All Stars for St Marys basketballers

BASKETBALL Ireland have announced their All Star team and Team Tom McCarthy’s captain Lorraine was named on the second of the Division One national league ladies teams. On Friday Donal Duke O’Connor was named as one of four recipients of the President’s Lifetime achievements awards. This was as a direct result of his original initiative and continued involvement in the St. Mary’s annual Christmas basketball blitz which is entering its 50th year. Donal took it all in his stride and said that he was honoured but gave credit to the community also.

“I am delighted to receive this award,” he said, “it is an honour not just for myself but also for the club and the various committees down through the years and of course the numerous volunteers that help out each year.”

On Saturday the division two men took the league title just an hour before the Kerry area board awards where St. Mary’s were named club of the year.

Club chairman Eamon Egan accepted the award and PRO Liz Galwey thanked Kerry area board saying that it was a huge honour, “this is a surprise and an honour, it has been a great year for the club, our juveniles have done really well this season and we were delighted to be back playing national league basketball and of course we are entering the 50th year of our annual blitz which is very exciting.

“I would like, on behalf of St. Mary’s to thank Kerry Area Board for this honour and I must add that we are particularly delighted that KABB have honoured our beloved Joanne by naming the division one ladies player of the year award after her.”

For the third weekend in a row the club also had a team compete in the All Ireland clubs. The U-16 girls who were winners of KABB league and cup took part in the A finals. They had losses to Templeogue and Tullamore and a win over Brunnel in their group games. They went on to play Cobh and had a 13-point win, they went down by just a single point to Titans to see them finish sixth nationally.

Earlier last week St. Mary’s were informed by Kerry Area Board that going forward, the division women’s player of the year award would be named in the memory of Joanne Walmsley RIP.

Back l-r: Chris Brosnan, Seán O’Connell, Jerry Twomey, Maurice Casey, Daragh McCarthy, Coach Pa Burke and Keith McCarthy. Front l-r: Gary O’Sullivan, James O’Sullivan, Tomas Zaburus and Nelius Lyons.