UCD Marian
Encyclopedia
University College Dublin Marian is an Irish basketball club with teams in the Irish Superleague
and Divisions 1 - 4.
, Ballsbridge
entered a team in the Dublin Minor Basketball league.. That team included Paul Meany, Ken Mc Intyre, Sean Conroy, Michael Meany and Fran Ryan. Their coach was Bro. Fintan, a maths teacher in Marian College. The team won the Dublin Minor Championship and two years later, the club also entered a team in the Dublin Senior League. This team absorbed an existing team called The Shannon Dodgers, which featured Dublin-based past pupils of St. Marys College, Athlone, another Marist Brothers school. These included Bill Doyle, who later taught in Marian College, and Lonan Mc Hugo.
In 1970, the club won the Dublin Senior Championship with Ken McIntyre, Paul and Michael Meany, Sean Conroy and Fran Ryan all featuring. Fifteen year old Donal Breathnach made his senior debut that season. In 1971, Marian Basketball Club formed a ladies team, with past pupils of Loreto College Crumlin forming the core of the squad. The Deegan sisters (Patricia and Debbie ) Frances Fitzgibbon, Catherine Hatton, Alva Moloney and Muriel Gaffney were among the new members. A couple of years later, a second ladies team was formed with Mary Kenny, Christine Gaffney, Trish Connor, Anita Maher and Jackie Deegan at the heart of it. Along with the Women's A and B teams, and the Men's A team, the club also ran a Men's B and C team in the Dublin League Divisions 2 and 3, and an Under 19 team in the Minor League.
In 1972, New York
native Brian Berman, who was studying medicine in the Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin, and had played college basketball at Columbia University
, joined the team. Under player coach Paul Meany, Marian won their first national title, the National Cup. In 1974, Marian entered the inaugural National League with the Men's A team in Division One, the Men's B team in Division Two and the Ladies A team in Division One. Marian also entered many tournaments in Ireland in the early 70‚s. Three senior men's teams competed in Dublin Leagues, the women's A team and the women's B team competed in the Dublin Leagues. The Club also had under 19 and under 17 boys teams. In 1975,76 and 77 Marian finished runners up in the National League behind Dart Killester
. In 1978, Marian won its second National Championship, beating St Vincents Dublin in the final in Inchicore
.
In 1978 Marian entered the Federation Cup for British and Irish teams. Marian beat Scottish champions Boromuir Barrs in Inchicore
and faced English kingpins Doncaster Panthers
away in the second round. Despite a serious height deficit ( Panthers forward line was 7‚”,’11” and 6’10”-Marians tallest was Michael Meany at 6’3”) the team competed well but lost.
In November the club celebrated its 10th anniversary with an AllStar game in Inchicore and a dinner dance in the Green Isle Hotel.
at senior level. Alva Moloney and Pat Deegan won many senior caps as well. In 1979, Donal Breathnach played for Ireland.
Of course the Killarney Tournament for women's teams always attracted more enthusiasm from the male members than from those actually competing and many sleepless nights were spent in buses and baths and fleeing hotel bedrooms by fire escape.
Many matches were made in Marian Basketball Club with Fran and Debbie Ryan, Ken and Muriel McIntyre,Donal and Mary Walsh, Sean and Anita Conroy and Liam and Sheila Lavelle all falling into the same trap of getting married to the sport.
. Ken McIntyre and Paul Meany won intervarsity honours with collidge in 1972, while Sean Conroy, Michael Meany and Donal Breathnch won in 1973. In fact, many Marian players have represented UCD over the years, including Kieran Dunne, Barry Conroy, Sean Neeson, Paul Dunne, Liam Lavelle, Pat Connaughton, Marcus O Philbin, Stephen Nolan, Mick Herity, Jim Rutledge, Jim Hanglo, Alan Fearon, Cormac Connor, Pat Glover and today's squad.
In September 1980, Marian was asked by the Irish Basketball Association to organise the first ever televised tournament, sponsored by Coca Cola. This was a great success, with six games being recorded in one evening and subsequently transmitted on RTE
. Marian
competed along with Dart Killester
, St Vincents Dublin, St Vincents Killarney, Blue Demons of Cork. A packed Oblate Hall lent a great atmosphere to the occasion. In February 1981,Marian played Killarney in the first ever televised national league match and beat the champions in a thrilling game in Inchicore. Blue Demons brought the league title to Cork.
For the 1981-82 campaign Canadian coach Bruce Patterson
took the reins. Irish international John O'Connor joined from Dart Killester
. Tom Hinga, a 6’5” forward from Colorado
became the first paid player for Marian. The club held a very successful international tournament in Inchicore which was won by Blue Demons of Cork.
