Tall order as Castleisland chase Cup double

ST MARY’S, Castleisland basketball club will be doubly engaged at the National Basketball Arena over the weekend with two teams chasing their first National Cup title.

Team Garvey’s St. Mary’s play An Cearnog Nua Moycullen in the Men’s Senior Cup tomorrow afternoon and could be completing the second leg of the double if the Under-18 girls were to beat hot favourites, Glanmire, in the opening game of the tournament tonight.

Team Garvey’s St Mary’s are coached by Brian Clernon who captained UCC Demons to cup glory a few years. After retiring he moved back to Kanturk and was persuaded to coach Team Garvey’s.

Under him they have gone from strength to strength and have every chance of claiming their first ever title at this level when they when they play Moycullen.

However, Clernon will have to plan without Liam Brosnan who ruptured his Achilles tendon in the cup semi-finals: “He will be a huge loss to the team as he is one of our three-point scorers,” said Liz Galwey, who coaches the under-18 girls along with Denis Porter.

“At the moment we are ahead of Moycullen at the top of the table but it is always very close between us.”

The club is synonymous with the big tournament which is staged in Castleisland over the Christmas Festive Season.

Back in the early 1990’s they figured in now defunct B finals. The under-19 girls lost two finals — the first by a single point at Neptune Stadium and then by 10 points at the National Basketball Arena the following year.

Tonight the under-18 girls face an enormous task against high flying Glanmire who figure in three finals. They defend the women’s SuperLeague Cup on Sunday against Bausch & Lomb Wildcats and they also play Wildcats in the women’s Under-20 final tomorrow.

Templeogue and Maree meet in the men’s under-18 final tonight while tomorrow UCD Marian and Maree meet in the men’s under-20 final.

Oblate Dynamos and Meteors meet in the ladies senior Cup final tomorrow morning.