Irish Basketball Association Women’s Super League 1997-98

Final Table

 PWLPFPAPts
Avonmore Snowcream Wildcats (C – NC)16160  48
Openet Naomh Mhuire (NC)16133  42
Tolka Rovers (NC)16124  40
Meteors (NC)16106  36
Blarney Spring1688  32
Killester1679  30
Supermacs Limerick16511  26
Riverisland Castleisland16115  18
Lee Strand Tralee16115  18
[Reference: 1]

Top Four Playoffs

DateHome Team Away Team 
 Semi-Finals   
 Snowcream Wildcats65Meteors43
 Tolka Rovers64Naomh Mhuire61 ot
 Final   
 Snowcream Wildcats82Tolka Rovers68
[Reference: 2]

Regular Season Results

DateHome TeamAway Team
Week 1
05.10.1997Snowcream Wildcats75Killester51
05.10.1997Lee Strand Tralee51Blarney64
05.10.1997Meteors75Limerick40
05.10.1997Riverisland Castleisland72Tolka Rovers94
Week 2
12.10.1997Lee Strand Tralee50Riverisland Castleisland58
12.10.1997Killester51Meteors72
12.10.1997Snowcream Wildcats72Openet Naomh Mhuire64
12.10.1997Limerick62Tolka Rovers64
Week 3
19.19.1997Meteors48Snowcream Wildcats52
19.10.1997Openet Naomh Mhuire104Lee Strand Tralee58
19.10.1997Riverisland Castleisland49Limerick70
19.10.1997Tolka Rovers83Blarney45
Week 4
26.10.1997Supermacs Limerick49Killester46
26.10.1997Meteors66Blarney45
26.10.1997Openet Naomh Mhuire79Riverisland Castleisland62
26.10.1997Tolka Rovers72Snowcream Wildcats78
Week 5
09.11.1997Lee Strand Tralee39Meteors72
09.11.1997Snowcream Wildcats107Supermacs Limerick34
09.11.1997Riverisland Castleisland42Killester70
09.11.1997Blarney53Openet Naomh Mhuire98
Week 6
16.11.1997Riverisland Castleisland67Blarney91
16.11.1997Killester56Tolka Rovers77
16.11.1997Snowcream Wildcats106Lee Strand Tralee42
16.11.1997Supermacs Limerick47Openet Naomh Mhuire68
Week 7
23.11.1997Tolka Rovers70Meteors69
23.11.1997Blarney60Snowcream Wildcats105
23.11.1997Killester47Openet Naomh Mhuire74
23.11.1997Supermacs Limerick83Lee Strand Tralee50
Week 8
30.11.1997Meteors56Openet Naomh Mhuire62
30.11.1997Lee Strand Tralee56Tolka Rovers89
30.11.1997Killester58Blarney56
30.11.1997Riverisland Castleisland67Snowcream Wildcats146
Week 9
07.12.1997Lee Strand Tralee58Killester79
07.12.1997Supermacs Limerick69Blarney74
07.12.1997Meteors97Riverisland Castleisland57
07.12.1997Tolka Rovers70Openet Naomh Mhuire73
Week 10
21.12.1997Tolka Rovers107Riverisland Castleisland53
21.12.1997Killester53Snowcream Wildcats90
21.12.1997Supermacs Limerick97Meteors84
21.12.1997Blarney59Lee Strand Tralee44
Week 11
04.01.1998Meteors73Killester38
04.01.1998Openet Naomh Mhuire56Snowcream Wildcats67
04.01.1998Riverisland Castleisland63Lee Strand Tralee67
04.01.1998Tolka Rovers86Supermacs Limerick58
Week 12
11.01.1998Blarney68Tolka Rovers57
11.01.1998Lee Strand Tralee52Openet Naomh Mhuire76
11.01.1998Snowcream Wildcats83Meteors61
11.01.1998Supermacs Limerick90Riverisland Castleisland64
Week 13
18.01.1998Snowcream Wildcats83Tolka Rovers58
18.01.1998Killester77Supermacs Limerick63
18.01.1998Riverisland Castleisland61Openet Naomh Mhuire119
18.01.1998Blarney54Meteors56
Week 14
01.02.1998Openet Naomh Mhuire91Supermacs Limerick59
01.02.1998Lee Strand Tralee40Snowcream Wildcats84
01.02.1998Tolka Rovers66Killester60
01.02.1999Blarney97Riverisland Castleisland50
Week 15
08.02.1998Supermacs Limerick53Snowcream Wildcats83
08.02.1998Meteors80Lee Strand Tralee41
08.02.1998Killester61Riverisland Castleisland39
08.02.1998Openet Naomh Mhuire63Blarney53
Week 16
15.02.1998Openet Naomh Mhuire66Killester35
15.02.1998Meteors55Tolka Rovers81
15.02.1998Snowcream Wildcats81Blarney62
15.02.1998Lee Strand Tralee50Supermacs Limerick57
Week 17
22.02.1998Openet Naomh Mhuire57Tolka Rovers59
22.02.1998Killester94Lee Strand Tralee56
22.02.1998Riverisland Castleisland51Meteors81
22.02.1998Blarney94Supermacs Limerick52
Week 18
01.03.1998Openet Naomh Mhuire52Meteors62
01.03.1998Snowcream Wildcats123Riverisland Castleisland26
01.03.1998Tolka Rovers95Lee Strand Tralee46
01.03.1998Blarney Spring57Killester71
[References: 3-27]

