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{{Short description|Premier men's basketball league in Ireland}}
The '''Superleague''' is the top tier men's [[basketball]] league in [[Ireland]]. 10 clubs compete in 2 conferences, North & South with 5 teams in each conference. The competiton is currently sponsored by Nivea for men, it was sponsored by [[ESB]]. The current champions are [[UCC Demons]] who beat [[Dart Killester]] in the 2009 final in the [[National Basketball Arena]] in [[Tallaght]], [[Dublin]].
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{EngvarB|date=July 2019}}
{{About|the Irish basketball league|other uses|Super League (disambiguation){{!}}Super League}}
{{Infobox sports league
| title = Super League
| upcoming_season =
| current_season =
| last_season = 2022–23 Irish Super League season
| logo =
| pixels =
| caption =
| sport = Basketball
| founded = {{start date and age|1973}}
| inaugural = 1973–74
| motto =
| commissioner =
| teams = 14
| levels =
| countries = [[Republic of Ireland]] (12 teams)<br />[[Northern Ireland]] (2 teams)
| continent = Europe
| champion = [[Éanna Basketball Club|Éanna]] (1st title)
| most_champs = [[Neptune Basketball Club|Neptune]] (11 titles)
| relegation = National League Division 1
| website = [https://ireland.basketball/national-league Basketball Ireland]
}}
The '''Super League''' (formerly known as '''SuperLeague''' and '''Premier League''') is the top-tier men's [[basketball]] league in Ireland. The league has 14 teams (12 in the [[Republic of Ireland]] and two in [[Northern Ireland]]). The league is an active member of [[Basketball Ireland]], which is recognised by [[FIBA]] (also known as the International Basketball Federation) as the national governing body for basketball in Ireland. [[Neptune Basketball Club|Neptune]] holds the record for most league titles, having won the competition 11 times.


==Past Winners==
==Teams==
{{Location map+ | Island of Ireland | caption = Locations of Super League teams | float = right | width = 280 |places =
{{Location map~ |Island of Ireland | lat_deg = 54.6 | lon_deg = -5.93 | label = [[Belfast Star]] }}
{{Location map~ |Island of Ireland | lat_deg = 54.7 | lon_deg = -5.94 | label = [[Ulster University|Ulster Uni]] }}
{{Location map~ |Island of Ireland | lat_deg = 53.3 | lon_deg = -9.06 | label = [[Moycullen Basketball Club|Moycullen]] | position = left }}
{{Location map~ |Island of Ireland | lat_deg = 53.3 | lon_deg = -9.06 | label = Maree | position = right }}
{{Location map~ |Island of Ireland | lat_deg = 52.3 | lon_deg = -9.70 | label = [[Tralee Warriors]] }}
{{Location map~ |Island of Ireland | lat_deg = 52.1 | lon_deg = -9.79 | label = Killorglin | position = left }}
{{Location map~ |Island of Ireland | lat_deg = 51.8985 | lon_deg = -8.4756 | label = [[Neptune Basketball Club|Neptune]]<br>[[UCC Demons]] | position = right }}
{{Location map~ |Island of Ireland | lat_deg = 51.8985 | lon_deg = -8.4756 | label = Ballincollig | position = left }}
{{Location map~ |Island of Ireland | lat_deg = 54.2766 | lon_deg = -8.4761 | label = Sligo All-Stars | position = left }}


{{Location map~ |Island of Ireland |marksize=12|lat_deg=53|lat_min=20|lat_sec=52|lat_dir=N|lon_dir=W|lon_deg=6|lon_min=15|lon_sec=35|position=left|background=|label='''[[Dublin]]''' }}
{| class="wikitable" width="370px" style="float:left; margin-left:1px;"
<!--DUBLIN TEXT IN UPPER LEFT CORNER-->
{{Location map~ |Island of Ireland |mark=TransparentPlaceholder.png |marksize=1 |lat_deg=55|lat_min=24|lat_dir=N|lon_dir=W|lon_deg=10|lon_min=57|position=right|background=|label='''Dublin&nbsp;teams'''<br /><small>[[Éanna Basketball Club|Éanna]]<br />[[Killester Basketball Club|Killester]]<br />[[St. Vincent's Basketball Club|St. Vincent's]]<br />[[Templeogue Basketball Club|Templeogue]]</small><br />}}
}}
{{Location map+ | Dublin | caption = Locations of Super League teams in [[Dublin]] | float = right | width = 280 | places =
{{Location map~ | Dublin | lat_deg = 53.266507 | lon_deg = -6.198577 | position = left | label = [[Templeogue Basketball Club|Templeogue]] }}
{{Location map~ | Dublin | lat_deg = 53.384508 | lon_deg = -6.258327 | position = left | label = [[St. Vincent's Basketball Club|St. Vincent's]] }}
{{Location map~ | Dublin | lat_deg = 53.368195 | lon_deg = -6.200158 | label = [[Killester Basketball Club|Killester]] }}
{{Location map~ | Dublin | lat_deg = 53.3005 | lon_deg = -6.2839 | position = left | label = [[Éanna Basketball Club|Éanna]] }}
}}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
!width=25%|Team
!colspan=3|Superleague
!width=42%|Arena
!width=37%|City/Area
|-
|Ballincollig
|[[Munster Technological University|MTU]] Arena
|[[Cork (city)|Cork]]
|-
|[[Belfast Star]]
|[[De La Salle College, Belfast|De La Salle College]]<br>Newforge Sports Complex
|[[Belfast]]
|-
|[[Éanna Basketball Club|Éanna]]
|[[Coláiste Éanna]]
|[[Rathfarnham]], Dublin
|-
|[[Killester Basketball Club|Killester]]
|[[Irish Wheelchair Association|IWA]] Sports Hall<br>Oblate Hall
|Dublin
|-
|Killorglin
|Killorglin Sports Complex
|[[Killorglin]]
|-
|Maree
|Kingfisher, [[NUI Galway|NUIG]]
|[[Galway]]
|-
|[[Moycullen Basketball Club|Moycullen]]
|Kingfisher, [[NUI Galway|NUIG]]
|[[Galway]]
|-
|[[Neptune Basketball Club|Neptune]]
|Neptune Stadium
|[[Blackpool, Cork|Blackpool]], [[Cork (city)|Cork]]
|-
|Sligo All-Stars
|[[Mercy College, Sligo|Mercy College]]
|[[Sligo]]
|-
|[[St. Vincent's Basketball Club|St. Vincent's]]
|[[St. Vincent's C.B.S.]]
|[[Glasnevin]], Dublin
|-
|[[Templeogue Basketball Club|Templeogue]]
|[[National Basketball Arena]]<br>[[Nord Anglia International School Dublin|Nord Anglia International School]]
|Dublin
|-
|[[Tralee Warriors]]
|Tralee Sports Complex
|[[Tralee]]
|-
|[[UCC Demons]]
|[[Mardyke Arena]]
|[[Cork (city)|Cork]]
|-
|[[Ulster University]]
|Jordanstown Sports Village
|[[Jordanstown]]
|}
{{br}}

