MIMI KEEPS IT IN THE FAMILY
Born and bred Killester star Clarke is aiming for glory on the court
MICHELLE Clarke jokes that if you bump into anyone around Killester basketball club, it’s more than likely that they will be her relation. The Ireland international has grown up in and around the northside institution since she first started to bounce a ball.
Her mother Philly Clarke (neé Grennell) and her seven siblings were all founding members of the club back in the late 1960s.
And all eight of them have done whatever was needed to ensure the club thrived down the years, from coaching to refereeing to volunteering on match day.
It continues to be a family affair. Clarke’s brother Ronan plays on Killester’s men’s Superleague team along with their cousin Paul Dick while another cousin, Mark Grennell, is head coach of Clarke’s team, who are going for national cup glory tomorrow against Trinity Meteors. And her family have
INSUREMYHOUSE.IE PAUDIE O’CONNOR CUP FINAL: Killester v Trinity Meteors, tomorrow, 5.30pm (Live TG 4)
an interest today as her aunt, Breda Dick is coaching Phoenix Rockets against Abbey Seals in the women’s Division one final.
‘I was born and bred into basketball in Killester,’ says Clarke. ‘It was encouraged from a very young age.
‘Thankfully, I enjoyed it and was able to pick it up pretty well, so it was easy to stick with.’
Clarke remembers being in the crowd as a youngster when her cousins were part of the Killester team that won the national cup in 2005. So, when she was part of the side that bridged a 15-year gap in 2020 she became very emotional.
‘I remembered being in the crowd cheering on my cousins the last time Killester won it.
‘So, to lift the cup after winning the final in 2020, I was a blubbering mess. I couldn’t stop crying, it meant so much.
‘And it is why you don’t take cup finals like this for granted because you never know when the next time is going to come around or even if it will come around. We are all just cherishing the moment.’
Clarke, who is known as Mimi to team-mates, has been part of a talented Irish side who have risen into the top tier of European basketball and are facing fully-professional nations such as the Czech Republic and the Netherlands in Euro qualifiers.
She was part of the side that pushed the Dutch all the way in front of a sold-out basketball arena in November and wants to build on that when they face the Czechs in Prague next month.
‘There is definitely more interest being generated in women’s basketball, and I think the 20x20 campaign helped with that. And we are putting on a show as well.
It was such a killer that we couldn’t get the win against the Netherlands. But we have so much to learn from it.
‘And when the quality of basketball is met by the quality of crowd, it does make for a special event.’
It might only be three years since Killester last tasted national cup glory, but Clarke revealed that there aren’t too many comparisons between that team and the current side.
‘They are very different teams. We have lost so many key players from that year, but the girls have really stepped up and this is a challenge that we are looking forward to. It should be an enjoyable battle on the court,’ said Clarke.