Galway enjoyed plenty of success at the Basketball Ireland Awards in Naas on Saturday (23rd May 2026)<\/p>\n
Michelle Fahy from Maree\u00a0was inducted into the Hall of Fame; Adrian O\u2019Neill\u00a0received the Tom Collins Award for his contribution to Post Primary Schools basketball; Fortune Igbokwe from Titans\u00a0was named U20 Male Player of the Year; Jack Considine, also from Titans is the Men\u2019s Underage Coach of the Year; Hannah Coen from Claregalway is Connacht Volunteer of the Year; and University of Galway Mystics\u00a0were awarded Social Media Club of the Year.<\/p>\n
Ken Black, Jerome Westbooks, Michelle Fahy and Shane Coughlan were formally inducted into the Basketball Ireland Hall of Fame at the 2026 Basketball Ireland Annual Awards and Hall of Fame. The ceremony was held the Osprey Hotel in Naas on Saturday, where the quartet took their place as the 23rd, 24th, 25th and 26th members of the Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n
Shane Coughlan is the first Irish men\u2019s player to be inducted. The former Blue Demons player, who won six Pat Duffy National Cup titles and three Men\u2019s Super League titles in a 17-year career, said: \u201cIt’s an honour to be selected into Basketball Ireland\u2019s Hall of Fame. It was something I would have never thought of or imagine. My dad is the first person who I think of, who sadly passed in 2018 and would have been extremely proud, as he was my inspiration. My mam kept the show on the road for all of us in the family, where we all played basketball. But it\u2019s the tremendous coaching ,committee members and people of Blue Demons who this award is really for and without doubt I have played with lads who made our club and Demons successful, because they were superbly talented. This award symbolises all of them for the good success we have.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ireland international Michelle Fahy won six Women\u2019s Super League titles and five Paudie O\u2019Connor National Cup\u2019s at Glanmire and UL Huskies, during a distinguished career, which also saw her playing NCAA D1 basketball with Iona College in New York. Speaking at the ceremony Fahy stated: \u201cIt’s a huge honour for my family and me. I take great pride in becoming part of Irish basketball history. I’ve met the most amazing people along my basketball journey and treasure the friendships I’ve made.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jerome Westbrooks, who came to Ireland in 1981 as Killester\u2019s first ever American pro and went on to multiple Men\u2019s Super League and Pat Duffy National Cup titles with the Dublin club and St. Vincent\u2019s. Testament to his longevity he won the double with Killester in 2001, the Super League in 2007 and finally in 2007\/08 – aged 51 – a Pat Duffy National Cup. Speaking about his induction to the Hall of Fame Westbooks said: \u201cWhen I received the news of the award I was just over the moon, chuffed, and as I got here tonight I had the same feeling. What was added to it was all the people who are special to me that are here, with the emotion that is connected to it as well, it\u2019s just incredible. I am just trying to keep it together!\u201d<\/p>\n
Ken Black, who won multiple Men\u2019s Super League and National Cup titles with Neptune, as well as coaching Chanell College, Loreto Swords and Swords Basketball Club, was also inducted. He was unable to attend the ceremony due to ill health.<\/p>\n
In total, 57 awards were handed out, former Ireland men\u2019s head coach Mark Keenan and decorated referee Maciej Nazimek were handed President\u2019s Lifetime Achievement Awards.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere Latavious Mitchell, who helped Ballincollig to a double, earned the Domino\u2019s Men\u2019s Super League Player of the Year, with Ballincollig\u2019s head coach Ciaran O\u2019Sullivan earning Coach of Year. Jewel Watkins received the Domino\u2019s Women\u2019s Super League Player of the Year, after finishing the league\u2019s top scorer and helping them to the Domino\u2019s Women\u2019s Super League playoff final. Killester\u2019s Mark Grennell earned the Domino\u2019s Women\u2019s Super League Coach of the Year, he led his side to a fifth Domino\u2019s WSL National Cup last January.<\/p>\n
Alex Carlisle from Limerick Sport Eagles was the Domino’s Men’s Division One Player of the Year, with Niall McDermott taking the Coach of Year prize, after claiming the league and cup double. In Domino\u2019s Women\u2019s Division One Limerick Sport Huskies\u2019 Clara Gomez Santa was awarded Player of Year, while Cleveland Rockets head coach Breda Dick earned Coach of the Year, she led her side to a top spot in the regular season, as well as the finals of the league and cup.<\/p>\n
Basketball Ireland Annual Awards winners<\/p>\n
Referees<\/p>\n
NBRA Referee of the Year – Cathy Kilkenny<\/p>\n
NBRA Most Improved Referee – Ronan Kelly<\/p>\n
NLOP Senior Referee Development Award – Maciej Nazimek<\/p>\n
NLOP Young Referee of the Year – Sam McEntee<\/p>\n
CTOC Awards<\/p>\n
Table Official of the Year – Catherine Bannon<\/p>\n
Young Table Official of the Year – Michaela Buckley O’Riordan<\/p>\n
Primary Schools Mini Basketball National Committee<\/p>\n