==History==

===Early years===
In 1973, the [[Basketball Ireland|Irish Basketball Association]] established a national basketball competition for men with two divisions. This saw many [[Dublin]]-based clubs enter their Men's A team into the top flight league, with the likes of [[Killester Basketball Club|Killester]], [[DCU Saints (basketball)|St. Vincent's Dublin]] and [[UCD Marian|Marian]] competing for supremacy against [[Cork (city)|Cork]]-based clubs [[UCC Demons|Blue Demons]] and [[Neptune Basketball Club|Neptune]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150428104842/http://www.basketballireland.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1388 Roll of Honour 1973 – 2014]</ref> After six seasons, [[County Kerry|Kerry]]-born Killarney player Paudie O'Connor felt that Irish basketball was short of quality.<ref name=thestar>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160921012419/http://thestar.ie/americans-enriched-a-unique-era-when-ireland-loved-basketball/ Americans enriched a unique era: When Ireland loved basketball]</ref><ref>[https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/other-sports/mourning-irish-basketballs-first-superstar-and-greatest-visionary-470216.html Mourning Irish basketball's first superstar and greatest visionary]</ref><ref>[http://www.terracetalk.com/articles/366/Paudie-O-Connor-and-the-first-Black-basketball-players-in-Killarney Paudie O Connor and the first Black basketball players in Killarney]</ref><ref>[https://www.independent.ie/regionals/kerryman/sport/other-sports/hanging-from-the-rafters-27389418.html Hanging from the Rafters]</ref> O'Connor wanted to add glamour to the game and make it more appealing, believing showmanship and skills such as slam dunking would bring basketball to a new level in Ireland. Despite objections from the governing body and other clubs across the country, the first American players, Greg Huguley and Cornel Benford, arrived in Killarney in September 1979. Two months later, Brian Ulmer replaced Benford and St. Vincent's Killarney went on to clinch the national league title in the 1979–80 season.<ref name=killarneytoday>[https://www.killarneytoday.com/killarney-mourns-greatest-irish-basketball-player-ever/ Killarney mourns for 'the greatest Irish basketball player ever']</ref> The addition of Americans transformed the Irish game.<ref>[http://www.southernstar.ie/News/A-teasing-glimpse-into-an-era-where-the-sport-was-king-31012013.htm A teasing glimpse into an era where the sport was king]</ref> As a result, 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.<ref name=marian>[http://www.ucdmarian.com/index.php/history-of-the-club History of Club]</ref>

===A golden era===
O'Connor went back to the States in 1981 and recruited Arnold Vesey and Tony Andre, the latter becoming Irish basketball's first superstar.<ref name="thestar" /> The pair helped Killarney win their second title in three years, and their success paved the way for further American success in the top flight league. Both Cork teams, Blue Demons and Neptune, began recruiting Americans as a result of Killarney's rise, and Neptune found one of their best-ever imports – Terry Strickland. Strickland helped Neptune become the ultimate powerhouse throughout the 1980s, as they won four titles in a row between 1984–85 and 1987–88. Blue Demons and Neptune had a fierce rivalry during the 1980s – every title between 1980–81 and 1990–91 was won by one of those sides (except 1981–82). Terry Strickland of Neptune and Jasper McElroy of Blue Demons led their sides to success, but had fierce competition coming up against the likes of Kelvin Troy and [[Mario Elie]] (Killester), Dave Hopla (St. Gall's), and Deora Marsh (Ballina).<ref name=vimeo>[https://vimeo.com/62940106 We Got Game…The Golden Age of Irish Basketball]</ref>