1982
A mid table finish behind a powerful St Vincents Killarney team meant the club had to seriously raise sponsorship and finance to compete in the new semiprofessional era. The Irish Basketball Association promoted a scheme whereby American investors put money into club franchise, including Marian. George Murphy from Chicago was the principal investor in the club franchise. The club also acquired sponsorship from Yoplait and was called Team Yoplait for the next four seasons. Irish International Michael Meany retired from National League. Brian Coke was recruited from Lowell College in Massachusetts.
Bernard Connaughton was voted the M.V.P. of the Dungarvan Basketball Camp.
1983
Unfortunately, results on court were not so good and the team was relegated from the top flight at the end of the 1982-83 season.
The second team made up for it with the Club’s third national championship, the Intermediate Cup, won in Cork by a team featuring Paul, Michael and Robbie Meany and coached by Marcus O Philbin.
1984
Team Yoplait had a very successful campaign in Division 2, finishing a close second behind Liam McHales Ballina, and winning promotion back to the top flight.
The season was topped off by an International Tournament, which featured Winthrop College from North Carolina
, held in Inchicore.
With renewed vigour and healthy funding, the club faced into 1984-85 seaon with confidence. Fran Ryan took over as coach and Dan Trant, an exciting guard and Alvis Rogers a 6’8” power forward from Wake Forest were brought in.
First U.S.Tour
In November 1984, the club embarked on the first of three consecutive U.S. tours. With eight games in ten days, the tour was a highlight of many peoples careers, with games against top Division One NCAA teams like Virginia Tech, College of Charleston
, Radford, James Madison and of course our hosts Winthrop.
The club also entered the Women's National League with a squad sponsored by Opel. Irish internationals Ann Connellan and Pauline McCarthy joined the squad, along with Peggy Murphy from Chicago
1985
The season came to a disappointing end with Team Yoplait just missing out on a top four place. More significantly the club had run up a significant debt and a serious rethink of the viability of the national league franchise was undertaken.
The men's national league team was separated from the club, financially and management wise. The home venue was moved back to Inchicore. Mike Smith and William Milteer were recruited and Yoplait were retained as sponsors. The team embarked on its second U.S. tour in November, including games against Wake Forest, University of South Carolina and Davidson College. John Irwin joined the club.
More significantly, the club renewed its focus on underage coaching in Marian and other local schools. Kieran Dunne in particular put a huge amount of energy into developing young players at this time
1986
January 1986 saw Yoplait reach the semifinal of the National Cup with a live TV transmission (another first for Irish basketball). Facing Neptune who were leading the league, Yoplait almost upset the odds. However the league form continued to disappoint, with a late rally tying with Ballina and Sporting Belfast for two relegation spots. A playoff and a last minute threepointer saw Marian relegated for the second time in four seasons.
The club embarked on its third tour of the U.S. in November with guest players Liam McHale (Ballina) and Gerry Caffrey(Corinthians)
1987
Paul Meany came back as coach and Fran Ryan returned as point guard and the team won seven in a row. At Christmas three players left the squad and seven defeats left Marian struggling to make the Division Two top four playoffs.
1988
Another poor season at National League level. Ed Randolph signed from Admirals and Alan Fearon made an impressive debut as a young seventeen year old. Donal Breathnach retired from National League duty.
Signs of hope at underage level as Kieran Dunne brings Pat Glover and Gary Edge into U13 team.
1989
The less said the better. I think the women's section may have disbanded around this time.
1990
Marian win Junior Cup and Div3 Top Four Dublin. Team includes Paul Meany, Sean Conroy, Jim Kenny and Liam Lavelle. Young Declan Collins makes his senior debut.
2011
In 2011 Marian won its first SuperLeague National in over 25 years by upsetting heavy favourites Killester in the final.
Paul Meany
Paul Meany was a founder member of Marian Basketball Club, and has been a leading member and supporter since 1968. He has played senior basketball in 5 decades-sixties, seventies, eighties, nineties and noughties before finally hanging up his bootsfive years ago.
He has also won national, cup in 1973,national league in 1978,national intermediate championship in 1983,and has featured in most Marian winning teams including Dublin Minor, Senior Division One, Two and Three championships. He has also a distinguished record as a coach at National League (Men's and Women's) and under age levels, and has served as an excellent admiistrator for the sport at Club, Dublin and National Levels. As a hobby, he runs Marian College, Ballsbridge.
