Final Table

	P	W	L	PF	PA	Pts
Avonmore Snowcream Wildcats (C – NC)	16	16	0			48
Openet Naomh Mhuire (NC)	16	13	3			42
Tolka Rovers (NC)	16	12	4			40
Meteors (NC)	16	10	6			36
Blarney Spring	16	8	8			32
Killester	16	7	9			30
Supermacs Limerick	16	5	11			26
Riverisland Castleisland	16	1	15			18
Lee Strand Tralee	16	1	15			18

Top Four Playoffs

Date	Home Team		Away Team
	Semi-Finals
	Snowcream Wildcats	65	Meteors	43
	Tolka Rovers	64	Naomh Mhuire	61 ot
	Final
	Snowcream Wildcats	82	Tolka Rovers	68

Regular Season Results

Date	Home Team		Away Team
	Week 1
05.10.1997	Snowcream Wildcats	75	Killester	51
05.10.1997	Lee Strand Tralee	51	Blarney	64
05.10.1997	Meteors	75	Limerick	40
05.10.1997	Riverisland Castleisland	72	Tolka Rovers	94
	Week 2
12.10.1997	Lee Strand Tralee	50	Riverisland Castleisland	58
12.10.1997	Killester	51	Meteors	72
12.10.1997	Snowcream Wildcats	72	Openet Naomh Mhuire	64
12.10.1997	Limerick	62	Tolka Rovers	64
	Week 3
19.19.1997	Meteors	48	Snowcream Wildcats	52
19.10.1997	Openet Naomh Mhuire	104	Lee Strand Tralee	58
19.10.1997	Riverisland Castleisland	49	Limerick	70
19.10.1997	Tolka Rovers	83	Blarney	45
	Week 4
26.10.1997	Supermacs Limerick	49	Killester	46
26.10.1997	Meteors	66	Blarney	45
26.10.1997	Openet Naomh Mhuire	79	Riverisland Castleisland	62
26.10.1997	Tolka Rovers	72	Snowcream Wildcats	78
	Week 5
09.11.1997	Lee Strand Tralee	39	Meteors	72
09.11.1997	Snowcream Wildcats	107	Supermacs Limerick	34
09.11.1997	Riverisland Castleisland	42	Killester	70
09.11.1997	Blarney	53	Openet Naomh Mhuire	98
	Week 6
16.11.1997	Riverisland Castleisland	67	Blarney	91
16.11.1997	Killester	56	Tolka Rovers	77
16.11.1997	Snowcream Wildcats	106	Lee Strand Tralee	42
16.11.1997	Supermacs Limerick	47	Openet Naomh Mhuire	68
	Week 7
23.11.1997	Tolka Rovers	70	Meteors	69
23.11.1997	Blarney	60	Snowcream Wildcats	105
23.11.1997	Killester	47	Openet Naomh Mhuire	74
23.11.1997	Supermacs Limerick	83	Lee Strand Tralee	50
	Week 8
30.11.1997	Meteors	56	Openet Naomh Mhuire	62
30.11.1997	Lee Strand Tralee	56	Tolka Rovers	89
30.11.1997	Killester	58	Blarney	56
30.11.1997	Riverisland Castleisland	67	Snowcream Wildcats	146
	Week 9
07.12.1997	Lee Strand Tralee	58	Killester	79
07.12.1997	Supermacs Limerick	69	Blarney	74
07.12.1997	Meteors	97	Riverisland Castleisland	57
07.12.1997	Tolka Rovers	70	Openet Naomh Mhuire	73
	Week 10
21.12.1997	Tolka Rovers	107	Riverisland Castleisland	53
21.12.1997	Killester	53	Snowcream Wildcats	90
21.12.1997	Supermacs Limerick	97	Meteors	84
21.12.1997	Blarney	59	Lee Strand Tralee	44
	Week 11
04.01.1998	Meteors	73	Killester	38
04.01.1998	Openet Naomh Mhuire	56	Snowcream Wildcats	67
04.01.1998	Riverisland Castleisland	63	Lee Strand Tralee	67
04.01.1998	Tolka Rovers	86	Supermacs Limerick	58
	Week 12
11.01.1998	Blarney	68	Tolka Rovers	57
11.01.1998	Lee Strand Tralee	52	Openet Naomh Mhuire	76
11.01.1998	Snowcream Wildcats	83	Meteors	61
11.01.1998	Supermacs Limerick	90	Riverisland Castleisland	64
	Week 13
18.01.1998	Snowcream Wildcats	83	Tolka Rovers	58
18.01.1998	Killester	77	Supermacs Limerick	63
18.01.1998	Riverisland Castleisland	61	Openet Naomh Mhuire	119
18.01.1998	Blarney	54	Meteors	56
	Week 14
01.02.1998	Openet Naomh Mhuire	91	Supermacs Limerick	59
01.02.1998	Lee Strand Tralee	40	Snowcream Wildcats	84
01.02.1998	Tolka Rovers	66	Killester	60
01.02.1999	Blarney	97	Riverisland Castleisland	50
	Week 15
08.02.1998	Supermacs Limerick	53	Snowcream Wildcats	83
08.02.1998	Meteors	80	Lee Strand Tralee	41
08.02.1998	Killester	61	Riverisland Castleisland	39
08.02.1998	Openet Naomh Mhuire	63	Blarney	53
	Week 16
15.02.1998	Openet Naomh Mhuire	66	Killester	35
15.02.1998	Meteors	55	Tolka Rovers	81
15.02.1998	Snowcream Wildcats	81	Blarney	62
15.02.1998	Lee Strand Tralee	50	Supermacs Limerick	57
	Week 17
22.02.1998	Openet Naomh Mhuire	57	Tolka Rovers	59
22.02.1998	Killester	94	Lee Strand Tralee	56
22.02.1998	Riverisland Castleisland	51	Meteors	81
22.02.1998	Blarney	94	Supermacs Limerick	52
	Week 18
01.03.1998	Openet Naomh Mhuire	52	Meteors	62
01.03.1998	Snowcream Wildcats	123	Riverisland Castleisland	26
01.03.1998	Tolka Rovers	95	Lee Strand Tralee	46
01.03.1998	Blarney Spring	57	Killester	71

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.