While the local Irish players were all amateurs, the American imports had to register as professionals. To afford such players, sponsors were a big part of every club. The IBA promoted a scheme whereby investors put money into clubs, and in return, the players will be walking billboards for their brand.<ref name="marian" /> However, there were instances when the lack of big sponsors and talent led to clubs struggling to keep up with the increased competition. Marian were champions in 1978, but the new semi-professional era of the league saw them get left behind, and following the 1982–83 season, the team was relegated from the top flight league. They had a very successful campaign in Division 2 in 1983–84, finishing a close second behind Liam McHale's Ballina, and earned promotion back to the top flight. However, following the 1985–86 season, Marian were relegated for a second time, returning again for the 1987–88 season.<ref name="marian" />

In 1986 and 1987, plans were implemented to reduce the number of imports a team can have. 80% of the clubs agreed that the number should be reduced from two to one, and with the support of the IBA, the ruling came into play for the 1988–89 season. There was a very negative reaction to the change in Cork, as they felt they were being unjustly treated and punished for being successful. The two main arguments made for the change was to give local Irish players more opportunities and to cut costs, with it becoming too expensive to pay two imports for some clubs. As a result of the change, the hype of Irish basketball began to wear down and the public became disinterested in the sport throughout the 1990s.<ref name="vimeo" />

===Post-halcyon===
Neptune continued to be the dominant team throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. Belfast's [[Belfast Star|Star of the Sea]] began to challenge them in the late 1990s as they collected three National Championships between 1996 and 1998,<ref>[http://www.britball.com/archive98/irish_champs98_menfinals.html Star hat trick ends season on high]</ref> and won two league titles in 1998 and 1999.<ref>[http://www.britball.com/archive99/star-league99.htm Star go back to back in Superleague]</ref>

In 1998, the league's long association with sponsor [[Budweiser]] came to an end, and thus [[ESB Group|ESB]] became the new sponsor. In addition, a new format was introduced for the 1998–99 season. A relaunch of the league was inevitable with the change of sponsor but the IBA also took the opportunity to devise yet another new format, which resulted in the expansion of the Superleague to 14 teams – effectively, an amalgamation of the two men's national league divisions from 1997–98.<ref>[http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/new-superleague-format-1.199440 New superleague format]</ref>

Due to the [[2001 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth outbreak|2001 foot-and-mouth outbreak]], the 2000–01 season was abandoned in March 2001. The 2001 title was originally not awarded to any team, despite the fact that [[Killester Basketball Club|Killester]] were leaders at the time of abandonment. The National Championships, due to be held on 24/25 March, were also abandoned. The following month, an IBA panel declared that Killester were the winners for 2001.<ref>[https://www.eurobasket.com/Ireland/basketball-Super-League_2000-2001.aspx Super League: Season 2000–2001]</ref>

In 2003, North and South Conferences were introduced into the league. As a result, the league champion would be determined by the team who made it through to and won the grand final. Prior to 2003–04, the league title was awarded to the team who finished on top of the ladder and the runner-up was who finished second on the ladder; a post-season tournament was then held to determine a National Champion. Past National Champions include [[DCU Saints (basketball)|St. Vincent's]] (1995, 1999 and 2003),<ref>[http://www.britball.com/archive99/irechamps99.htm Killester suffer double Championship heartbreak]</ref><ref>[http://www.rte.ie/sport/basketball/2003/0324/171506-basketball/ St Vincent's lift National title]</ref> Star of the Sea (1996–98),<ref>[http://www.independent.ie/sport/star-of-the-sea-triumph-26193391.html Star of the Sea triumph]</ref> [[Shamrock Rovers Hoops|Notre Dame]] (2000)<ref>[http://www.rte.ie/sport/basketball/2000/0320/148496-basket/ Basketball: Notre Dame win National Championship]</ref> and [[Tralee Tigers]] (2002).<ref>[http://www.eurobasket.com/Ireland/basketball-Premier-League_2001-2002.asp Premier League: Season 2001–2002] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402121341/http://www.eurobasket.com/Ireland/basketball-Premier-League_2001-2002.asp |date=2 April 2015 }}</ref> In [[2012–13 Irish SuperLeague season|2012–13]], the league reverted to the old model and removed conferences, re-establishing league champions as the top of the ladder finishers, and established a Champions Trophy tournament for the final two weeks of the season.<ref>[https://irishsportsnet.wordpress.com/2013/03/23/basketball-ireland-superleague-winners/ Basketball Ireland SuperLeague winners]</ref>

===New era===
In 2013, [[Basketball Ireland]] rebranded the competition and changed the name from SuperLeague to Premier League.<ref>[http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/other-sports/a-whole-new-ball-game-as-premier-league-begins-241472.html A whole new ball game as Premier League begins]</ref> Over the next three seasons, [[UCC Demons]] won seven of the nine trophies, including going unbeaten in the [[2014–15 Irish Premier League season|2014–15 season]].<ref>{{cite web|last=O'Brien|first=Brendan|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/arid-20422426.html|title=There's no getting rid of stalwart Tim O'Halloran|work=irishexaminer.com|date=23 September 2016|access-date=22 January 2023}}</ref>

