As Irish basketball celebrates its 75th anniversary and hosts another Cup finals weekend, Kieran Shannon speaks to several key figures in the game about its overall health

This wasn’t just about scrapping for the sweet, if short term prize of a National Cup final berth on January 27. This was about marking out territory in Cork for the future.

The National Basketball Arena in Tallaght, tucked away down a nondescript laneway just off the M50, is a quaint kind of building for a place only turning 21 this year.