks Ballina | 77 |
| 07.12.1997 | Neptune | 104 | Killester | 83 |
| 07.12.1997 | Star of the Sea | 92 | Garvey’s Tigers Tralee | 89 |
| Week 10 | ||||
| 21.12.1997 | Denny Notre Dame | 83 | Kerry Spring Water Killarney | 85 |
| 21.12.1997 | Star of the Sea | 100 | Longnecks Ballina | 94 |
| 21.12.1997 | UCD Marian | 90 | Killester | 82 |
| 21.12.1997 | Garvey’s Tigers Tralee | 86 | Neptune | 83 |
| 21.12.1997 | Dungannon | 74 | Marathon Sports St. Vincent’s | 85 |
| Week 11 | ||||
| 04.01.1998 | Marathon Sports St. Vincent’s | 62 | Star of the Sea | 90 |
| 04.01.1998 | Neptune | 74 | Amev UCD Marian | 75 |
| 04.01.1998 | Denny Notre Dame | 78 | Killester | 85 |
| 04.01.1998 | Longnecks Ballina | 130 | Garveys Tigers Tralee | 97 |
| Week 12 | ||||
| 11.01.1998 | Marathon Sports St. Vincent’s | 97 | Garveys Tigers Tralee | 87 |
| 11.01.1998 | Neptune | 103 | Longnecks Ballina | 86 |
| 11.01.1998 | Amev UCD Marian | 82 | Denny Notre Dame | 99 |
| 11.01.1998 | Killester | 86 | Dungannon | 72 |
| 11.01.1998 | Kerry Spring Water Killarney | 82 | Star of theSea | 106 |
| 11.01.1998 | Neptune | 95 | Garveys Tigers Tralee | 88 |
| Week 13 | ||||
| 18.01.1998 | Killester | 119 | Garveys Tigers Tralee | 83 |
| 18.01.1998 | Kerry Spring Water Killarney | 85 | Longnecks Ballina | 92 |
| 18.01.1998 | Dungannon | 81 | Denny Notre Dame | 93 |
| 18.01.1998 | Marathon Sports St. Vincent’s | 78 | Neptune | 88 |
| 18.01.1998 | Star of the Sea | 124 | Amev UCD Marian | 88 |
| Week 14 | ||||
| 01.02.1997 | Denny Notre Dame | 65 | Neptune | 82 |
| 01.02.1997 | Dungannon | 86 | Amev UCD Marian | 85 |
| 01.02.1997 | Longnecks Ballina | 85 | Marathon Sports St. Vincent’s | 87 |
| 01.02.1997 | Garveys Tigers Tralee | 86 | Kerry Spring Water Killarney | 72 |
| 01.02.1997 | Star of the Sea | 113 | Killester | 60 |
| Week 15 | ||||
| 08.02.1998 | Star of the Sea | 100 | Denny Notre Dame | 83 |
| 08.02.1998 | Amev UCD Marian | 99 | Garveys Tigers Tralee | 91 |
| 08.02.1998 | Neptune | 81 | Dungannon | 84 |
| 08.02.1998 | Killester | 98 | Longnecks Ballina | 82 |
| 08.02.1998 | Kerry Spring Water Killarney | 89 | Marathon Sports St. Vincent’s | 82 |
| Week 16 | ||||
| 15.02.1998 | Star of the Sea | 110 | Dungannon | 90 |
| 15.02.1998 | Marathon Sports St. Vincent’s | 91 | Killester | 82 |
| 15.02.1998 | Amev UCD Marian | 94 | Longnecks Ballina | 95 |
| 15.02.1998 | Neptune | 96 | Kerry Spring Water Killarney | 90 |
| 15.02.1998 | Garveys Tigers Tralee | 117 | Denny Notre Dame | 100 |
| Week 17 | ||||
| 22.02.1998 | Amev UCD Marian | 95 | Kerry Spring Water Killarney | 81 |
| 22.02.1998 | Garveys Tigers Tralee | 68 | Star of the Sea | 81 |
| 22.02.1998 | Killester | 106 | Neptune | 94 |
| 22.02.1998 | Longnecks Ballina | 114 | Dungannon | 89 |
| 22.02.1998 | Marathon Sports St. Vincent’s | 100 | Denny Notre Dame | 69 |
| Week 18 | ||||
| 01.03.1998 | Amev UCD Marian | 73 | Marathon Sports St. Vincent’s | 85 |
| 01.03.1998 | Denny Notre Dame | 115 | Longnecks Ballina | 84 |
| 01.03.1998 | Kerry Spring Water Killarney | 76 | Killester | 109 |
| 01.03.1998 | Dungannon | 101 | Garveys Tigers Tralee | 83 |
| 01.03.1998 | Star of the Sea | 97 | Neptune | 77 |
Report
St. Vincent’s secured victory in 1997-98, 92-74 against Notre Dame, another agonising defeat for the Firhouse club based in the National Basketball arena in Tallaght.
By the end of October 1997, Denny Notre Dame from Firhouse, Tallaght and Star of the Sea from Belfast were undefeated with four wins apiece. Dungannon were the surprise packet on 3 wins and one loss in third. Marathon Sports St. Vincent’s and Longnecks Ballina, for so long the two favourites in the 1990s, were a game further back in fourth.
By November’s end, Denny Notre Dame were still undefeated on 8 wins, Lenny McMillian sparking them to the top of the table, one game ahead of Star of the Sea, with Dungannon two games further back. Three teams were tied for fourth place on four wins: Marathon Sports St. Vincent’s, Longnecks Ballina and Killester. at the other end of the table, Neptune, for so long a Cork success-story were languishing on 7 losses from 7 games with one game postponed, two games behind Garvey’s Tigers Tralee and Kerry Spring Water Killarney, the Kerry teams also struggling of late.
Denny Notre Dame and Star of the Sea were battling it out for top spot with 9 wins each from 10 games at the end of December, three ahead of Dugannon, while Marathon Sports St. Vincent’s took up fourth spot with 5 wins. There wasa log-jam of four teams on four wins in fifth: Longnecks Ballina, Killester, Kerry Spring Water Killarney and UCD Marian, with even Garveys Tigers Tralee still in contention for a Playoff spot with 3 wins and a game in hand. Neptune were the only team which could be counted out with only one victory to their credit.
By the last league weekend of January, just before Sprite Cup Final Weekend, Star of the Sea had moved into sole position at the top with 12 wins and one loss, Denny Notre Dame in second with 11 wins and 2 losses after their loss to Killester in Week 11, which moved Killester into sole ownership of third on 7-6. Three teams were in fourth on 6-7: Marathon Sports St. Vincent’s, Longnecks Ballina and Dungannon.
At the end of the season it was Star of the Sea who pulled away, victory over Denny Notre Dame in Week 15 starting a string of three losses in a row for the Firhouse, Tallaght team as the Belfast side finished on 17-1 with Denny finishing on 13-5, four games behind. A further three back were Marathon Sports St. Vincent’s and Killester, who also qualified for the Top Four Playoffs. Dungannon’s late slide meant they finished on 9-9 in fifth place, followed by Longnecks Ballina (8-10), UCD Marian (7-11) and Kerry Spring Watter Killarney (6-12). The bottom two spots, on 5-13 went to Neptune and Garveys Tigers Tralee.
The National Championships, in the National Basketball Arena, saw Star of the Sea win 92-74 in the Final against Denny Notre Dame, denying the Tallaght side the Championship and Cup Double, and securing the League and Championship Double for the Belfast team. Star had disposed of Killester in the Semi-Finals, 94-72, while Denny Notre Dame had won 97-70 over Marathon Sports St. Vincent’s in the other Semi-Final.
References
Newspapers
[1] Anon. (1998) “A-Z of Weekend Sport: Basketball”. Irish Independent. Monday, March 2, 1998. pp. 20-21.
[2] Anon. (1998) “A-Z of Weekend Sport: Basketball”. Irish Independent. Monday, March 16, 1998. pp. 34-35.