In 2015, Basketball Ireland's representative team [[Hibernia Basketball|Hibernia]] played in the [[2015–16 FIBA Europe Cup|FIBA Europe Cup]]. The team's roster was filled with Premier League players.<ref>[http://sportsnewsireland.com/other_sports/basketball-ireland-to-enter-new-fiba-europe-competition/ Basketball Ireland to enter new FIBA Europe Competition]</ref>

In 2016, Basketball Ireland renamed the competition "Super League" for the [[2016–17 Irish Super League season|2016–17 season]].<ref>[http://www.basketballireland.ie/news-detail/10011240/ NATIONAL LEAGUE FIXTURES 2016/2017]</ref>

==Roll of Honour==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
{| class="wikitable" width="500px" style="float:left; margin-left:1px;" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Season!!League winner!!National Cup winner
|-
|1973–74||[[UCC Demons|Blue Demons]]||rowspan=10|''Not yet established''
|-
|1974–75||[[Killester Basketball Club|Killester]]
|-
|1975–76||[[Killester Basketball Club|Killester]]
|-
|1976–77||[[Killester Basketball Club|Killester]]
|-
|1977–78||[[UCD Marian|Marian]]
|-
|1978–79||[[DCU Saints (basketball)|St. Vincent's Dublin]]
|-
|1979–80||St. Vincent's Killarney
|-
|1980–81||[[UCC Demons|Blue Demons]]
|-
|1981–82||Killarney
|-
|1982–83||[[Neptune Basketball Club|Neptune]]
|-
|1983–84||[[UCC Demons|Blue Demons]]||[[DCU Saints (basketball)|St. Vincent's Dublin]]
|-
|1984–85||[[Neptune Basketball Club|Neptune]]||[[Neptune Basketball Club|Neptune]]
|-
|1985–86||[[Neptune Basketball Club|Neptune]]||[[UCC Demons|Blue Demons]]
|-
|1986–87||[[Neptune Basketball Club|Neptune]]||[[Killester Basketball Club|Killester]]
|-
|1987–88||[[Neptune Basketball Club|Neptune]]||[[Neptune Basketball Club|Neptune]]
|-
|1988–89||[[UCC Demons|Blue Demons]]||Corinthians
|-
|1989–90||[[Neptune Basketball Club|Neptune]]||[[Neptune Basketball Club|Neptune]]
|-
|1990–91||[[Neptune Basketball Club|Neptune]]||Ballina
|-
|1991–92||Ballina||[[Neptune Basketball Club|Neptune]]
|-
|1992–93||North Monastery||[[DCU Saints (basketball)|St. Vincent's Dublin]]
|-
|1993–94||[[DCU Saints (basketball)|St. Vincent's Dublin]]||[[DCU Saints (basketball)|St. Vincent's Dublin]]
|-
|1994–95||[[Neptune Basketball Club|Neptune]]||North Monastery
|-
|1995–96||[[Tralee Tigers]]||Ballina
|-
|1996–97||[[Neptune Basketball Club|Neptune]]||[[Shamrock Rovers Hoops|Notre Dame]]
|-
|1997–98||[[Belfast Star|Star of the Sea]]||[[Shamrock Rovers Hoops|Notre Dame]]
|-
|1998–99||[[Belfast Star|Star of the Sea]]||[[Shamrock Rovers Hoops|Notre Dame]]
|-
|1999–2000||[[Neptune Basketball Club|Neptune]]||[[Shamrock Rovers Hoops|Notre Dame]]
|-
|2000–01||[[Killester Basketball Club|Killester]]||[[Killester Basketball Club|Killester]]
|-
|2001–02||Waterford Crystal||[[UL Eagles|Limerick]]
|-
|2002–03||[[Neptune Basketball Club|Neptune]]||[[UCC Demons]]
|-
|2003–04||[[Tralee Tigers]]||[[UCC Demons]]
|-
|2004–05||[[UCC Demons]]||[[Tralee Tigers]]
|-
|2005–06||[[DCU Saints (basketball)|St. Vincent's Dublin]]||[[UCC Demons]]
|-
|2006–07||[[Killester Basketball Club|Killester]]||[[Tralee Tigers]]
|-
|2007–08||[[Tralee Tigers]]||[[Killester Basketball Club|Killester]]
|-
|2008–09||[[UCC Demons]]||[[UCC Demons]]
|-
|2009–10||[[Killester Basketball Club|Killester]]||[[Killester Basketball Club|Killester]]
|-
|2010–11||[[Killester Basketball Club|Killester]]||[[UCD Marian]]
|-
|2011–12||[[UL Eagles]]||[[UL Eagles]]
|-
|[[2012–13 Irish SuperLeague season|2012–13]]||[[UL Eagles]]||[[Neptune Basketball Club|Neptune]]
|-
|[[2013–14 Irish Premier League season|2013–14]]||[[Killester Basketball Club|Killester]]||[[UCC Demons]]
|-
|[[2014–15 Irish Premier League season|2014–15]]||[[UCC Demons]]||[[UCC Demons]]
|-
|[[2015–16 Irish Premier League season|2015–16]]||[[UCC Demons]]||[[Templeogue Basketball Club|Templeogue]]
|-
|[[2016–17 Irish Super League season|2016–17]]||[[Templeogue Basketball Club|Templeogue]]||[[Swords Thunder]]
|-
|[[2017–18 Irish Super League season|2017–18]]||[[UCD Marian]]||[[Templeogue Basketball Club|Templeogue]]
|-
|[[2018–19 Irish Super League season|2018–19]]||[[Tralee Warriors]]||[[Killester Basketball Club|Killester]]
|-
|[[2019–20 Irish Super League season|2019–20]]||[[Belfast Star]]||[[Templeogue Basketball Club|Templeogue]]
|-
|[[2020–21 Irish Super League season|2020–21]]||colspan=2|Season cancelled due to [[COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland|COVID-19 pandemic]]
|-
|[[2021–22 Irish Super League season|2021–22]]||[[Tralee Warriors]]||[[Tralee Warriors]]
|-
|[[2022–23 Irish Super League season|2022–23]]||Ballincollig||Maree
|-
|[[2023–24 Irish Super League season|2023–24]]||[[Éanna Basketball Club|Éanna]]||[[UCC Demons]]
|}
{{Clear}}

