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.

Plans are afoot to rectify that, with the 60th anniversary of the first basketball to be played at the Hall next September. But next month, UCC’s Mardyke Arena will share fixtures with Neptune Stadium, with a particularly strong Cork-Kerry flavour to the proceedings from Friday, January 5 through to Sunday, January 7.

“There are wifi difficulties associated with the need to stream games live, but the Parochial Hall is not permanently out of the picture — it’s just for this year,” said a Basketball Ireland spokesperson.

“This is the first year we will be streaming all semi-finals. Normally we only stream the four SupeLleague Cup semis and then stream all the finals from the National Arena, but this year we are upping the coverage to include all semi-finals.”

The National Cup finals moved from Neptune Stadium to the new National Basketball Arena in Tallaght in 1993 - making the 2018 finals the 25th anniversary of the move that left Cork hoops interests somewhat underwhelmed at the time.

Local Leeside Superleague rivals Brunell and Glanmire could face off twice over the cup semi-final weekend, at U18 and at National Cup level, if Glanmire can overcome Killester in a rescheduled senior quarter-final.

The Parochial Hall gets one more taste of cup action for this campaign tomorrow night, with UCC Demons facing off against Tralee at the Hall (8pm tip-off). Templeogue await the winners in the semi-final.

National Cup semi-finals, provisional schedule (Jan 5-7, Neptune Stadium and Mardyke Arena)

Pat Duffy National Cup semi-finals:

UCD Marian v Pyrobel Killester; Templeogue v UCC Demons/Garvey’s Tralee Warriors

Women’s National Cup semi-finals:

NUIG Mystics v DCU Mercy; Singelton SuperValu Brunell v Pyrobel Killester/Ambassador UCC Glanmire

President’s Cup semi-finals:

Neptune v Keane’s SuperValu Killorglin; Scotts Lakers St Paul’s Killarney v Ballincollig.

Senior Women’s National Cup semi-finals:

Griffith College Swords Thunder v Fr Mathews; Meteors v Fabplus North West.