[3] Anon. (1997) “A-Z of Weekend Sport: Basketball” Irish Independent. Monday, October 6, 1997. Pg. 30
[4] Anon. (1997) “A-Z of Weekend Sport: Basketball” Irish Independent. Monday, October 13, 1997. Pg. 34
[5] Anon. (1997) “Ballina want McClean on the Plane from Spain” Irish Independent. Friday, October 17, 1997. Pg. 18
[6] Anon. (1997) “A-Z of Weekend Sport: Basketball” Irish Independent. Saturday, October 18, 1997. Pg. 22
[7] Anon. (1997) “A-Z of Weekend Sport: Basketball” Irish Independent. Monday, October 20, 1997. Pg. 32
[8] Anon. (1997) “McClean helps to sink Neptune” Irish Independent. Monday, October 20, 1997. Pg. 32
[9] Anon. (1997) “A-Z of Weekend Sport: Basketball” Irish Independent. Monday, October 27, 1997. Pg. 34
[10] Anon. (1997) “A-Z of Weekend Sport: Basketball” Irish Independent. Monday, November 10, 1997. Pg. 34.
[11] Anon. (1997) “A-Z of Weekend Sport: Basketball” Irish Independent. Monday, November 17, 1997. Pg. 34.
[12] Anon. (1997) “A-Z of Weekend Sport: Basketball” Irish Independent. Monday, November 24, 1997. Pg. 30.
[13] Anon. (1997) “A-Z of Weekend Sport: Basketball” Irish Independent. Monday, December 1, 1997. Pg. 30
[14] Anon. (1997) “A-Z of Weekend Sport: Basketball” Irish Independent. Monday, December8, 1997, Pg. 33
[15] Anon. (1997) “A-Z of Weekend Sport: Basketball” Irish Independent. Monday, December 22, 1997, Pg. 40
[16] Anon. (1998) “A-Z of Weekend Sport: Basketball” Irish Independent. Monday, January 5, 1998, Pg. 23
[17] Anon. (1998) “A-Z of Weekend Sport: Basketball” Irish Independent. Monday, January 12, 1998, Pg. 31
[18] Anon. (1998) “Neptune looking up as Augusto points the way” Irish Independent. Monday, January 19, 1998, Pg. 30
[19] Anon. (1998) “A-Z of Weekend Sport: Basketball” Irish Independent. Monday, January 26, 1998, Pg. 31
[20] Anon. (1998) “A-Z of Weekend Sport: Basketball” Irish Independent. Monday, February 2, 1998, Pg. 20
[21] Anon. (1998) “A-Z of Weekend Sport: Basketball” Irish Independent. Monday, February 9, 1998, Pg. 26
[22] Anon. (1998) “A-Z of Weekend Sport: Basketball” Irish Independent. Monday, February 16, 1998, Pg. 32
[23] Anon. (1998) “A-Z of Weekend Sport: Basketball” Irish Independent. Monday, February 23, 1998, Pg. 28
[24] Anon. (1998) “A-Z of Weekend Sport: Basketball” Irish Independent. Monday, March 2, 1998, Pg. 20
[25] Anon. (1997) “Sports Round Up” Irish Times. Monday, November 24, 1997. pg. 28 [Internet] Available online at: https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1997/1124/Pg028.html#Ar02800 [Accessed 19 December 2020]
[26] Anon. (1997) “Sports Round Up” Irish Times. Monday, December 1, 1997. pg. 30 [Internet] Available from: https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1997/1201/Pg030.html#Ar03000 [Accessed 19 December 2020]
[27] Anon. (1997) “Sports Round Up” Irish Times. Monday, December 6, 1997. Pg. 34 [Internet] Available from: https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1997/1206/Pg034.html#Ar03403 [Accessed 19 December 2020]
Websites
[28] Basketball Ireland (2018) History [Internet] Available from: http://www.basketballireland.ie/history/ [Accessed 26 May 2018]
Acknowledgements
Thanks to John Folan.
About this document
Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the
Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive
Last Updated: 19 December 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.