Two Kerry schools bidding for All-Ireland League basketball titles

TWO Kerry schools will be hoping to win All-Ireland basketball titles next week when the All-Ireland Schools Leagues come to a conclusion at the National Basketball Arena in Dublin starting next Monday.

SCOILPOBAL Sliabh Luachra will take part in the Basketball Ireland U-19 Boys ‘A’ All-Ireland league final on Monday against one of the biggest forces of school basketball in the country, St Malachy’s Collage from Belfast. EVEN reaching this ‘A’ final is a massive achievement for the Rathmore school which has a male student population of just 180 boys. The Kerry school qualified from the Southwest Region after topping their group after playing St. Pats Castleisland, Miltown and IS Killorglin in the pool stage, then beating Tralee CBS The Green in the semi-final. They lost out in the southwest final 60-62 to Tralee basketball powerhouse, Mercy Mounthawk, who are a formidable side that boasts five international players, but both teams still qualified for the All-Ireland play-off stage. SPSL Rathmore then hosted Rochestown from Cork and Templeogue from Dublin in Rathmore, beating both sides to qualify for the All-Ireland semi-final where they enjoyed a 56-39 win St. Pats from Cavan, played in Tallaght.

MANY of the Rathmore players disappointedly lost to Tralee CBS in the Corn Uí Mhuirí (Munster SFC) semi-final after extra-time on Saturday, February 1 but picked themselves up on the following Monday, travelled to Tallaght and secured their All-Ireland final slot. Many of the SPSL Rathmore players are no strangers to the National Basketball Arena, with some of them already having secured gold medals at the 1st, 2nd Year and U-16 age groups, but they are also aware of the disappointment of losing there with some tough defeats in other competitions at club and schools level.

THE main basketball feeder clubs to Rathmore school are Gneeveguilla BC and Rathmore Ravens BC, with a Killarney Cougars player also playing in this team.

MEANWHILE, in the U-19 ‘B’ Boys league Colaiste na Sceilge, Caherciveen take on St Patrick’s Armagh in their final next week. Colaiste na Sceilge, Caherciveen had a 60-47 win over St Marks CS, Tallaght, in their semi-final, while St Patrick’s Armagh saw off Limerick school Castletroy College by 82-42 in their semi-final.

The Sliacbh Luachra Pobalscoil Rathmore basketball team that takes part in the All-Ireland Back, l-r: Coach Cormac Collins, David Gleeson, Paul O’Leary, Ronan Collins, Denis Mahoney, Andrew Moynihan and Tommy Bowler. Front, l-r: Damien Cronin, Daniel Moynihan, Mark Cronin, Paric Finnegan and Paudie O’Leary Missing from picture Mark O’Leary.