Ireland set for European return

DUBLIN - Following a seven-year absence, the Irish senior men's team will re-enter European competition in 2016.

The team participated in EuroBasket 2009 Division B, before being disbanded due to financial constraints. They will now re-enter European competition via the FIBA European Championship for Small Countries which is set to take place next summer in Moldova.

The news comes hot on the heels of another recent announcement that the women's national team will also be reinstated and will play in the Small Countries Women in Gibraltar.

The team will be coached by Colin O'Reilly, who was a member of the 2009 squad. He was also the coach, as well as a player, of Hibernia Basketball, an Irish combined team who this season competed in the FIBA Europe Cup Regular Season.

"The timing is right. It means a lot to players to stand for the national anthem and represent their country in their chosen sport. There are a lot of guys who have done it at underage [level] and this is the right step at the right time. - O'Reilly

"The timing is right," said O'Reilly following the announcement. "It means a lot to players to stand for the national anthem and represent their country in their chosen sport. There are a lot of guys who have done it at underage [level] and this is the right step at the right time."

"If you bring the best players in the country together for sessions, fellas are going to improve," he said. "But there has to be a structure for elite players providing higher levels of training, strength and conditioning as well as more variety in coaching. We’re trying to build continuity but there will be guys coming in who weren’t available before. It’s a one-off tournament but that can’t be the end goal."

Ireland were second in the inaugural competition in 1988 and won it in 1994, before moving to Division B. That was followed by seven campaigns in Europe’s second tier up to and including EuroBasket 2009.

In addition to the European Championships for Small Countries for Men and Women, Ireland will be competing in FIBA European Championships at U16, U18 and U20 levels in 2016.

FIBA