Basketball Northern Ireland’s U14 boys and girls squads delivered impressive performances at the Basketball Ireland U14 Area Board Tournament, held at the University of Limerick on Monday 6th April.
Both squads were selected through the Basketball Ireland U14 North Academy programme, with the girls led by Stephen McCardle and Beth Winders, and the boys coached by Rolandas Bartkus.
Girls Show Resilience to Reach Quarter-Finals
The girls’ squad produced a strong group stage performance, securing wins over Clare and Cork Academy, before a narrow defeat to Kerry saw them finish second in their group and progress to the quarter-finals.
In the last eight, they faced hosts North Munster. After a challenging first quarter, the team showed great character to battle back and close the gap to six points heading into the final period. Despite the comeback, they ultimately fell to a 29–37 defeat.
Coach Stephen McCardle praised the group’s efforts:
“We are very proud of how the girls performed in the tournament. There were some very competitive games, mixed with excellent skill and tough defensive determination. Exposure to this level of competition is crucial to their development.”
Boys Compete Strongly in Highly Competitive Field
The boys opened their tournament with an excellent victory over Clare before facing strong Midland and Kerry sides. Despite competitive first halves in both games, they fell short, finishing third in their group.
They progressed to the Plate semi-final, where they were narrowly defeated by a strong Kilkenny/South-East team.
Coach Rolandas Bartkus reflected on the experience:
“This tournament was a fantastic learning opportunity for the boys. They competed with intensity, showed real togetherness, and gained valuable experience against some of the top young talent in the country. These are the moments that help shape their future development.”
Valuable Development Opportunity
The tournament provided an important platform for players to compete against their national peers in a high-performance environment.
Andy Gill, Performance Coordinator for Basketball NI, highlighted the wider impact:
“We are indebted to the efforts of our players, parents, coaches and the organisers, North Munster Board, for making this opportunity possible. Exposure to the best U14 players in the country can only enhance the development of our players, and we will continue to seek out these experiences moving forward.”
U14 Boys Squad
- Conall Bonner – BC Wolves Basketball Club
- Sam Bowman – Phoenix Basketball Club
- Elijah Dieye – Queens Basketball Club
- Jack Dolliver – Queens Basketball Club
- Ryan Hall – Queens Basketball Club
- James Lewis – Belfast Star Basketball Club
- Mete Utku – Queens Basketball Club
- Peadar Moohan – Queens Basketball Club
- Lorcán O’Rawe – Belfast Star Basketball Club
- Calum Savage – Belfast Star Basketball Club
- Kajus Stirbys – BC Wolves Basketball Club
U14 Girls Squad
- Olivia Brennan – Tigers Basketball Club
- Lilia Bowman – Pheonix Basketball Club
- Amelia Carr – Belfast Star Basketball Club
- Katie Cassidy – Tigers Basketball Club
- Kate Deery – North Star Basketball Club
- Saoirse Doherty – North Star Basketball Club
- Aoife Donnelly – Tigers Basketball Club
- Jessica Gavin – Queens Basketball Club
- Ciara McKeever – Tyrone Towers Basketball Club
- Amy Napier – Queens Basketball Club
- Annie Owens – Tigers Basketball Club
- Lucia Walsh- Belfast Star Basketball Club