History
Marian Basketball Club was founded in 1968 when a group of pupils and past-pupils of Marian College, Ballsbridge entered a team in the Dublin Minor Basketball league. That team included Paul Meany, Ken Mc Intyre, Sean Conroy, Michael Meany and Fran Ryan. Their coach was Bro. Fintan, a maths teacher in Marian College. The team won the Dublin Minor Championship and two years later, the club also entered a team in the Dublin Senior League. This team absorbed an existing team called The Shannon Dodgers, which featured Dublin-based past pupils of St. Marys College, Athlone, another Marist Brothers school. These included Bill Doyle, who later taught in Marian College, and Lonan Mc Hugo.
In 1970, the club won the Dublin Senior Championship with Ken McIntyre, Paul and Michael Meany, Sean Conroy and Fran Ryan all featuring. Fifteen year old Donal Breathnach made his senior debut that season. In 1971, Marian Basketball Club formed a ladies team, with past pupils of Loreto College Crumlin forming the core of the squad. The Deegan sisters (Patricia and Debbie ) Frances Fitzgibbon, Catherine Hatton, Alva Moloney and Muriel Gaffney were among the new members. A couple of years later, a second ladies team was formed with Mary Kenny, Christine Gaffney, Trish Connor, Anita Maher and Jackie Deegan at the heart of it. Along with the Women's A and B teams, and the Men's A team, the club also ran a Men's B and C team in the Dublin League Divisions 2 and 3, and an Under 19 team in the Minor League.
In 1972, New York native Brian Berman, who was studying medicine in the Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin, and had played college basketball at Columbia University, joined the team. Under player coach Paul Meany, Marian won their first national title, the National Cup. In 1974, Marian entered the inaugural National League with the Men's A team in Division One, the Men's B team in Division Two and the Ladies A team in Division One. Marian also entered many tournaments in Ireland in the early 70‚s. Three senior men's teams competed in Dublin Leagues, the women's A team and the women's B team competed in the Dublin Leagues. The Club also had under 19 and under 17 boys teams. In 1975,76 and 77 Marian finished runners up in the National League behind Dart Killester. In 1978, Marian won its second National Championship, beating St Vincents Dublin in the final in Inchicore.
In 1978 Marian entered the Federation Cup for British and Irish teams. Marian beat Scottish champions Boromuir Barrs in Inchicore and faced English kingpins Doncaster Panthers away in the second round. Despite a serious height deficit ( Panthers forward line was 7‚”,’11” and 6’10”-Marians tallest was Michael Meany at 6’3”) the team competed well but lost.
In November the club celebrated its 10th anniversary with an AllStar game in Inchicore and a dinner dance in the Green Isle Hotel.
Read more about this topic: UCD Marian
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