Neptune Basketball Club

Neptune Basketball Club is an Irish basketball club based in Cork. Founded in 1947 following input from members of the Irish Defence Forces in developing citizen's clubs,[2][3] Neptune is the oldest and most successful basketball club in Ireland.[4] Based at Neptune Stadium, Neptune is the only basketball club in Ireland with its own stadium.[5]

Neptune Basketball Club
Neptune Basketball Club logo
Founded1947
ArenaNeptune Stadium
LocationCork, Ireland
Team coloursBlue and white
Main sponsorEnergywise Ireland
Head coachColin O'Reilly (as of 2021)[1]
Banner at Neptune Stadium

History

The club's senior men's representative team has won the Irish National League title 11 times. Known as Burgerland Neptune throughout the 1980s and 1990s,[6] the team won seven championships between 1983 and 1991 thanks to American import Terry Strickland and the support of Irish investor Jackie Solan.[7] Neptune won a further four titles between 1995 and 2003.[8][9] In 2013, Neptune won their fifth National Cup title and first since 1992.[10]

In July 2015, Neptune withdrew from the Premier League following a major loss of player personnel, deciding instead to join the second-tiered National League Division 1 for the 2015–16 season.[11][12][13] Neptune continued on in Division 1 for the 2016–17 season[14] and subsequently won the 2017 Hula Hoops Presidents Cup.[15] In March 2018, they were promoted back into Basketball Ireland's Men's Super League.[16] After initially being relegated back down to Division 1 following the 2018–19 season, the withdrawal of cross-town rival UCC Demons led to Neptune remaining in the Super League for the 2019–20 season.[17][18][19]

In the 2021–22 season, Neptune reached the final of both the National Cup[20] and the League playoffs.[21]

Neptune's championship banners

Achievements
  • 11× Irish Men's National League champions: 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2003[22]
  • 5× Irish Men's National Cup champions: 1985, 1988, 1990, 1992, 2013[22]

Notable players

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationality not displayed.

Criteria

To appear in this section a player must have either:

  • Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club
  • Played at least one official international match for their national team at any time
  • Played at least one official NBA match at any time.

References
  1. "Neptune basketball club: Roy Downey is confident his team can challenge". echolive.ie. The Echo. 8 October 2021. Retrieved 12 October 2021. The Neptune player-coach this season is Colin O'Reilly
  2. "History". neptunebasketballclub.com. Archived from the original on 18 December 2018.
  3. O'Leary, Eleanor (2018). Youth and Popular Culture in 1950s Ireland. Bloomsbury. p. 209. ISBN 9781350015883. [prior to] the setting-up of the Neptune Basketball Club and Stadium in Cork [..] over a period of a decade or more some members of the army assisted the uptake of the game by the civilian population
  4. "Neptune withdrawal raises serious questions". thecourtsidecollective.com. 27 July 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  5. "Frustration seeps out of Neptune via leak in the roof". Irish Examiner. 22 March 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  6. "Kieran Shannon: King of Cork and Court". Irish Examiner. 9 February 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  7. "Americans enriched a unique era: When Ireland loved basketball". thestar.ie. Archived from the original on 8 February 2017.
  8. "Roll of Honour 1973 - 2014". basketballireland.ie. Archived from the original on 28 April 2015.
  9. "Neptune favourites". Irish Times. 14 March 2003. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  10. "American dream retold in documentary on Irish basketball's glory days". the42.ie. 25 January 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  11. "Neptune exit Basketball Premier League". Irish Examiner. 27 July 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  12. "Cork basketball in turmoil as Neptune withdraw". corkindependent.com. 30 July 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  13. "Neptune's disappearance a low point for basketball in 2015". irishnews.com. 22 December 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  14. "National League Fixtures 2016/2017". basketballireland.ie. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  15. "Hula Hoops Cup Finals Gamezone: Senior Men and Women". basketballireland.ie. 27 January 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  16. "RECAP: Neptune secure promotion while Templeogue win in OT". basketballireland.ie. 31 March 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  17. Coughlan, John (18 July 2019). "Neptune to replace UCC Demons in Men's SuperLeague". irishexaminer.com. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  18. Murphy, Éamonn (18 July 2019). "Neptune take the place of basketball rivals Demons in the Super League". echolive.ie. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  19. "Neptune To Remain In Men's Super League For 2019/20 Season". basketballireland.ie. 18 July 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  20. "Garvey's Tralee Warriors beat C&S Neptune 88-75 to win the InsureMyHouse.ie Pat Duffy Cup Final". ireland.basketball. 22 January 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  21. "Garvey's Tralee Warriors claim double with 78-72 InsureMyVan.ie Super League final win over C&S Neptune". ireland.basketball. 2 April 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  22. "Basketball Ireland Superleague Winners". irishsportsnet. 23 March 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  23. Coughlan, John (9 January 2017). "Neptune's new wave making a splash". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 28 March 2019. When Neptune dominated Irish basketball in the 80's and 90's, players like Tom Wilkinson, Tom O'Sullivan, Jim Nugent, Joe Healy and Brendan O'Flaherty were household names.
  24. Shannon, Kieran (22 January 2015). "KIERAN SHANNON: Top 25: Ireland's greatest ever male basketball players". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  25. McKenna, Dave (29 June 2018). "The American Who Briefly Got Ireland To Love Basketball Is Looking For A Storybook Ending". Deadspin. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  26. Shannon, Kieran (24 March 2012). "When we were kings". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  27. Allen, Greg (1 November 1996). "Strickland inspires the re-emergence of Neptune". Irish Times. Retrieved 28 March 2019. Under the coaching of former eighties star Tom Wilkinson...

Further reading
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