{| class="wikitable" width="370px" style="float:left; margin-left:1px;" style="text-align:center"
|-
!colspan=3|Champions Trophy
|-
|-
!Season!!Winner!!Runner-up
!Season!!Winner!!Runner-up
|-
|-
|2000–01||[[Dart Killester|Killester]]||[[Star of the Sea (basketball)|Star of the Sea]]
|[[2012–13 Irish SuperLeague season|2012–13]]||[[UCC Demons]]||[[DCU Saints (basketball)|DCU Saints]]
|-
|-
|2001-02||[[Abrakebabra Tigers|Tigers]]||[[Dart Killester|Killester]]
|[[2013–14 Irish Premier League season|2013–14]]||[[UCC Demons]]||[[Killester Basketball Club|Killester]]
|-
|-
|[[2014–15 Irish Premier League season|2014–15]]||[[UCC Demons]]||[[Templeogue Basketball Club|Templeogue]]
|2002-03||Neptune||Belfast Star||
|-
|-
|2003-04||[[Abrakebabra Tigers|Tigers]]||[[Dart Killester|Killester]]
|[[2015–16 Irish Premier League season|2015–16]]||[[UCC Demons]]||[[Killester Basketball Club|Killester]]
|-
|-
|[[2016–17 Irish Super League season|2016–17]]||[[Tralee Warriors]]||[[Templeogue Basketball Club|Templeogue]]
|2004-05||[[UCC Demons]]||[[Abrakebabra Tigers|Tigers]]
|-
|-
|[[2017–18 Irish Super League season|2017–18]]||[[Tralee Warriors]]||[[Templeogue Basketball Club|Templeogue]]
|2005-06||[[St. Vincents|DCU Saints]]||Limerick Lions
|-
|-
|[[2018–19 Irish Super League season|2018–19]]||[[Templeogue Basketball Club|Templeogue]]||[[Belfast Star]]
|2006-07||[[Dart Killester|Killester]]||Ballina
|-
|-
|[[2019–20 Irish Super League season|2019–20]]||colspan=2|Cancelled due to [[COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland|COVID-19 pandemic]]
|2007-08||[[Abrakebabra Tigers|Tigers]]||[[Dart Killester|Killester]]
|}
{{col-2}}

{|class="wikitable"
|-
|-
!Team
|2008-09||[[UCC Demons]]||[[Dart Killester|Killester]]
!League titles
!Winning years
|-
|[[Neptune Basketball Club|Neptune]]
|{{center|11}}
|1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2003
|-
|[[UCC Demons]]
|{{center|8}}
|1974, 1981, 1984, 1989, 2005, 2009, 2015, 2016
|-
|[[Killester Basketball Club|Killester]]
|{{center|8}}
|1975, 1976, 1977, 2001, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2014
|-
|[[DCU Saints (basketball)|DCU Saints]]
|{{center|3}}
|1979, 1994, 2006
|-
|[[Tralee Tigers]]
|{{center|3}}
|1996, 2004, 2008
|-
|[[Belfast Star]]
|{{center|3}}
|1998, 1999, 2020
|-
|[[UCD Marian]]
|{{center|2}}
|1978, 2018
|-
|Killarney
|{{center|2}}
|1980, 1982<ref name="killarneytoday" />
|-
|[[UL Eagles]]
|{{center|2}}
|2012, 2013
|-
|[[Tralee Warriors]]
|{{center|2}}
|2019, 2022
|-
|Ballina
|{{center|1}}
|1992
|-
|North Monastery
|{{center|1}}
|1993
|-
|Waterford Crystal
|{{center|1}}
|2002
|-
|[[Templeogue Basketball Club|Templeogue]]
|{{center|1}}
|2017
|-
|Ballincollig
|{{center|1}}
|2023
|-
|[[Éanna Basketball Club|Éanna]]
|{{center|1}}
|2024
|}
|}
{{-}}


{|class="wikitable"
==See Also==
|-
!Team
!National <br> Cup titles
!Winning years
|-
|[[UCC Demons]]
|{{center|8}}
|1986, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2024
|-
|[[Neptune Basketball Club|Neptune]]
|{{center|5}}
|1985, 1988, 1990, 1992, 2013
|-
|[[Killester Basketball Club|Killester]]
|{{center|5}}
|1987, 2001, 2008, 2010, 2019
|-
|[[Shamrock Rovers Hoops|Notre Dame]]
|{{center|4}}
|1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
|-
|[[DCU Saints (basketball)|DCU Saints]]
|{{center|3}}
|1984, 1993, 1994
|-
|[[Templeogue Basketball Club|Templeogue]]
|{{center|3}}
|2016, 2018, 2020
|-
|Ballina
|{{center|2}}
|1991, 1996
|-
|[[UL Eagles]]
|{{center|2}}
|2002, 2012
|-
|[[Tralee Tigers]]
|{{center|2}}
|2005, 2007
|-
|Corinthian
|{{center|1}}
|1989
|-
|North Monastery
|{{center|1}}
|1995
|-
|[[UCD Marian]]
|{{center|1}}
|2011
|-
|[[Swords Thunder]]
|{{center|1}}
|2017
|-
|[[Tralee Warriors]]
|{{center|1}}
|2022
|-
|Maree
|{{center|1}}
|2023
|}

{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Team
!Champions <br> Trophy titles
!Winning years
|-
|[[UCC Demons]]
|{{center|4}}
|2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
|-
|[[Tralee Warriors]]
|{{center|2}}
|2017, 2018
|-
|[[Templeogue Basketball Club|Templeogue]]
|{{center|1}}
|2019
|}
{{col-2}}
{{col-end}}
Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20190406005221/https://www.basketballireland.ie/content_page/10044803/ Basketball Ireland]
<!--
==All-Star teams==
On 26 March 2015, [[Basketball Ireland]] announced the Premier League's inaugural All-Star awards. The All-Star picks compose of three teams, each with five roster spots.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.basketballireland.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3040 |title=Inaugural All-Stars Revealed |work=BasketballIreland.ie |date=26 March 2015 |accessdate=26 March 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20150405121827/http://www.basketballireland.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3040 |archivedate= 5 April 2015 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.limerickpost.ie/2015/03/26/2015-basketball-ireland-all-stars-revealed/ 2015 Basketball Ireland All-Stars revealed]</ref> Bringing back All-Star awards in 2015 proved very popular, so in 2016, Basketball Ireland once again recognised the best and the most consistent players.<ref>[http://www.basketballireland.ie/news-detail/10001090/ BASKETBALL IRELAND 2016 ALL-STARS REVEALED]</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="width:98%"
|-
!rowspan=2| Season
!colspan=2| First Picks
!colspan=2| Second Picks
!colspan=2| Third Picks
|-
!Players!!Teams
!Players!!Teams
!Players!!Teams
|-
|rowspan="5" style="text-align:center;"| [[2014–15 Irish Premier League season|2014–15]]
|'''G:''' [[Kyle Hosford]]||[[UCC Demons]]||'''G:''' Isaac Westbrooks||[[Swords Thunder]]||'''G:''' Isaac Gordon||[[Templeogue Basketball Club|Templeogue]]
|-
|'''G:''' Conor Meany||[[UCD Marian]]||'''G:''' Roy Downey||[[Neptune Basketball Club|Neptune]]||'''G:''' Kevin Lacey||[[Swords Thunder]]
|-
|'''F:''' Ricky Taylor||[[Belfast Star]]||'''F:''' Michael Goj||[[Swords Thunder]]||'''F:''' Ciaran O'Sullivan||[[UCC Demons]]
|-
|'''F:''' [[Colin O'Reilly]] ({{abbr|POY|Player of the Year}})||[[UCC Demons]]||'''F:''' Juan Torres||[[Swords Thunder]]||'''F:''' Michael Bonaparte||[[Neptune Basketball Club|Neptune]]
|-
|'''C:''' [[Lehmon Colbert]]||[[UCC Demons]]||'''C:''' [[Jason Killeen]]||[[Templeogue Basketball Club|Templeogue]]||'''C:''' [[Jermaine Turner]]||[[Killester Basketball Club|Killester]]
|-style="border-top:2px solid black"
|rowspan="5" style="text-align:center;"| [[2015–16 Irish Premier League season|2015–16]]
|Michael Bonaparte||[[Templeogue Basketball Club|Templeogue]]||Staats Battle||[[UL Eagles]]||Paul Cummins||[[Templeogue Basketball Club|Templeogue]]
|-
|[[Lehmon Colbert]] ({{abbr|POY|Player of the Year}})||[[UCC Demons]]||Paul Dick||[[Killester Basketball Club|Killester]]||[[Conor Grace]]||[[Templeogue Basketball Club|Templeogue]]
|-
|[[Duane Johnson (basketball)|Duane Johnson]]||[[DCU Saints (basketball)|DCU Saints]]||Sean Flood||[[Templeogue Basketball Club|Templeogue]]||[[Jason Killeen]]||[[Templeogue Basketball Club|Templeogue]]
|-
|[[Jermaine Turner]]||[[Killester Basketball Club|Killester]]||Dan James||[[UCD Marian]]||Dustan Moreira||[[UCD Marian]]
|-
|[[Shawn Vanzant]]||[[Belfast Star]]||Isaac Westbrooks||[[Swords Thunder]]||Mārtiņš Provizors||[[DCU Saints (basketball)|DCU Saints]]
|-style="border-top:2px solid black"
|rowspan="5" style="text-align:center;"| [[2016–17 Irish Super League season|2016–17]]
|Trae Pemberton ({{abbr|POY|Player of the Year}})||[[Tralee Warriors]]||Dillon Stith||[[Belfast Star]]||[[Kieran Donaghy]]||[[Tralee Warriors]]
|-
|José María Gil Narbón||[[Swords Thunder]]||Mike Garrow||[[UCD Marian]]||Corbin Jackson||[[KUBS Basketball Club|KUBS]]
|-
|Lorcan Murphy||[[Templeogue Basketball Club|Templeogue]]||Kevin Foley||[[KUBS Basketball Club|KUBS]]||Keelan Cairns||[[Belfast Star]]
|-
|[[Jermaine Turner]]||[[Killester Basketball Club|Killester]]||[[Jason Killeen]]||[[Templeogue Basketball Club|Templeogue]]||Mārtiņš Provizors||[[DCU Saints (basketball)|DCU Saints]]
|-
|Michael Bonaparte||[[Templeogue Basketball Club|Templeogue]]||Isaac Westbrooks||[[Swords Thunder]]||Ryan Leonard||[[Tralee Warriors]]
|}
-->