Primary School Appreciation Award – Eileen Stapleton, Limerick Mini Basketball Board<\/p>\n
Primary School of the Year – Bohermeen National School, Meath<\/p>\n
Post-Primary Schools<\/p>\n
Girls A School of the Year – Presentation College, Kilkenny<\/p>\n
Boys A School of the Year – Col\u00e1iste \u00c9anna, Dublin<\/p>\n
Girls B School of the Year – St. Dominic’s Grammar School, Belfast<\/p>\n
Boys B School of the Year – Kildare Town Community School<\/p>\n
Girls C School of the Year – Col\u00e1iste Ch\u00fa, Chulainn<\/p>\n
Boys C School of the Year – Dundalk Grammar School<\/p>\n
Girls D School of the Year – Col\u00e1iste \u00c9amann R\u00eds<\/p>\n
Boys D School of the Year – Rathdown School, Dublin<\/p>\n
Male U19 Schools Player of the Year – Adam Charles<\/p>\n
Female U19 Schools Player of the Year – Aoibheann Donnelly<\/p>\n
Male U16 Schools Player of the Year – \u00d3gie O’Leary Griffin<\/p>\n
Female U16 Schools Player of the Year – Kayla Wall<\/p>\n
Girls School Coach of the Year – Puff Summers<\/p>\n
Boys School Coach of the Year – Hillary Netsiyanwa<\/p>\n
Tom Collins Award – Adrian O’Neill<\/p>\n
Colleges<\/p>\n
Div 1 -Male Collegiate Player of the Year – Mikah Blackwell, Griffith College Dublin<\/p>\n
Div 1-Female Collegiate Player of the Year – Hazel Finn, Trinity College Dublin<\/p>\n
Div 2 -Male Collegiate Player of the Year – Luke Donnelly, Ulster University<\/p>\n
Div 2-Female Collegiate Player of the Year – Aisling Marmion, Royal College of Surgeons<\/p>\n
Div 3 -Male Collegiate Player of the Year – Eoghan McPartlan, Maynooth University<\/p>\n
Div 3-Female Collegiate Player of the Year – Kate Kelly, Dundalk IT<\/p>\n
IWA\u00a0<\/p>\n
Irish Wheelchair Basketball Women’s Player of the Year – Kate Reddy, North East Thunder<\/p>\n
Irish Wheelchair Basketball Men’s Player of the Year – Jack Mangan, South East Swifts<\/p>\n
National League\u00a0<\/p>\n
Domino’s Men’s Super League Player of the Year – Latavious Mitchell, Ballincollig Domino’s Men’s Super League Young Player of the Year – Ronan Byrne, UCD Marian<\/p>\n
Domino’s Men’s Division One Player of the Year – Alex Carlisle, Limerick Sport Eagles<\/p>\n
Domino’s Men’s Division One Young Player of the Year – Darragh Horkan, Limerick Sport Eagles<\/p>\n
Domino’s Men’s Super League Coach of the Year – Ciaran O’Sullivan, Ballincollig Domino’s Men’s Division One Coach of the Year – Niall McDermott, Limerick Sport Eagles<\/p>\n
Domino’s Women\u2019s Super League Player of the Year – Jewel Watkins, UCC Glanmire<\/p>\n
Domino’s Women’s Super League Young Player of the Year – Hazel Finn, Trinity Meteors<\/p>\n
Domino’s Women’s Division One Player of the Year – Clara Gomez Santa, Limierick Sport Huskies<\/p>\n
Domino’s Women’s Division One Young Player of the Year – Caitlyn Gloeckner, Cleveland Rockets<\/p>\n
Domino’s Women\u2019s Super League Coach of the Year – Mark Grennell, Killester Domino’s Women’s Division One Coach of the Year – Breda Dick, Cleveland Rockets<\/p>\n
Area Boards<\/p>\n
Area Board Club of the Year – Dublin Lions<\/p>\n
U18 Male Player of the Year – Mykyta Hural, Dublin Lions<\/p>\n
U18 Female Player of the Year – Laura Buckley, Limerick Celtics<\/p>\n
U20 Male Player of the Year – Fortune Igbokwe, Titans<\/p>\n
U20 Female Player of the Year – Abbie Lyons, Burnell<\/p>\n
Underage Coaches<\/p>\n
Men\u2019s Underage Coach of the Year –\u00a0 Jack Considine, Titans<\/p>\n
Women\u2019s Underage Coach of the Year – Jodie Black, Brunell<\/p>\n
Presidents\u2019 Lifetime Achievement Awards<\/p>\n
Presidents\u2019 Lifetime Achievement Awards 2026 \u2013 Mark Keenan<\/p>\n
Presidents\u2019 Lifetime Achievement Awards 2026 \u2013 Maciej Nazimek<\/p>\n
Basketball Ireland Volunteers of the Year 2026<\/p>\n
Munster Basketball Volunteer of the Year 2026 – Davey Walsh<\/p>\n
Leinster Basketball Volunteer of the Year 2026 – John Butler and Amanda Mylett Butler<\/p>\n
Connacht Basketball Volunteer of the Year 2026 – Hannah Coen<\/p>\n
Ulster Basketball Volunteer of the Year 2026 – Lynda McGuinness<\/p>\n
Social Media Club of the Year<\/p>\n
Karen Smyth, University of Galway Mystics<\/p>\n
Featured Photo is Michelle Fahy with her children Will and Emmie Fahy after she was inducted into the Basketball Ireland Hall of Fame at the 2026 Basketball Ireland Annual Awards and Hall of Fame Ceremony at the Osprey Hotel, Naas.
\u00a9INPHO\/Tom Maher<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Galway enjoyed plenty of success at the Basketball Ireland Awards in Naas on Saturday (23rd May 2026) Michelle…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":466264,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[61,60,43],"class_list":["post-466263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ireland","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466263","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=466263"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466263\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/466264"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=466263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=466263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=466263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}