Report

Wildcats of Waterford won the first Super League title in 1997-98 defeating Tolka Rovers 82-68 in the Final.

Snowcream Wildcats from Waterford were on top of the Irish Basketball Association Women’s Super League at the end of October 1997, with four wins from four games. Tolka Rovers and Meteors were both a game behind on three wins and one loss, although Opent Naomh Mhuire from Inchicore in Dublin had a game in hand with two wins from three. What made Wildcats position even more outstanding was three of those wins came agianst their three nearest challengers, for all of whom it was their only loss.

By the end of November, Snowcream Wildcats were still undefeated, with maximum points from 8 games, their eighth game being a 146-67 demolition of Riverisland Castleisland, Jillian Hayes contributing 30 points in the game. Tolka Rovers and Openet Naomh Mhuire could not be counted out however with 6 wins from 7 games each in second place. Meteors were a bit further back in fourth with 4 wins from seven games.

At the years end Snowcream Wildcats were still undefeated with 9 wins, two ahead of Tolka Rovers and Naomh Mhuire, with Naomh Mhuire having a game in hand. Tolka Rovers narrow three-point loss at home to the women from Inchicore in Week 9 damahing their title hopes. Meteors were still hanging in there in fourth with 6 wins.

By the last weekend of league action in January before the Cup Finals Weekend, Snowcream Wildcats had kept their unbeaten record, stretching it to 12 wins. Openet Naomh Mhuire occupied second on 9 wins, with Tolka Rovers and Meteors tied in third on eight wins each.

At the end of the season at the End of February / Beginning of March, Snowcream Wildcats finished off their League campaign with an astonishing 123 to 26 victory over Riverisland Castleisland, to top the table with a perfect 16 wins from 16, three wins ahead of Openet Naomh Mhuire in second, with Tolka Rovers in third on 12-6 and Meteors finishing off the season in fourth with 10-6, sneaking into the playoffs ahead of Blarney Spring with a win over Opent Naomh Mhuire on the last day as Blarney lost to Killester.

The National Championship in the National Basketball Arena on the 14th to 15th March saw Snowcream Wildcats win all three major Competitions with an 82-68 triumph over Tolka Rovers in the Final after a 65-43 defeat of Meteors in the Semi-Finals. The other Semi-Final was a 64-61 win for Tolka Rovers in overtime versus Opent Naomh Mhuire.

The following year the Super League dropped to five teams as Naomh Mhuire lost their sponsor and Riverisland Castleisland and Lee Strand Tralee, who had struggled all season dropped out. The loss of Blarney was another big blow to the league.

About the National Basketball Leagues

The Amateur Basketball Association of Ireland was founded in 1947 and set up the first National League for men in 1971. In 1979 the League brought in professional players from America and the ABAI became the Irish Basketball Association and also started up the first Women’s League with a 1st and 2nd Division.

In 1997 the two Divisions were merged into one Women’s Super League, with a Regional League bbelow this, which in 2003 reverted back to two Divisions – Super League and Division 1 – with another rebranding of the Association to Basketball Ireland.

References

Newspapers

[1] (1998) “Basketball”. Irish Independent. Monday, March 2, 1998. pp. 20-21.

[2] (1998) “Basketball”. Irish Independent. Monday, March 16, 1998. pp. 34-35.

[3] Anon. (1997) “Factfile: Basketball” Irish Independent. Monday, October 6, 1997. Pg. 30

[4] Anon. (1997) “Factfile: 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) “Factfile: Basketball” Irish Independent. Saturday, October 18, 1997. Pg. 22

[7] Anon. (1997) “Factfile: 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) “Factfile: Basketball” Irish Independent. Monday, October 27, 1997. Pg. 34

[10] Anon. (1997) “Factfile: Basketball” Irish Independent. Monday, November 10, 1997. Pg. 34.

[11] Anon. (1997) “Factfile: Basketball” Irish Independent. Monday, November 17, 1997. Pg. 34.

[12] Anon. (1997) “Factfile: 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

[3] 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]

[4] 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]

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Ann Hanley, Killester and Ireland National Team.

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.

Start a Conversation

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *