Master class as siobhain reels back the years

The Kilkenny family in Castlebar have not only established a reputation as fine musicians specialising in Irish traditional music, in particular, but they have among them a lady who was one of the finest basketball players to emerge from the west of Ireland.

Now, at the tender age of 35, the former Irish international player, Siobhain Kilkenny, has thrown her considerable talent behind the Mayo masters basketball team, who took Longford by storm at the weekend by winning their first major tournament under coach Terry Kennedy.

Now this was a particularly significant achievement for these young (ahem) girls whose average age is somewhere between 40 and 50.

Many of them honed their talents as teenagers (even toddlers in the case of one or two) in the local leagues playing with Ballina, Crossmolina and Castlebar before their careers and family commitments took them in various directions.

They have found a new lease of life as they continue to enjoy their basketball in their more advanced years and the Longford win on Sunday, where they were up against some serious opposition from Longford and Donegal, could be the start of greater things to come.

The arrival of Siobhain, who spent a good part of her life on a basketball scholarship in the Untied States and is currently teaching in Roscommon, has provided just the impetus for some of the older ones as she revived some of the memories from 20 years ago when she ran the floor at the De La Salle Hall and showed in Longford she still has what it takes.

A bit like Hurricane Fly last weekend, class will always tell.

The success of the senior women comes in a week when basketball in Mayo would appear to be undergoing something of a renaissance with the girls from St. Louis Community School in Kiltimagh winning the All-Ireland Under 16 B cup, while both Davitt College Under 16 boys and St. Gerald’s Under 19 and Under 16 teams are also pushing hard for national honours. We wish them all well.