The basketball dream is back in Ballina after Merry Monk victory

​In the heart of Ballina, a quiet revolution is underway. While the town has long been associated with salmon fishing and strong GAA traditions, basketball is once again bouncing its way into the local sporting conversation. The Ballina Braves basketball club is leading the charge, reviving the spirit of a town that, back in the 1990s, once stood proudly at the pinnacle of Irish basketball.

Who remembers the glory days of 1991, when Ballina, as Team Connacht Gold won the National Senior Basketball Cup, beating Burgerland of Cork in the iconic Neptune stadium? Led by the bands of McHale and McStay brothers and the sky-scraping, dunking Deora Marsh under the stewardship of Terry Kennedy, they were one of the most formidable teams in the country. They repeated this achievement in 1996, playing as Chambourcy Ballina against Star of the Sea , and those days were marked by the legendary home support in Killala Sports Hall, where, packed in like sardines, the ear-splitting noise of fans chanting “DE-OR-A! DE-OR-A!” often threatened to blow the roof off the place. 

GLORY DAYS

To see Ballina, live on RTÉ, winning national titles, was incredible for the town in those days. Times were fairly hard for a small town in the West of Ireland, so to prove that Ballina could stand toe-to-toe with clubs from the big cities was such a huge boost to the town and indeed, the whole of North Mayo. We were all playing basketball at every school breaktime. Hoops were installed on gable walls all over the place. Liam McHale would turn up to train us kids on Friday evenings in the local community centre, which was probably akin to Messi rocking up to the local U-12 training now, such was our lack of exposure to celebrity in those days. They were great and innocent days, in a very different time. But there are signs that glory days are starting to return for the club, in the form of national silverware.  

On Saturday just gone, Team Merry Monk, representing Ballina Braves Basketball Club, under coach Derek Cunningham secured a significant national victory in the Basketball Ireland Development League (BIDL) Plate Final, defeating Cavan Eagles on a final scoreline of 81–68 at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght. Notably, the game was marked by a strong performance from Ballina's young roster, with an average age of only around 21. 

MILESTONE

Seventeen-year-old Theo Daly, not for the first time, delivered an outstanding performance, particularly during the team’s emphatic third quarter, earning him the Most Valuable Player (MVP) honours. Several of the team have recently competed with St Muredach’s College, who fell agonisingly short in January in the All-Ireland Schools Senior ‘A’ basketball cup, after capturing the ‘B’ League and cup the previous year under coach Barry Murphy. The young talent on this team is incredibly exciting, and combined with the savvy and smarts of now-veterans like faithful servants Ronan McGarrity and Ronan O’Malley, the club has found a beautiful blend. 

The BIDL Plate win may not make national headlines, but it will mark a significant milestone in the Braves’ new history. The club was originally formed in the 1970s, and after the dizzy heights of the 1990s, a period of internal strife after the turn of the century led to some barren years. This new resurgence is a reward for the dedication of players and coaches, but it will also inspire the homegrown talent of another new generation. On Sunday, Theo Daly along with another bright young light, Mark Cunningham, were in attendance with the silverware as the Under 10s wrapped up their season. Mark, along with Brian Donohoe and Derek Cunningham are coaching children this week at an Easter Basketball camp. That is how dreams are nurtured, and a winning mentality is fostered throughout the club.

WHAT NEXT?

The Braves have ambition, there is no doubt about that, and it’s hard not to see a day in the not-so-distant future when there is once again a Ballina team competing at senior level. But in order for success to arrive, the club will need a plan, resources, and engagement with and support from the wider community. For a town so accustomed to wet days on the sidelines of GAA grounds, basketball is the perfect winter sport for families. Warm, dry and good, loud tunes. Plenty of scope for the smallies to shoot a few hoops between quarters. What more could you ask for? 

Now based in the heart of the town in Ballina Community Sports Centre, there is scope to fill this facility to the rafters, too, and recreate the kind of atmosphere that will make it a fortress, just like in the good old days in Killala. Ballina doesn’t know the game of basketball as well as it did in the days of yore, so there is a huge opportunity here and great scope for the club to bring the people of the town along with them on this journey. 

If the current trajectory continues, the names of players like Markie Cunningham, Theo Daly, Brian Donohoe and David Marrey will need to be on the lips of everyone in the town, along with those of the veterans. That’s down to the club, but also to the people of the town, who will need to get behind them and encourage them.

Team Merry Monk will be dreaming big. And you wouldn’t bet against them.