Revamp to herald new era for centre

CASTLEISLAND waved goodbye to a special kind of sporting madness last night.

For 34 years, the annual five-day basketball blitz in the Kerry town has throbbed and thrived in the limited confines of local community centres, ballrooms and parish halls.

Organisers managed the mayhem and sent 10,000 followers home safe, if sweating, year after year, but they have become increasingly concerned by out-of-date facilities, and safety considerations.

Now a major revamp of the famed local community centre is underway, which will double capacity up to around 2,000, and allow for a main court and two cross-courts.

The move is crucial from a "safety and progress" point of view, admitted tournament organiser, Donal O'Connor, but like many locals, he will miss the unique atmosphere created by overflowing crowds.

As the tournament climaxed last night with the premier men's final between Tralee Tigers and BurgerKing Limerick, tee-shirted officers had a job managing the throng inside as gardaí attempted to control traffic jams in the roads outside the centre.

"The atmosphere has been one of the main reasons why the event continues to draw such crowds after 34 years, but there have been occasions when we have literally been full to the brim, when the crowd has almost been on court with the players," said Donal O'Connor.

"There is a possibility that we may lose some of that special atmosphere, but I hope not," he declared.

The notion of a community-based success story is a hard sell in today's world of sporting excesses, egos and endorsements, but Castleisland's basketball blitz continues to prosper even as the sport's national sponsored Superleague struggles to survive.

The trick is its local feel many Superleague sides continue to participate, but crowds are bigger now than the days when the nation's top players spent Christmas in Kerry.

"Notre Dame's Anthony Jenkins was saying that it was a drag travelling from Dublin at Christmas, but they are drawn every year by the special atmosphere," explained Mr O'Connor.

"With the possible exception of the [televised] National Cup final, there is no other basketball event in the country, which can create such electricity."

Around 80% of the crowd over the five days are from Castleisland and the surrounding districts.

And it is that local energy that's driving the revamp of the community centre, which is home to every indoor sporting pursuit in the town.

An innovative development group spearheaded by three local women Noreen Broderick, Mary O'Donoghue and Sheila Hannon has already nested almost E200,000 of the E750,000 needed for the three-year development programme. They raised E60,000 alone from a special 50-mile walk from Dingle to Castleisland.

Far from diluting the centre's atmosphere, Ms. Broderick believes that the overhaul will make indoor sport in Castleisland a more enjoyable and comfortable experience.

Already, this year's basketballers are enjoying the benefits of new changing facilities that are a far cry from the old ones which still use old 10p coins for the showers.

"The centre is always doubly subscribed, so by introducing new courts etc, we should be able to significantly increase its usage," said secretary of the development committee, Ms Broderick.

"By this time next year, we hope to have double courts and a new shop and canteen area at the front of the building," she said.

The essence of the blitz was underlined by last night's action within an hour, crowds rose to acclaim finals involving everything from eight-year-old girls to the Superleague's top American imports.