FIBA Basketball
IRL - Leahy earns her fourth successive SuperLeague medal
DUBLIN (Women's SuperLeague) - As the hype of the weekend’s SuperLeague finals dies down for all around us, Roma St. Vincent’s and Vienna Woods Glanmire are still celebrating. Last weekend saw local Cork side Vienna Woods Glanmire
DUBLIN (Women's SuperLeague) - As the hype of the weekend’s SuperLeague finals dies down for all around us, Roma St. Vincent’s and Vienna Woods Glanmire are still celebrating.
Last weekend saw local Cork side Vienna Woods Glanmire steal the Women’s SuperLeague trophy for the first time in their clubs history after they beat Carna Transport Mercy in the Final, 69-38.
It was a very special day for Glanmire’s Sinead Leahy as she was winning her fourth successive SuperLeague medal, having already won three in a row with UL Aughinish.
Leahy, an Irish senior international, had a superb season with Glanmire and is over the moon with their victory.
"I’m delighted and thrilled because this season has been very enjoyable for me personally after playing with such a great bunch of girls".
"I always knew that we had a realistic chance of winning after our performance against Wildcats in the semi. When we play to our best, few teams can stay with us. I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to win four SuperLeague titles in a row – this memory will stay with me for a long time".
Captain Denise Walsh is also proud of her team and their achievement. "This is the best feeling that I have ever had in my basketball career and that includes my first title with Tolka Rovers in Dublin"
"It's a great honour to be captain, especially because every single Glanmire player did a fantastic job on Sunday and indeed all season. I know it's a cliché but it really was a super team effort that won it for us".
"I think if ever a club deserved to win the title it is our club because no one realises the work that all the voluntary people do behind the scenes to ensure our survival".
When asked how the aftermath of the Final was going, Walsh responded, "The celebrations are going and going!!! Everyone has worked so hard all season and now it's time to enjoy ourselves. Our sponsor, Vienna Woods Hotel is throwing a victory dinner for the club next weekend so that will be great for everyone involved. The Angler's Sports Bar have also been very good to us, I'd say they'll get a few more nights out of us yet!!"
Denise says she is now going to take it easy for a while and next year will look forward to defending the title after a long wait for the club.
Club stalwart and founder (in 1984) Timmy McCarthy is also beside him self with delight, "this win has been a long time coming for me at the club. It’s absolutely fantastic. We had a little wobble a few weeks ago in the league, but Mark (Scannell, the coach) got them going again and they have been fantastic in the last two games. I think over the season we were the best team and we deserved to win last weekend".
It has been a remarkable journey for the Cork club, going through a number of great coaches since they entered national league seven years ago. They drew Wildcats from Waterford in their first appearance in the National Cup in 1999 but they soon made short work of them.
However, McCarthy says, "We knew this had to happen for us to get better and as a club. We needed this type of exposure and while it hurt in the short term, the benefits were far reaching and here we are today - SuperLeague Champions".
In the Men’s, it was Roma St Vincent’s who beat all odds and overcame the League favourites and reigning champs UCC Demons in a thrilling Semi-Final in Cork. They were out to prove they were there for one reason only as they went on to demolish the Limerick Lions in the Final, 104-74 on Sunday.
Player Joey McGuirk is ecstatic over their victory and says it has been a long time coming.
"It is so great to win this for the players that have gone before us, the likes of Karl (Donnelly) and my brother Stephen, who did so much for the club as players and also to do this for Joey (the coach) of course".
"This is the biggest title I have ever won and it is a magnificent feeling. To loose three Cup titles and now finally win the League title is great for the whole team who have worked so hard".
McGuirk believes that going into this game as the underdogs helped them with their motivation.
"Seeing what was read in the papers leading up to the weekend made us that much hungrier. But Joey had his homework done and we knew what we had to do to beat Demons. We weren’t even thinking of the final, we were taking one game at a time".
When asked about Jermaine Turner’s performance over the weekend, Joey said, "I really enjoy playing with Jermaine. I have never seen an American as enthusiastic as him, both in training and in games, he is like one of us".
McGuirk had only a limited time to celebrate their victory after Sunday’s Final as he returned to football training with Na Fianna on Tuesday night. He is now fully focused on their next championship game in 3 weeks but said he will make time for the Senior Men’s Irish trials on April 15th.
It was Eoin Darling’s first year with the club and he says he won’t be going anywhere in a hurry.
"It is just unbelievable to be part of a team to win the SuperLeague Title. Its like a dream come true for me."
"To make the team at the start of the season was a great achievement for me. I grew up playing with Tolka Rovers and played with Shamrock Rovers HOOPS last year, which didn’t really work out. When I came to Vincent’s I instantly settled in and felt I had found my fitting".
Darling is looking forward to the 06/07 season already and after his outstanding display over the weekend will remain a fantastic addition to the Dublin side.
