Kieran Shannon: Why Irish basketball is in a race against time

You have to go back to 1994 when Ireland last won something like this when current coach Mark Keenan captained a senior squad to what was then known as the Promotions Cup

Ireland captain Jason Killeen celebrates with team-mates after the FIBA Men's European Championship for Small Countries day five match between Ireland and Malta at National Basketball Arena in Tallaght, Dublin. Photo by Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

After having its doors closed for so long, Irish basketball is finally beginning to see a chink of light, to the point it might even be becoming a beacon.

Last Sunday evening the Irish senior men’s team won the FIBA European Championships for Small Nations on its home court, the image of a confetti-drenched Jason Killeen lifting the trophy making the RTÉ nine o’clock news after their excellence throughout most of the week had gone unnoticed by the national broadcaster and indeed wider media and public.