Kieran Shannon: Magnificent Maree have broken the mould

Prior to last weekend every team who had won a trophy at the top end of the men’s game had been an urban team – with never that urban area being a Galway team

HISTORY MAKERS: The University of Galway Maree team celebrate as Pat Duffy Cup champions. Pic: INPHO/Ben Brady

It’s not just in Maree that they’re still pinching themselves – any and everyone who follows national league basketball at all probably has not quite yet processed or appreciated the exact magnitude of what transpired in Tallaght last Saturday night.

The Fields of Athenry has rung out in multiple sporting arenas over the decades, everywhere from Anfield to Toulouse, but there was something particularly authentic, apt and refreshing hearing it resound around the National Basketball Arena before, during and especially after the most remarkable of Superleague National Cup finals.