The 05/06 SuperLeague season has been a great success and to have an end of season climax like the one in Cork last weekend makes to League more exciting. SuperLeague Manager Karl Donnelly hopes to build on that and get more exposure for the competition. In doing this he plans to review the format over the last three years and put a five to six year plan in place for the development of the competition.
Last weekend saw local Cork side Vienna Woods Glanmire steal the Women’s SuperLeague trophy for the first time in their clubs history after they beat Carna Transport Mercy in the Final, 69-38.
It was a very special day for Glanmire’s Sinead Leahy as she was winning her fourth successive SuperLeague medal, having already won three in a row with UL Aughinish.
Leahy, an Irish senior international, had a superb season with Glanmire and is over the moon with their victory.
"I’m delighted and thrilled because this season has been very enjoyable for me personally after playing with such a great bunch of girls".
"I always knew that we had a realistic chance of winning after our performance against Wildcats in the semi. When we play to our best, few teams can stay with us. I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to win four SuperLeague titles in a row – this memory will stay with me for a long time".
Captain Denise Walsh is also proud of her team and their achievement. "This is the best feeling that I have ever had in my basketball career and that includes my first title with Tolka Rovers in Dublin"
"It's a great honour to be captain, especially because every single Glanmire player did a fantastic job on Sunday and indeed all season. I know it's a cliché but it really was a super team effort that won it for us".
"I think if ever a club deserved to win the title it is our club because no one realises the work that all the voluntary people do behind the scenes to ensure our survival".
When asked how the aftermath of the Final was going, Walsh responded, "The celebrations are going and going!!! Everyone has worked so hard all season and now it's time to enjoy ourselves. Our sponsor, Vienna Woods Hotel is throwing a victory dinner for the club next weekend so that will be great for everyone involved. The Angler's Sports Bar have also been very good to us, I'd say they'll get a few more nights out of us yet!!"
Denise says she is now going to take it easy for a while and next year will look forward to defending the title after a long wait for the club.
Club stalwart and founder (in 1984) Timmy McCarthy is also beside him self with delight, "this win has been a long time coming for me at the club. It’s absolutely fantastic. We had a little wobble a few weeks ago in the league, but Mark (Scannell, the coach) got them going again and they have been fantastic in the last two games. I think over the season we were the best team and we deserved to win last weekend".
It has been a remarkable journey for the Cork club, going through a number of great coaches since they entered national league seven years ago. They drew Wildcats from Waterford in their first appearance in the National Cup in 1999 but they soon made short work of them.
However, McCarthy says, "We knew this had to happen for us to get better and as a club. We needed this type of exposure and while it hurt in the short term, the benefits were far reaching and here we are today - SuperLeague Champions".
In the Men’s, it was Roma St Vincent’s who beat all odds and overcame the League favourites and reigning champs UCC Demons in a thrilling Semi-Final in Cork. They were out to prove they were there for one reason only as they went on to demolish the Limerick Lions in the Final, 104-74 on Sunday.
Player Joey McGuirk is ecstatic over their victory and says it has been a long time coming.
"It is so great to win this for the players that have gone before us, the likes of Karl (Donnelly) and my brother Stephen, who did so much for the club as players and also to do this for Joey (the coach) of course".
"This is the biggest title I have ever won and it is a magnificent feeling. To loose three Cup titles and now finally win the League title is great for the whole team who have worked so hard".
McGuirk believes that going into this game as the underdogs helped them with their motivation.
"Seeing what was read in the papers leading up to the weekend made us that much hungrier. But Joey had his homework done and we knew what we had to do to beat Demons. We weren’t even thinking of the final, we were taking one game at a time".
When asked about Jermaine Turner’s performance over the weekend, Joey said, "I really enjoy playing with Jermaine. I have never seen an American as enthusiastic as him, both in training and in games, he is like one of us".
McGuirk had only a limited time to celebrate their victory after Sunday’s Final as he returned to football training with Na Fianna on Tuesday night. He is now fully focused on their next championship game in 3 weeks but said he will make time for the Senior Men’s Irish trials on April 15th.
It was Eoin Darling’s first year with the club and he says he won’t be going anywhere in a hurry.
"It is just unbelievable to be part of a team to win the SuperLeague Title. Its like a dream come true for me."
"To make the team at the start of the season was a great achievement for me. I grew up playing with Tolka Rovers and played with Shamrock Rovers HOOPS last year, which didn’t really work out. When I came to Vincent’s I instantly settled in and felt I had found my fitting".
Darling is looking forward to the 06/07 season already and after his outstanding display over the weekend will remain a fantastic addition to the Dublin side.
The 05/06 SuperLeague season has been a great success and to have an end of season climax like the one in Cork last weekend makes to League more exciting. SuperLeague Manager Karl Donnelly hopes to build on that and get more exposure for the competition. In doing this he plans to review the format over the last three years and put a five to six year plan in place for the development of the competition.