Parochial Hall misses out on National Cup semi-finals

It’s as much a part of Cork sporting folklore as Flower Lodge or Páirc Ui Chaoimh, as the Mardyke or Turner’s Cross. But the storied basketball crucible that is the northside’s Parochial Hall will fall silent next month when the National Cup semi-finals are played out on Leeside.

In Kieran Shannon’s seminal tome, Hanging from the Rafters, the Parochial Hall was universally acknowledged as the heartbeat of Cork basketball — and by extension a national cornerstone too.

Traditionally, the old Hall in Gurranabraher still shares weekend billing with Neptune Stadium for the National Cup semis in Cork, but the relentless necessities modern technology dictate that Basketball Ireland, the governing body, will stream live coverage of each of the cup semi-final clashes across all grades for the first time next month — and the wifi reception at the Parochial Hall is not up to scratch yet to provide a live stream.