Susan Toland was honoured at the Basketball Ireland yearly awards winning the MissQuote.ie Women’s Division 1, young player-of-the-year award.
Toland starred in Cavan Eagles debut season in the national league. Eagles winning the division one shield and making the play-off semi-finals.
Portlaoise Panthers’ Alyssa Velles won the player award, while the coach award went to Breda Dick of Phoenix Rockets. There was further good news for Cavan as Virginia College’s Niamh Ní Chearra was named girls schools coach-of-the-year.
While, Timmy McCarthy, Lennie McMillian, Mary Baneham and Karen Hennessy, were formally inducted into the Basketball Ireland hall of fame.
All four were presented with their awards at the 2022/23 Basketball Ireland Annual Awards at the Royal Marine Hotel in Dublin on Saturday.
In total 58 awards were handed out on the night, rewarding those at all levels, from refereeing and schools competitions, to the InsureMyVan.ie and MissQuote.ie Super League player and coach of the year.
Mark Scannell picked up the MissQuote.ie Super League coach of the year for the second year running, having claimed the double of MissQuote.ie Super League and MissQuote.ie Champions Trophy.
The InsureMyVan.ie Super League coach of the year gong went to Emporium Cork Basketball’s player/coach Ciaran O’Sullivan, after leading them to their first ever Super League title.
Brittany Byrd of Address UCC Glanmire won the MissQuote.ie Super League player of the year award, while UCC Demons player MJ Randolph claimed the InsureMyVan.ie Super League Player of the Year.
There was double delight for Ulster University, with InsureMyVan.ie Division 1 coach and player of year going to Ryan McCormack and Conor O’Sullivan.
New volunteer of the year award
The newly created ‘Volunteer of the Year’ Awards were claimed by The Address UCC Glanmire’s Jimmy Roche (Munster), Ongar Chasers founder Sladjan Kutijevac (Leinster), Annaghdown’s Pakie Killilea (Connacht) and Belfast Star’s Joanne O’Neill (Ulster).
"Congratulations to all our award winners and I’d like to welcome our new inductees to the Basketball Ireland Hall of Fame; Mary Baneham, Karen Hennessy, Timmy McCarthy and Lennie McMillian” said Basketball Ireland chair, Paul McDevitt.
“It is rich reward for their significant service to basketball” added McDevitt. The addition of the Basketball Ireland Volunteer of the Year Award to the Annual Awards is a welcome one, as volunteers play such a vital role in the running of our sport, day in and day out”.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our players, coaches, referees, officials, volunteers and committees, who work so tirelessly throughout the year" added McDevitt.
Basketball Ireland Annual Awards and Hall of Fame:
Hall of Fame:
Mary Baneham
Karen Hennessey
Timmy McCarthy
Lennie McMillian
InsureMyVan.ie Men’s Super League:
Player of the Year – MJ Randolph (UCC Demons)
Young Player of the Year – James Hannigan (UCC Demons)
Coach of the Year – Ciaran O’Sullivan (Emporium Cork Basketball)
InsureMyVan.ie Men’s Division 1:
Player of the Year – Conor O’Sullivan (Ulster University)
Young Player of the Year – Diego O’Herlihy (Dwyers of Cork Fr.Mathews)
Coach of the Year – Ryan McCormick (Ulster University)
MissQuote.ie Women’s Super League:
Player of the Year – Brittany Byrd (The Address UCC Glanmire)
Young Player of the Year – Sarah Hickey (Waterford Wildcats)
Coach of the Year – Mark Scannell (The Address UCC Glanmire)
MissQuote.ie Women’s Division 1:
Player of the Year – Alyssa Velles (Portlaoise Panthers)
Young Player of the Year – Ciara Tolan (McEvoy’s Cavan Eagles)
Coach of the Year – Breda Dick (Phoenix Rockets)
National Basketball Referees Association Awards:
NBRA Referee of the Year – Stacey Dowd
NBRA Most Improved Referee – Fiona Nelligan Maguire
NLOP Senior Referee Development Award – Joe Lavin
NLOP Young Referee of the Year - Rhys Cosgrove
Commissioners and Table Officials Awards:
Table Official of the Year – Amy Quirke
Young Table Official of the Year – Alex Kiernan
Primary School Mini Basketball Awards:
Primary School Appreciation Award – Seán Ó Máirtín
Primary School of the Year – Scoil Phádraig Portarlington, Co Laois
Presidents’ Lifetime Achievement Awards:
Marie O’Toole
Margaret Miley
Shay Dooley
Post Primary Schools Committee Awards:
Tom Collins Award – Pat Critchley
Boys ‘A’ School of the Year – Coláiste Éanna
Girls ‘A’ School of the Year – Calasanctius College Oranmore
Girls B School of the Year – Mount Anville Secondary School, Dublin
Boys B School of the Year – Moyle Park College, Clondalkin
Girls C School of the Year – Heywood Community School, Ballinakill, Co Laois
Boys C School of the Year – Coláiste Chú Chulainn, Dundalk
Girls D School of the Year – Clonturk Community College Dublin
Boys D School of the Year – Creagh College, Gorey
Male U19 Schools Player of the Year – Sean Fitzpatrick (Malahide C.S)
Female U19 Schools Player of the Year – Niamh Tolan (Virginia College)
Male U16 Schools Player of the Year – Adam Charles (Colaiste Éanna)
Female U16 Schools Player of the Year – Aisling Jordan (Calasanctius College)
Girls Schools Coach of the Year – Niamh Ní Chearra (Virginia College)
Boys Schools Coach of the Year – Gerry Farrell (East Boys Region U15s)
Colleges Committee Awards:
Division 1 – Male Collegiate Player of the Year – James Gormley Griffith College Dublin
Division 1 – Female Collegiate Plyer of the Year – Kara McCleane University of Galway
Division 2 – Male Collegiate Player of the Year – Freeman Brou, SETU Waterford
Division 2 – Female Collegiate Player of the Year – Ciara Bracken, Maynooth University
Division 3 – Male Collegiate Player of the Year – Alex Akpoveta, TUD Tallaght
Division 3 – Female Collegiate Player of the Year – Niamh O’Connell, Queens University Belfast
The Irish Wheelchair Association Awards:
Irish Wheelchair Basketball Women’s Player of the Year – Jodie Waite
Irish Wheelchair Basketball Men’s Player of the Year – Jack Quinn
National Area Board Committee Awards:
Area Board Club of the Year – Meteors
U18 Male Player of the Year – Dennis Matthews (Limerick Celtics)
U18 Female Player of the Year – Grace Prenter (Meteors)
U20 Male Player of the Year – Jack O’Leary (Blue Demons)
U20 Female Player of the Year – Kara McCleane (University of Galway Mystics)
Men’s Underage Coach of the Year – Shane McCarthy (Blue Demons)
Women’s Underage Coach of the Year – Seamas Donnelly (Meteors)
Volunteer of the Year Awards 2023:
Munster – Jimmy Roche
Leinster – Sladjan Kutijevac
Connacht – Pakie Killilea
Ulster – Joanne O’Neill