National League:
Conor Meany Patrick Kelly
Peter Finn David Ryan
Gary Ledge Barry Glover Michael Higgins Barry Drumm Neil Baynes(20 December is known as Neil Baynes day in the club) Niall Meany Conor James Daniel James
Mathew Kelly
Basketball Ireland
Basketball Ireland is the National Governing Body for Basketball in Ireland. The association has responsibility for the promotion, development and administration of all basketball activities in the Republic and Northern Ireland...
and Divisions 1 - 4.
History
Marian Basketball Club was founded in 1968 when a group of pupils and past-pupils of Marian CollegeMarian College
Marian University is a Roman Catholic university in Indianapolis Indiana.-About:Marian University, sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis in Oldenburg, Indiana, traces its roots to their founding in 1851...
, Ballsbridge
Ballsbridge
Ballsbridge is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland, named for the bridge spanning the River Dodder on the south side of the city. The sign on the bridge still proclaims it as "Ball's Bridge" in recognition of the fact that the original bridge in this location was built and owned by a Mr...
entered a team in the Dublin Minor Basketball league.. That team included Paul Meany, Ken Mc Intyre, Sean Conroy, Michael Meany and Fran Ryan. Their coach was Bro. Fintan, a maths teacher in Marian College. The team won the Dublin Minor Championship and two years later, the club also entered a team in the Dublin Senior League. This team absorbed an existing team called The Shannon Dodgers, which featured Dublin-based past pupils of St. Marys College, Athlone, another Marist Brothers school. These included Bill Doyle, who later taught in Marian College, and Lonan Mc Hugo.
In 1970, the club won the Dublin Senior Championship with Ken McIntyre, Paul and Michael Meany, Sean Conroy and Fran Ryan all featuring. Fifteen year old Donal Breathnach made his senior debut that season. In 1971, Marian Basketball Club formed a ladies team, with past pupils of Loreto College Crumlin forming the core of the squad. The Deegan sisters (Patricia and Debbie ) Frances Fitzgibbon, Catherine Hatton, Alva Moloney and Muriel Gaffney were among the new members. A couple of years later, a second ladies team was formed with Mary Kenny, Christine Gaffney, Trish Connor, Anita Maher and Jackie Deegan at the heart of it. Along with the Women's A and B teams, and the Men's A team, the club also ran a Men's B and C team in the Dublin League Divisions 2 and 3, and an Under 19 team in the Minor League.
In 1972, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
native Brian Berman, who was studying medicine in the Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin, and had played college basketball at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, joined the team. Under player coach Paul Meany, Marian won their first national title, the National Cup. In 1974, Marian entered the inaugural National League with the Men's A team in Division One, the Men's B team in Division Two and the Ladies A team in Division One. Marian also entered many tournaments in Ireland in the early 70‚s. Three senior men's teams competed in Dublin Leagues, the women's A team and the women's B team competed in the Dublin Leagues. The Club also had under 19 and under 17 boys teams. In 1975,76 and 77 Marian finished runners up in the National League behind Dart Killester
Dart Killester
Dart Killester is a basketball club based in Killester, Dublin, Ireland. Their senior men's team play in the Irish Superleague. They won the National League in 2007. The team is sponsored by Dublin Area Rapid Transit providers or the DART...
. In 1978, Marian won its second National Championship, beating St Vincents Dublin in the final in Inchicore
Inchicore
-Location and access:Located five kilometres due west of the city centre, Inchicore lies south of the River Liffey, west of Kilmainham, north of Drimnagh and east of Ballyfermot. The majority of Inchicore is in the Dublin 8 postal district...
.
In 1978 Marian entered the Federation Cup for British and Irish teams. Marian beat Scottish champions Boromuir Barrs in Inchicore
Inchicore
-Location and access:Located five kilometres due west of the city centre, Inchicore lies south of the River Liffey, west of Kilmainham, north of Drimnagh and east of Ballyfermot. The majority of Inchicore is in the Dublin 8 postal district...
and faced English kingpins Doncaster Panthers
Doncaster Panthers
The Doncaster Panthers Basketball Club was established in 1954 by Morris Wordsworth and played out of Balby High School Gym in their formative years and gained entry to the elite National Basketball League in 1973 playing as Wilson Panthers. This was the NBL's second year of its existence and in...
away in the second round. Despite a serious height deficit ( Panthers forward line was 7‚”,’11” and 6’10”-Marians tallest was Michael Meany at 6’3”) the team competed well but lost.
In November the club celebrated its 10th anniversary with an AllStar game in Inchicore and a dinner dance in the Green Isle Hotel.
