UCD Marian

UCD Marian
Leagues Premier League
Founded 1968
Arena UCD Sports Centre, University College Dublin
Location Dublin
President Hugh Brady
Head coach Ioannis Liapakis
Championships 1 (1978)
Website UCDMarian.com

University College Dublin Marian is an Irish basketball club that competes in the Irish Premier League.

History

Foundation

Marian Basketball Club was founded in 1968 when a group of pupils and past-pupils of Marian College, Ballsbridge entered a team in the Dublin Minor Basketball league. That team included Paul Meany, Ken McIntyre, Sean Conroy, Michael Meany and Fran Ryan. Their coach was Brother Fintan, a match teacher in Marian College. The team won the Dublin Minor Championship and two years later, the club also entered a team in the Dublin Senior League. This team absorbed an existing team called the Shannon Dodgers, which featured Dublin-based past pupils of St. Marys College, Athlone, another Marist Brothers school. These included Bill Doyle, who later taught in Marian College, and Lonan McHugo.[1]

1970s

In 1970, the club won the Dublin Senior Championship with Ken McIntyre, Paul and Michael Meany, Sean Conroy and Fran Ryan all featuring. Fifteen-year-old Donal Breathnach made his senior debut that season. In 1971, Marian Basketball Club formed a ladies team, with past pupils of Loreto College Crumlin forming the core of the squad. The Deegan sisters (Patricia and Debbie) Frances Fitzgibbon, Catherine Hatton, Alva Moloney and Muriel Gaffney were among the new members. A couple of years later, a second ladies team was formed with Mary Kenny, Christine Gaffney, Trish Connor, Anita Maher and Jackie Deegan at the heart of it. Along with the Womens A and B teams, and the Mens A team, the club also ran a Mens B and C team in the Dublin League Divisions 2 and 3, and an Under 19 team in the Minor League.[1]

In 1972, New York native Brian Berman, who was studying medicine in the College of Surgeons, and had played college basketball at Columbia University, joined the team. Under player/coach Paul Meany, Marian won their first national title, the National Cup. In 1973–74, Marian entered the inaugural National League with the Mens A team in Division One, the Mens B team in Division Two and the Ladies A team in Division One. Marian also entered many tournaments in Ireland in the early 70s. Three senior mens teams competed in Dublin Leagues, the womens A team and the womens B team competed in the Dublin Leagues. The Club also had under 19 and under 17 boys teams.[1]

In 1975, '76 and '77 Marian finished runners up in the National League behind Killester. In 1978, Marian won its second National Championship, beating St. Vincent's Dublin in the final in Inchicore. Throughout the seventies, Ken McIntyre and Michael Meany represented Ireland at senior level. Alva Moloney and Pat Deegan won many senior caps as well. In 1979, Donal Breathnach played for Ireland.[1]

In 1978, Marian entered the Federation Cup for British and Irish teams. They beat Scottish champions Boromuir Barrs in Inchicore and faced English kingpins Doncaster Panthers away in the second round. Despite a serious height deficit (Panthers forward line was 6'10" or taller – Marian's tallest was Michael Meany at 6'3”) the team competed well but lost. In November 1978, the club celebrated its 10th anniversary with an All-Star game in Inchicore and a dinner dance in the Green Isle Hotel.[1]

1980s

The 1979–80 season marked a sea change in Irish basketball as it was the first time paid players were recruited from overseas. St. Vincent's Killarney brought over two American players and went on to win their first ever National League title.The league brought in regulations to limit the number of foreign born players to two and thus prevent the full professionalisation of the league as had happened in Britain.[1]

In September 1980, Marian was asked by the Irish Basketball Association to organise the first ever televised tournament, sponsored by Coca Cola. This was a great success, with six games being recorded in one evening and subsequently transmitted on RTE. Marian competed along with Killester, St. Vincent's Dublin, St. Vincent's Killarney, and Blue Demons of Cork. A packed Oblate Hall lent a great atmosphere to the occasion.[1]

In February 1981, Marian played Killarney in the first ever televised national league match and beat the champions in a thrilling game in Inchicore. Blue Demons brought the league title to Cork. For the 1981–82 campaign, Canadian coach Bruce Patterson took the reins while Irish international John O'Connor joined from Killester. Tom Hinga, a 6'5" forward from Colorado, became the first paid player for Marian. The club held a very successful international tournament in Inchicore which was won by Blue Demons of Cork.[1]

In 1982, a mid-table finish behind a powerful St. Vincent's Killarney team meant the club had to seriously raise sponsorship and finance to compete in the new semi-professional era. The Irish Basketball Association promoted a scheme whereby American investors put money into club franchise, including Marian. George Murphy from Chicago was the principal investor in the club franchise. The club also acquired sponsorship from Yoplait and was called Team Yoplait for the next four seasons. Irish International Michael Meany retired from National League while Brian Coke was recruited from Lowell College in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, results on court were not so good and the team was relegated from the top flight at the end of the 1982–83 season.[1] Bernard Connaughton was named MVP of the Dungarvan Basketball Camp.

The second team made up for it with the Club’s third national championship, the Intermediate Cup, won in Cork by a team featuring Paul, Michael and Robbie Meany and coached by Marcus O'Philbin.[1]

In 1984, Team Yoplait had a very successful campaign in Division 2, finishing a close second behind Liam McHales Ballina, and winning promotion back to the top flight. The season was topped off by an International Tournament, which featured Winthrop College from North Carolina, held in Inchicore. With renewed vigour and healthy funding, the club faced into 1984–85 season with confidence. Fran Ryan took over as coach and Dan Trant, an exciting guard and Alvis Rogers a 6'8" power forward from Wake Forest were brought in.[1]

In November 1984, the club embarked on the first of three consecutive United States tours. With eight games in ten days, the tour was a highlight of many peoples careers, with games against top Division One NCAA teams like Virginia Tech, College of Charleston, Radford, James Madison and Winthrop. The club also entered the Womens National League with a squad sponsored by Opel. Irish internationals Ann Connellan and Pauline McCarthy joined the squad, along with Peggy Murphy from Chicago.[1]

The 1984–85 season came to a disappointing end with Team Yoplait just missing out on a top four place. More significantly the club had run up a significant debt and a serious rethink of the viability of the national league franchise was undertaken. The mens national league team was separated from the club, financially and management wise. The home venue was moved back to Inchicore, while Mike Smith and William Milteer were recruited and Yoplait were retained as sponsors. The team embarked on its second U.S. tour in November 1985, including games against Wake Forest, University of South Carolina and Davidson College. In addition, John Irwin joined the club.[1]

January 1986 saw Yoplait reach the semi-final of the National Cup with a live tv transmission (another first for Irish basketball). Facing Neptune who were leading the league, Yoplait almost upset the odds. However, the league form continued to disappoint, with a late rally tying with Ballina and Sporting Belfast for two relegation spots. A playoff and a last minute three-pointer saw Marian relegated for the second time in four seasons. The club embarked on its third tour of the U.S. in November 1986 with guest players Liam McHale (Ballina) and Gerry Caffrey (Corinthians) joining the team.[1]

In 1987, Paul Meany came back as coach and Fran Ryan returned as point guard and the team won seven in a row. At Christmas, three players left the squad and seven defeats left Marian struggling to make the Division Two top four playoffs.[1]

1988 saw another poor season at National League level. Ed Randolph signed from Admirals and Alan Fearon made an impressive debut as a young seventeen-year-old. Donal Breathnach retired from National League duty, but there were signs of hope at underage level as Kieran Dunne brought Pat Glover and Gary Edge into the U13 team.[1]

Current roster

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 History of Club

External links