Ireland's newest 'Mighty Quinn' hoping to set high bar on debut

TOUGH TASK: Ireland head coach Mark Keenan File pic: INPHO/GEPA Pictures/Mathias Mandl

Irish soccer has been hugely boosted by a couple of ‘Mighty Quinns’ – Niall in the past and Louise at present - and now it’s Irish basketball’s turn to benefit from an even bigger one.

New Jersey native Neal Quinn, who is seven foot tall, will make his senior international debut in the Eurobasket 2025 Third Round Qualifiers in Croatia on Wednesday night (TG4 7:15pm).

Coach Mark Keenan has certainly gone large to strengthen his bench for the team led by John Carroll, Taiwo Badmus and 6’10 Dubliner Aidan Harris Igiehon.

He’s also brought in new dynamism in debutants like 6’ 9’ Sam Alajiki (Rice University) who started out with Dundalk Ravens before moving to London and former Neptune star Conor O’Sullivan (Ulster University). Paul Dick (Killester) and Matt Treacy (Tolka Rovers) are also looking to make their Eurobasket debuts.

Quinn’s father Liam hails from Clondalkin and emigrated to America in 1987 where he played Division 1 collegiate golf and had three sons who grew up in Allendale, New Jersey.

Neal got his Irish passport when he was 16 and has been staying with his grandmother in Rathfarnham for national training camp.

He hooked up with Ireland thanks to playing college ball alongside Belfast star CJ Fulton in Lafayette College in Pennsylvania.

“The first time I met CJ I was picking him up from the airport in my junior year,” Quinn explained. “Through him I met his dad (former Ireland star Adrian) and that has really helped me transition here.” 

He uses a wooden extension, which his dad built, to extend his bed at home but said he is well used to squishing his giant frame into smaller ones at college or on the road.

Quinn led Lafayette in scoring (14ppg), rebounds (7ppg), assists (4ppg), and field goal percentages (54.5%) in the 2021-22 season before transferring to the University of Richmond (Virginia) this year.

Ireland (FIBA ranked 96th) are also hugely boosted by the return of powerhouse captain Carroll whose second ACL injury mid-qualifying 13 months ago proved such a blow.

Ireland were pipped 82-88 by Switzerland in their last game in this series a year ago and have played the Swiss - losing 86-74 and 77-76 – in recent warm-ups.

They face a hectic schedule, away to Luxembourg (ranked 77th) in a week’s time before hosting both sides - Croatia on July 29 and Luxembourg on August 5 - in Tallaght, with only the top team qualifying.

Croatia, the world #22, may be ranked 74 places ahead of them but are not the world superpowers they were in the ‘90s and find themselves still chasing qualification after losing to Poland last year.

Ireland: John Carroll (unattached), Sean Flood (unattached), CJ Fulton (Charleston, USA), Conor Quinn (Belfast Star), Conor O’Sullivan (Ulster University), Adrian O’Sullivan (Emporium Cork Basketball), Lorcan Murphy (Templeogue), Paul Dick (Killester), Sam Alajiki (Rice University, USA), Taiwo Badmus (Saudarkrokur Tindastoll, Iceland), Matt Treacy (Moy Tolka Rovers), Keelan Cairns (Emporium Cork Basketball), Jordan Blount (Neptune), James Gormley (Templeogue), Aidan Harris Igiehon (Abilene Christian Men’s Basketball, USA), Neal Quinn (University of Richmond).