Neptune Basketball Club
| Neptune Basketball Club | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1947 |
| Arena | Neptune Stadium |
| Location | Cork, Ireland |
| Team colours | Blue and white |
| Main sponsor | Energywise Ireland |
| Head coach | Ciarán Kiveney (as of 2025)[1] |

Neptune Basketball Club is an Irish basketball club based in Cork. Founded in 1947 following input from members of the Irish Defence Forces in developing citizen's clubs,[2][3] Neptune is the oldest and most successful basketball club in Ireland.[4] Based at Neptune Stadium, Neptune is the only basketball club in Ireland with its own stadium.[5]
History
[edit]The club's senior men's representative team has won the Irish National League title 11 times. Known as Burgerland Neptune throughout the 1980s and 1990s,[6] the team won seven championships between 1983 and 1991 thanks to American import Terry Strickland and the support of Irish investor Jackie Solan.[7][8] Neptune won a further four titles between 1995 and 2003.[9][10] In the 2012–13 season, Neptune won their fifth National Cup title and first since 1992.[11]
In July 2015, Neptune withdrew from the Premier League following a major loss of player personnel, deciding instead to join the second-tiered National League Division 1 for the 2015–16 season.[12][13][14] Neptune continued on in Division 1 for the 2016–17 season[15] and subsequently won the 2017 Hula Hoops Presidents Cup.[16] In March 2018, they were promoted back into Basketball Ireland's Men's Super League.[17] After initially being relegated back down to Division 1 following the 2018–19 season, the withdrawal of cross-town rival UCC Demons led to Neptune remaining in the Super League for the 2019–20 season.[18][19][20]
In the 2021–22 season, Neptune reached the final of both the National Cup[21] and the League playoffs.[22]

Achievements
[edit]Notable players
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "Ciarán Kiveney named new Neptune head coach". echolive.ie. 5 November 2025. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
- ↑ "History". neptunebasketballclub.com. Archived from the original on 18 December 2018.
- ↑ O'Leary, Eleanor (2018). Youth and Popular Culture in 1950s Ireland. Bloomsbury. p. 209. ISBN 9781350015883.
[prior to] the setting-up of the Neptune Basketball Club and Stadium in Cork [..] over a period of a decade or more some members of the army assisted the uptake of the game by the civilian population
- ↑ "Neptune withdrawal raises serious questions". thecourtsidecollective.com. 27 July 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ↑ "Frustration seeps out of Neptune via leak in the roof". Irish Examiner. 22 March 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ↑ "Kieran Shannon: King of Cork and Court". Irish Examiner. 9 February 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ↑ "Americans enriched a unique era: When Ireland loved basketball". thestar.ie. Archived from the original on 8 February 2017.
- ↑ Allen, Greg (1 November 1996). "Strickland inspires the re-emergence of Neptune". Irish Times. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
- ↑ "Roll of Honour 1973 - 2014". basketballireland.ie. Archived from the original on 28 April 2015.
- ↑ "Neptune favourites". Irish Times. 14 March 2003. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ↑ "American dream retold in documentary on Irish basketball's glory days". the42.ie. 25 January 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ↑ "Neptune exit Basketball Premier League". Irish Examiner. 27 July 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ↑ "Cork basketball in turmoil as Neptune withdraw". corkindependent.com. 30 July 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ↑ "Neptune's disappearance a low point for basketball in 2015". irishnews.com. 22 December 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ↑ "National League Fixtures 2016/2017". basketballireland.ie. 1 September 2016. Archived from the original on 23 March 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ↑ "Hula Hoops Cup Finals Gamezone: Senior Men and Women". basketballireland.ie. 27 January 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ↑ "RECAP: Neptune secure promotion while Templeogue win in OT". basketballireland.ie. 31 March 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ↑ Coughlan, John (18 July 2019). "Neptune to replace UCC Demons in Men's SuperLeague". irishexaminer.com. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
- ↑ Murphy, Éamonn (18 July 2019). "Neptune take the place of basketball rivals Demons in the Super League". echolive.ie. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
- ↑ "Neptune To Remain In Men's Super League For 2019/20 Season". basketballireland.ie. 18 July 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
- ↑ "Garvey's Tralee Warriors beat C&S Neptune 88-75 to win the InsureMyHouse.ie Pat Duffy Cup Final". ireland.basketball. 22 January 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
- ↑ "Garvey's Tralee Warriors claim double with 78-72 InsureMyVan.ie Super League final win over C&S Neptune". ireland.basketball. 2 April 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
- 1 2 "Basketball Ireland Superleague Winners". irishsportsnet. 23 March 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
- ↑ McKenna, Dave (29 June 2018). "The American Who Briefly Got Ireland To Love Basketball Is Looking For A Storybook Ending". Deadspin. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
Further reading
[edit]- McKenna, Dave (17 January 2017). "The Fake All-Star Team On A Bender That Inspired Ireland To Play Basketball". Deadspin. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
- Shannon, Kieran (2009). Hanging from the Rafters: The Story of Neptune and the Golden Age of Irish Basketball. Echo Publications. ISBN 0956244327.