Ireland internationals
Throughout the seventies, Ken McIntyre and Michael Meany represented IrelandIreland national basketball team
- Performance at Summer Olympics :-Notable players:*Pat Burke – Only Irish-born to have played in the NBA. Played for Orlando Magic & Phoenix Suns...
at senior level. Alva Moloney and Pat Deegan won many senior caps as well. In 1979, Donal Breathnach played for Ireland.
The Social Side
One of the clubs hallmarks was the vibrant social scene with a very active social committee organising regular club parties, fundraisers and even club holidays..In 1972 Marian Basketball Club organised a mixed basketball tournament in Inchicore which by all accounts was great fun, and not just for the basketball. In the summer of 1973 the club rented a house in the remote townland of Toor near Tipperary town and up to thirty members descended for weeks and weekend of partyingOf course the Killarney Tournament for women's teams always attracted more enthusiasm from the male members than from those actually competing and many sleepless nights were spent in buses and baths and fleeing hotel bedrooms by fire escape.
Many matches were made in Marian Basketball Club with Fran and Debbie Ryan, Ken and Muriel McIntyre,Donal and Mary Walsh, Sean and Anita Conroy and Liam and Sheila Lavelle all falling into the same trap of getting married to the sport.
The UCD Connection
It was always logical that Marian College students would go on to third level in neighbouring University College DublinUniversity College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
. Ken McIntyre and Paul Meany won intervarsity honours with collidge in 1972, while Sean Conroy, Michael Meany and Donal Breathnch won in 1973. In fact, many Marian players have represented UCD over the years, including Kieran Dunne, Barry Conroy, Sean Neeson, Paul Dunne, Liam Lavelle, Pat Connaughton, Marcus O Philbin, Stephen Nolan, Mick Herity, Jim Rutledge, Jim Hanglo, Alan Fearon, Cormac Connor, Pat Glover and today's squad.
The Eighties
The 1979-80 season marked a sea change in Irish basketball as it was the first time paid players were recruited from overseas. St Vincents Killarney brought over two American players and went on to win their first ever National League title. The league brought in regulations to limit the number of foreign born players to two and thus prevent the full professionalisation of the league as had happened in Britain.In September 1980, Marian was asked by the Irish Basketball Association to organise the first ever televised tournament, sponsored by Coca Cola. This was a great success, with six games being recorded in one evening and subsequently transmitted on RTE
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
. Marian
competed along with Dart Killester
Dart Killester
Dart Killester is a basketball club based in Killester, Dublin, Ireland. Their senior men's team play in the Irish Superleague. They won the National League in 2007. The team is sponsored by Dublin Area Rapid Transit providers or the DART...
, St Vincents Dublin, St Vincents Killarney, Blue Demons of Cork. A packed Oblate Hall lent a great atmosphere to the occasion. In February 1981,Marian played Killarney in the first ever televised national league match and beat the champions in a thrilling game in Inchicore. Blue Demons brought the league title to Cork.
For the 1981-82 campaign Canadian coach Bruce Patterson
Bruce Patterson
Bruce Patterson was a Scottish cricketer. He took his first two wickets in a competition in June 2004 against Holland. He participated in three One-day internationals in May 1999 and played List A cricket from 1988 to 2002...
took the reins. Irish international John O'Connor joined from Dart Killester
Dart Killester
Dart Killester is a basketball club based in Killester, Dublin, Ireland. Their senior men's team play in the Irish Superleague. They won the National League in 2007. The team is sponsored by Dublin Area Rapid Transit providers or the DART...
. Tom Hinga, a 6’5” forward from Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
became the first paid player for Marian. The club held a very successful international tournament in Inchicore which was won by Blue Demons of Cork.
1982
A mid table finish behind a powerful St Vincents Killarney team meant the club had to seriously raise sponsorship and finance to compete in the new semiprofessional era. The Irish Basketball Association promoted a scheme whereby American investors put money into club franchise, including Marian. George Murphy from Chicago was the principal investor in the club franchise. The club also acquired sponsorship from Yoplait and was called Team Yoplait for the next four seasons. Irish International Michael Meany retired from National League. Brian Coke was recruited from Lowell College in Massachusetts.
Bernard Connaughton was voted the M.V.P. of the Dungarvan Basketball Camp.
1983
Unfortunately, results on court were not so good and the team was relegated from the top flight at the end of the 1982-83 season.
The second team made up for it with the Club’s third national championship, the Intermediate Cup, won in Cork by a team featuring Paul, Michael and Robbie Meany and coached by Marcus O Philbin.
1984
Team Yoplait had a very successful campaign in Division 2, finishing a close second behind Liam McHales Ballina, and winning promotion back to the top flight.
The season was topped off by an International Tournament, which featured Winthrop College from North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, held in Inchicore.
