Utility Trust Killarney are away today in the Dominos Women’s Super League.
They’re at Fr Matthews from 5.
On the Men’s side Flexcahem KCYMS are at Killester at 7.15.
The Men’s National League has Utility Trust St.Pauls home to Dublin Lions from 7.30.
Killarney Cougars are away to Malahide at 6.30.
At 4 today in the Women’s BIDL National League Garvey’s Tralee Warriors take on Ballincollig at Mercy Mounthawk.
Basketball Ireland weekend preview:
Preview: O’Sullivan say Ballincollig’s Domino’s MSL National Cup success has “put a target on our backs”
Ballincollig player/coach Ciaran O’Sullivan says last week’s Domino’s MSL National Cup win “has put a target on our backs”. His side were hugely impressive in their 104-77 victory over Garvey’s Tralee Warriors last Saturday, to claim the club’s first Pat Duffy Cup.
Focus turns swiftly to the Domino’s Men’s Super League clash with Energwise Ireland Neptune, who find themselves in a relegation dogfight. O’Sullivan’s side are joint-top of the table, but feels his side will in for a tough battle in the Cork derby at MTU Arena on Saturday.
“Neptune are riding a wave of renewed energy after their impressive win over UCC Demons. They’ve bolstered the squad with three strong professional additions, and combined with talented young Irish core, there’s real potential for them to climb the table as the season progresses”, O’Sullivan said.
He added: “We know our monumental victory last week has put a target on our backs, so we’ll need to stay focused, prepare thoroughly, and continue driving the high standards we’ve set for ourselves.”
Energywise Ireland Neptune are locked in a relegation battle with local rivals UCC Demons, they’re currently joint-bottom at 3-10. Head coach Ciaran Kiveney was full of praise for Ballincollig’s cup-winning performance at the weekend.
Kiveney said “After the performance Ballincollig put in last week, we know we have to be on top of our game. 53% from three as a team is phenomenal in itself in a cup final. Even before the cup final, we knew the Ballincollig game was going to be difficult, they play a very well-balanced style of basketball. We have had two weeks to prepare for this game and have been working on what we feel we need to improve on, as well as what way we will try to disrupt their offence and defence”.
Belfast Star are alongside Ballincollig on 10-3 records at the summit, they make the long journey to Limerick to face the Celtics this weekend, looking for their 11th win of the season, and to keep pace with Ballincollig. Head coach Adrian Fulton has confirmed Conor Quinn will miss out on Sunday’s fixture, whilst Irish international Rapolas Buivydas is also a major doubt due to injury.
When asked about absentees for this weekend, Fulton said: “We will be without Conor Quinn due to work commitments. Rapolas Buivydas has picked up an injury and is very doubtful for the weekend. We won’t risk him if he isn’t fully fit. Every team must deal with injuries and illness throughout the season. The depth of our squad is definitely a plus factor for us and that will certainly be tested this Sunday. Limerick have had no problems adjusting to life in the Super League. They are definitely much better than their record suggests and gave us a great battle in Belfast earlier in the season. They are a well-balanced team with a lot of size, so rebounding the ball will be at a premium”.
For the Celtics, they picked up a win last time out against EJ Sligo All-Stars to stand alone in the final playoff spot in eighth, with a record of 5-8. AJ Williams currently leads the league in total points scored and will be hoping to keep that form going to push the promoted side to a playoff berth in their first season in the Domino’s Men’s Super League.
Another battle taking place in the race for the playoff spots, sees sixth place St. Vincent’s welcoming fourth-placed Griffith College Éanna. Just one win separates the two sides, with Éanna at 8-5 and Vincent’s at 7-6. Vincent’s will be hoping to get the one to go level with Éanna in the hope of securing a home quarter-final in the playoffs.
Meanwhile Éanna will be looking to extend their cushion in fourth spot to two wins, depending on how results fare for fifth-spot UCD Marian, who travel to Sligo this weekend. Gareth Winders side have just one win in their last three.
Killester will face Flexachem KCYMS this weekend in the IWA, with both sides desperately needing a win for different reasons. Killorglin need the win to prevent further slipping into potential relegation trouble. Four straight defeats has seen them fall to tenth in the Domino’s Men’s Super League and just one win above both UCC Demons and Neptune.
For Killester, their recent form has been quite the opposite to KCYMS, with four wins in their last four games, putting them in a commanding position for a home quarter-final at 9-4 so far. Jonathan Grennell’s side could potentially see themselves closing on the top spot in the table, depending on results elsewhere.
Similar to Killorglin, EJ Sligo All-Stars have endured a difficult few weeks, losing five straight and now see themselves dangerously close to getting pulled into the battle at the foot of the table. The positive for the All-Stars, is that they are also just one win behind Limerick Celtics, who occupy that final playoff spot. This weekend, All-Stars welcome UCD Marian, who are 7-6 in the table, in fifth position. Marian will be looking to get their season back on track, after two wins were followed by two losses, against Éanna and Garvey’s Tralee Warriors. A win for Marian keeps them well poised with the chasing pack for that home quarter-final for finishing in the top four.
UCC Demons will be hoping to take a step away from the bottom when they take on Garvey’s Tralee Warriors on Sunday, who are reeling from a Domino’s MSL National Cup final defeat to Ballincollig. Warriors have an advantage this weekend with a game in hand on the other two sides with seven wins. That game in hand will be played midweek next week when they host Limerick Celtics. Demons will be looking to put a bit of space between themselves and Neptune this weekend by getting their fourth win of the season coming off of their 88-74 win over Flexachem KCYMS in their most recent game of the season.