==See also==
*[[Basketball Ireland]]
*[[Basketball Ireland]]


==External Links==
==References==
{{reflist}}
*[http://www.superleagueball.ie/ Official website]

*[http://www.basketballireland.ie/ Basketball Ireland]
==External links==
*[http://www.eurobasket.com/Ireland/basketball-League-ESB-Superleague.asp Superleague onEurobasket.com]
*[https://ireland.basketball/national-league Basketball Ireland website]
*[http://bi.comortais.com/competitions.aspx?oid=1001 bi.comortais.com archives]
*[https://vimeo.com/62940106 We Got Game: The Golden Age of Irish Basketball]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20190406005221/https://www.basketballireland.ie/content_page/10044803/ Basketball Ireland Men's League, Cup and Champions Trophy archive]

{{Basketball in Ireland}}
{{Irish Super League}}
{{Top sport leagues in Ireland}}
{{Men's professional basketball leagues}}

[[Category:Super League (Ireland)| ]]
[[Category:Basketball competitions in Ireland]]
[[Category:Top level basketball leagues in Europe|Ireland]]
[[Category:Sports leagues in Ireland]]
[[Category:1973 establishments in Ireland]]
[[Category:Professional sports leagues in Ireland]]

Latest revision as of 12:34, 24 May 2024

This article is about the Irish basketball league. For other uses, see Super League.
Super League
Most recent season or competition:
2022–23 Irish Super League season
SportBasketball
Founded1973; 51 years ago (1973)
First season1973–74
No. of teams14
CountriesRepublic of Ireland (12 teams)
Northern Ireland (2 teams)
ContinentEurope
Most recent
champion(s)		Éanna (1st title)
Most titlesNeptune (11 titles)
Relegation toNational League Division 1
Official websiteBasketball Ireland

The Super League (formerly known as SuperLeague and Premier League) is the top-tier men's basketball league in Ireland. The league has 14 teams (12 in the Republic of Ireland and two in Northern Ireland). The league is an active member of Basketball Ireland, which is recognised by FIBA (also known as the International Basketball Federation) as the national governing body for basketball in Ireland. Neptune holds the record for most league titles, having won the competition 11 times.

Teams

[edit]
class=notpageimage|
Locations of Super League teams
class=notpageimage|
Locations of Super League teams in Dublin
Team Arena City/Area
Ballincollig MTU Arena Cork
Belfast Star De La Salle College
Newforge Sports Complex 		Belfast
Éanna Coláiste Éanna Rathfarnham, Dublin
Killester IWA Sports Hall
Oblate Hall 		Dublin
Killorglin Killorglin Sports Complex Killorglin
Maree Kingfisher, NUIG Galway
Moycullen Kingfisher, NUIG Galway
Neptune Neptune Stadium Blackpool, Cork
Sligo All-Stars Mercy College Sligo
St. Vincent's St. Vincent's C.B.S. Glasnevin, Dublin
Templeogue National Basketball Arena
Nord Anglia International School 		Dublin
Tralee Warriors Tralee Sports Complex Tralee
UCC Demons Mardyke Arena Cork
Ulster University Jordanstown Sports Village Jordanstown


History

[edit]

Early years

[edit]

In 1973, the Irish Basketball Association established a national basketball competition for men with two divisions. This saw many Dublin-based clubs enter their Men's A team into the top flight league, with the likes of Killester, St. Vincent's Dublin and Marian competing for supremacy against Cork-based clubs Blue Demons and Neptune.[1] After six seasons, Kerry-born Killarney player Paudie O'Connor felt that Irish basketball was short of quality.[2][3][4][5] O'Connor wanted to add glamour to the game and make it more appealing, believing showmanship and skills such as slam dunking would bring basketball to a new level in Ireland. Despite objections from the governing body and other clubs across the country, the first American players, Greg Huguley and Cornel Benford, arrived in Killarney in September 1979. Two months later, Brian Ulmer replaced Benford and St. Vincent's Killarney went on to clinch the national league title in the 1979–80 season.[6] The addition of Americans transformed the Irish game.[7] As a result, 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.[8]

A golden era

[edit]