With renewed vigour and healthy funding, the club faced into 1984-85 seaon with confidence. Fran Ryan took over as coach and Dan Trant, an exciting guard and Alvis Rogers a 6’8” power forward from Wake Forest were brought in.
First U.S.Tour
In November 1984, the club embarked on the first of three consecutive U.S. tours. With eight games in ten days, the tour was a highlight of many peoples careers, with games against top Division One NCAA teams like Virginia Tech, College of Charleston
College of Charleston
The College of Charleston is a public, sea-grant and space-grant university located in historic downtown Charleston, South Carolina, United States...
, Radford, James Madison and of course our hosts Winthrop.
The club also entered the Women's National League with a squad sponsored by Opel. Irish internationals Ann Connellan and Pauline McCarthy joined the squad, along with Peggy Murphy from Chicago
1985
The season came to a disappointing end with Team Yoplait just missing out on a top four place. More significantly the club had run up a significant debt and a serious rethink of the viability of the national league franchise was undertaken.
The men's national league team was separated from the club, financially and management wise. The home venue was moved back to Inchicore. Mike Smith and William Milteer were recruited and Yoplait were retained as sponsors. The team embarked on its second U.S. tour in November, including games against Wake Forest, University of South Carolina and Davidson College. John Irwin joined the club.
More significantly, the club renewed its focus on underage coaching in Marian and other local schools. Kieran Dunne in particular put a huge amount of energy into developing young players at this time
1986
January 1986 saw Yoplait reach the semifinal of the National Cup with a live TV transmission (another first for Irish basketball). Facing Neptune who were leading the league, Yoplait almost upset the odds. However the league form continued to disappoint, with a late rally tying with Ballina and Sporting Belfast for two relegation spots. A playoff and a last minute threepointer saw Marian relegated for the second time in four seasons.
The club embarked on its third tour of the U.S. in November with guest players Liam McHale (Ballina) and Gerry Caffrey(Corinthians)
1987
Paul Meany came back as coach and Fran Ryan returned as point guard and the team won seven in a row. At Christmas three players left the squad and seven defeats left Marian struggling to make the Division Two top four playoffs.
1988
Another poor season at National League level. Ed Randolph signed from Admirals and Alan Fearon made an impressive debut as a young seventeen year old. Donal Breathnach retired from National League duty.
Signs of hope at underage level as Kieran Dunne brings Pat Glover and Gary Edge into U13 team.
1989
The less said the better. I think the women's section may have disbanded around this time.
1990
Marian win Junior Cup and Div3 Top Four Dublin. Team includes Paul Meany, Sean Conroy, Jim Kenny and Liam Lavelle. Young Declan Collins makes his senior debut.
2011
In 2011 Marian won its first SuperLeague National in over 25 years by upsetting heavy favourites Killester in the final.
Paul Meany
Paul Meany was a founder member of Marian Basketball Club, and has been a leading member and supporter since 1968. He has played senior basketball in 5 decades-sixties, seventies, eighties, nineties and noughties before finally hanging up his bootsfive years ago.
He has also won national, cup in 1973,national league in 1978,national intermediate championship in 1983,and has featured in most Marian winning teams including Dublin Minor, Senior Division One, Two and Three championships. He has also a distinguished record as a coach at National League (Men's and Women's) and under age levels, and has served as an excellent admiistrator for the sport at Club, Dublin and National Levels. As a hobby, he runs Marian College, Ballsbridge.
National League:
Roster
Michael ParkerMichael Parker
Michael Parker or Mike Parker may refer to:*Michael Parker , former U.S. congressman from Mississippi*Michael Parker , private secretary to the Duke of Edinburgh, 1947–1957...
Conor Meany Patrick Kelly
Patrick Kelly
Patrick Kelly may refer to:* Patrick Kelly , British, best known for his Oriental Metrology* Patrick Kelly , Union officer in the U.S...
Peter Finn David Ryan
David Ryan
David Ryan is a stock investor who is known for winning the U.S. Investing Championship three times between 1985 and 1990. He is a protégé of William O'Neil....
Gary Ledge Barry Glover Michael Higgins Barry Drumm Neil Baynes(20 December is known as Neil Baynes day in the club) Niall Meany Conor James Daniel James
Daniel James
Daniel James may refer to:*Daniel James , British-Canadian video game developer*Daniel James aka "Gwyrosydd" , Welsh poet and hymn-writer*Daniel James Daniel James may refer to:*Daniel James (game developer) (born 1971), British-Canadian video game developer*Daniel James (Gwyrosydd) aka...
Mathew Kelly