Preview: League leaders Killester “hungry” for Domino’s Women’s Super League after cup glory
Killester head coach Mark Grennell says his team are “hungry” and ready to “knuckle down in the league”, as they look to follow up their 2025/26 Domino’s WSL National Cup title, with Domino’s Women’s Super League success. Killester defeated the defending champions FloMAX Liffey Celtics 70-64 in Sunday’s final to win their fifth Paudie O’Connor Cup. They have a quick turnaround, as they prepare to host third-placed Gurranabraher Credit Union Brunell.
Killester head coach Mark Grennell thinks his side is more than prepared to beat the cup hangover and will be ready to go this Saturday at the IWA.
When asked about Brunell, Grennell said “We know the level they will bring and how well we will have to play in order to win. The speed and style they play is hard to recreate in practice”.
Speaking on preparing after a cup win, he added: “It is not easy to switch into league action as a cup win is so special. You do need time as a team to enjoy them, but it is a nice complaint to have. The ladies are hungry though, and we know that we will have to knuckle down in the league and get that right”.
Brunell will be hoping for a turn in fortunes, with the Cork side having just one win in their last three fixtures, with an eight-point 75-67 defeat against promoted McEvoy’s Cavan Eagles last time out. A win for Brunell would see them go level with Killester at 8-4 at the summit of the Domino’s Women’s Super League table.
Utility Trust St. Pauls Killarney are currently in second place – between both Brunell and Killester – and this weekend they make the journey from Kerry to Cork, to take on the winless Catalyst Fr. Mathews. St. Paul’s are one of the in-form side’s in the league, having won their last three consecutive league games.
For Fr. Mathews, they currently sit at the foot of the table with a record of 0-11, two wins away from Midlands Park Portlaoise Panthers and from getting out of the relegation spot.
The Panthers face a difficult task themselves this weekend, as they welcome McEvoy’s Cavan Eagles to St. Mary’s Hall on Saturday. Eagles picked up two vital wins recently, to put themselves in the conversation for the playoff places. Eagles currently occupy the final playoff spot, level with seventh place SETU Waterford Wildcats and just one victory away from FloMAX Liffey Celtics in sixth.
A win for Panthers is crucial to their survival hopes, as they sit in ninth with a record of 2-9. Pending other results, a win for the Panthers could potentially put a three-game cushion between them and the relegation spot.
UCC Glanmire are heading to Leixlip to face FloMAX Liffey Celtics on Saturday, hoping for a repeat of the return fixture, where Glanmire defeated Celtics 76-64. Glanmire are currently tied for third with two other sides, in Brunell and Trinity Meteors at 7-4. Head Coach Mark Scannell is confident his side are well-rested and ready for action this weekend.
About the challenge of Celtics, Scannell said: “We got some rest last week, so it’ll be good to get back into it. We need to work hard and prepare properly to be able to give ourselves the chance to win on our home court. I expect it to be a tough battle but if it goes well, we have a chance.”
Trinity Meteors have endured a rather up and down few weeks in the Domino’s Women’s Super League, suffering losses to Brunell and Eagles, with wins against Fr. Mathews and Midlands Park Portlaoise Panthers either side of those losses. This weekend, they head to Waterford to face the Wildcats.
SETU Waterford Wildcats will be hoping for an upward turn in form, after suffering three straight league defeats. They defeated Trinity Meteors 68-66 last time these sides faced in the league in October and win for Wildcats would send them back towards the top of half of the table and would be just one win short of their opponents Meteors.
For Meteors, a win is crucial to working towards a home playoff berth, as they could potentially go level with the chasing pack that are tied at the summit of the table.
Basketball Ireland today officially launches its new Nike Home and Away jerseys, blending the timeless energy of classic 90’s basketball design with a contemporary edge to deliver a striking new look for Irish basketball.
The new jerseys will make their on-court debut next month, when the Irish Men’s National Team face Azerbaijan and Luxembourg during the FIBA EuroBasket 2029 Pre-Qualifying at the National Basketball Arena. They are available to buy in selected stores at Official Retail Partner Intersport Elverys and online at ireland.basketball/shop from 10:00 this morning.
Designed in partnership with Nike and KitKing, the home jersey features an iconic green base, elevated with dark, classic pinstripes that pay homage to basketball’s golden era while delivering a sharp, modern silhouette. The away jersey offers a clean white base, finished with a distinctive three-colour trim that reflects Ireland’s identity in a bold and fashion-forward way.
With a design inspired by one of basketball’s most iconic eras and built for the modern game, the new Ireland jerseys set the tone for how Irish basketball looks, feels and expresses itself on and off the court.
Speaking at the launch, Basketball Ireland’s Head of Commerical and Brand said: “Kits create and hold fond memories for fans. We wanted to give a nod to a golden age of basketball both in Ireland and around the world, while also creating a kit that is distinctive both on and off the court. I believe we have achieved that through our collaboration process with Nike, KitKing and Elverys. I’m looking forward to seeing it on display for the first time at the National Basketball Arena on Friday, February 27th, as well as on the streets and courts across the island of Ireland.”
The new Nike Ireland jersey is priced from €70 (junior) and €75 (adult), while shorts can be purchased from €55 (junior) and €60 (adult).