O'Connor went back to the States in 1981 and recruited Arnold Vesey and Tony Andre, the latter becoming Irish basketball's first superstar.[2] The pair helped Killarney win their second title in three years, and their success paved the way for further American success in the top flight league. Both Cork teams, Blue Demons and Neptune, began recruiting Americans as a result of Killarney's rise, and Neptune found one of their best-ever imports – Terry Strickland. Strickland helped Neptune become the ultimate powerhouse throughout the 1980s, as they won four titles in a row between 1984–85 and 1987–88. Blue Demons and Neptune had a fierce rivalry during the 1980s – every title between 1980–81 and 1990–91 was won by one of those sides (except 1981–82). Terry Strickland of Neptune and Jasper McElroy of Blue Demons led their sides to success, but had fierce competition coming up against the likes of Kelvin Troy and Mario Elie (Killester), Dave Hopla (St. Gall's), and Deora Marsh (Ballina).[9]

While the local Irish players were all amateurs, the American imports had to register as professionals. To afford such players, sponsors were a big part of every club. The IBA promoted a scheme whereby investors put money into clubs, and in return, the players will be walking billboards for their brand.[8] However, there were instances when the lack of big sponsors and talent led to clubs struggling to keep up with the increased competition. Marian were champions in 1978, but the new semi-professional era of the league saw them get left behind, and following the 1982–83 season, the team was relegated from the top flight league. They had a very successful campaign in Division 2 in 1983–84, finishing a close second behind Liam McHale's Ballina, and earned promotion back to the top flight. However, following the 1985–86 season, Marian were relegated for a second time, returning again for the 1987–88 season.[8]

In 1986 and 1987, plans were implemented to reduce the number of imports a team can have. 80% of the clubs agreed that the number should be reduced from two to one, and with the support of the IBA, the ruling came into play for the 1988–89 season. There was a very negative reaction to the change in Cork, as they felt they were being unjustly treated and punished for being successful. The two main arguments made for the change was to give local Irish players more opportunities and to cut costs, with it becoming too expensive to pay two imports for some clubs. As a result of the change, the hype of Irish basketball began to wear down and the public became disinterested in the sport throughout the 1990s.[9]

Post-halcyon

[edit]

Neptune continued to be the dominant team throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. Belfast's Star of the Sea began to challenge them in the late 1990s as they collected three National Championships between 1996 and 1998,[10] and won two league titles in 1998 and 1999.[11]

In 1998, the league's long association with sponsor Budweiser came to an end, and thus ESB became the new sponsor. In addition, a new format was introduced for the 1998–99 season. A relaunch of the league was inevitable with the change of sponsor but the IBA also took the opportunity to devise yet another new format, which resulted in the expansion of the Superleague to 14 teams – effectively, an amalgamation of the two men's national league divisions from 1997–98.[12]

Due to the 2001 foot-and-mouth outbreak, the 2000–01 season was abandoned in March 2001. The 2001 title was originally not awarded to any team, despite the fact that Killester were leaders at the time of abandonment. The National Championships, due to be held on 24/25 March, were also abandoned. The following month, an IBA panel declared that Killester were the winners for 2001.[13]

In 2003, North and South Conferences were introduced into the league. As a result, the league champion would be determined by the team who made it through to and won the grand final. Prior to 2003–04, the league title was awarded to the team who finished on top of the ladder and the runner-up was who finished second on the ladder; a post-season tournament was then held to determine a National Champion. Past National Champions include St. Vincent's (1995, 1999 and 2003),[14][15] Star of the Sea (1996–98),[16] Notre Dame (2000)[17] and Tralee Tigers (2002).[18] In 2012–13, the league reverted to the old model and removed conferences, re-establishing league champions as the top of the ladder finishers, and established a Champions Trophy tournament for the final two weeks of the season.[19]

New era

[edit]

In 2013, Basketball Ireland rebranded the competition and changed the name from SuperLeague to Premier League.[20] Over the next three seasons, UCC Demons won seven of the nine trophies, including going unbeaten in the 2014–15 season.[21]

In 2015, Basketball Ireland's representative team Hibernia played in the FIBA Europe Cup. The team's roster was filled with Premier League players.[22]

In 2016, Basketball Ireland renamed the competition "Super League" for the 2016–17 season.[23]

Roll of Honour

[edit]

Source: Basketball Ireland

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Roll of Honour 1973 – 2014
  2. ^ a b Americans enriched a unique era: When Ireland loved basketball
  3. ^ Mourning Irish basketball's first superstar and greatest visionary
  4. ^ Paudie O Connor and the first Black basketball players in Killarney
  5. ^ Hanging from the Rafters
  6. ^ a b Killarney mourns for 'the greatest Irish basketball player ever'
  7. ^ A teasing glimpse into an era where the sport was king
  8. ^ a b c History of Club
  9. ^ a b We Got Game…The Golden Age of Irish Basketball
  10. ^ Star hat trick ends season on high
  11. ^ Star go back to back in Superleague
  12. ^ New superleague format
  13. ^ Super League: Season 2000–2001
  14. ^ Killester suffer double Championship heartbreak
  15. ^ St Vincent's lift National title
  16. ^ Star of the Sea triumph
  17. ^ Basketball: Notre Dame win National Championship
  18. ^ Premier League: Season 2001–2002 Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^ Basketball Ireland SuperLeague winners
  20. ^ A whole new ball game as Premier League begins
  21. ^ O'Brien, Brendan (23 September 2016). "There's no getting rid of stalwart Tim O'Halloran". irishexaminer.com. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  22. ^ Basketball Ireland to enter new FIBA Europe Competition
  23. ^ NATIONAL LEAGUE FIXTURES 2016/2017
[edit]
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