Roy Downey on swapping GAA for basketball, winning trophies with Delanys and Neptune's new season

Popular basketball player Roy Downey has had a wonderful career, shining for Neptune, UCC Demons and Ireland. 

The northsider excelled on the hardwood but GAA was actually his first love, having started out as an underage hurlers with Glen Rovers and later collecting medals as a footballer with Delaneys.

He grew up in Ballyvolane, surrounded by sport. He lived in an estate where all the young lads would be playing whatever sport was on television. 

When Wimbledon was on, they would chalk out a tennis court, but usually is was soccer, hurling and football at every chance they got. A neighbour of his the late Alan Dornan, that's how he was introduced to basketball.

"My first taste of basketball was when I started playing with my late friend Alan Dornan,” Roy said. "He was already playing with Neptune and naturally I tagged along with him one night when I was about eight.

I was also a keen hurler and footballer with the Glen and to be honest the GAA was always my first love.

"I played underage with the Glen with Dean Brosnan, Dave Noonan and Calvin Healy, who all ended up winning senior counties back to back for the club. Our managers in the Glen were Daithí Long, John O’Halloran, Liam Dunlea and Mark O’Driscoll."

Though he was involved in underage GAA for Cork, he also got the ball to represent Ireland in basketball, which meant he had a tough call to make.

"As I got older, my summers were now completely taken up with travelling the country with the Irish team so the GAA took a back seat. It’s something I regret in some way, because I was making good strides and had been part of a few underage Cork set-ups but I couldn't give them both my full attention so one had to give.

FULL HOUSE

"One of the proudest moments from the underage hurling days was getting to play in Simple Stadium in Thurles at Munster final day with the Cork Primary School team, the same day Cork beat Tipperary in front of 50 thousand people in 2006."

He enjoyed his time with Delanys on the football pitch with Kyle Hosford, Ronan Foley and Gary Gould, where Conor and Gavin Quinlan were at the helm, and also had a stint with the Cork Junior footballers.

"All my friends from Ballyvolane were playing football with Delanys so I fell in with them and we enjoyed a nice purple patch of five years where we won four City Championships. We couldn't quite get over the line in the county.

Those summers with Delanys were some of my happiest sporting times, though we were a Junior club, our approach and preparation was as good as any Super League team I've been part of. 

"Conor Quinlan was the manager and to be honest, he was years ahead of his time."

NEW EXPERIENCE

Downey made his Irish senior debut at 21, when he travelled to China. The following season, he lined out with the Irish club team called Hibernian that was part of a European competition against different European clubs.

"I played with the Ireland men’s team on numerous occasions, making my debut at 21 years old. I also played on the Irish Hibernian club side that played on a home-and-away basis midweek. We lost all our games but it was a great experience. I always loved playing with the different Irish teams as it is something that I'm very proud of."

He's now looking forward to this coming season with Neptune under Adam Drummond.

"I really like to thank my wife Aoife who takes care of everything at home, including our two-year-old daughter Stevie, who is Neptune mad and we are expecting again in January. 

"Also, to Noel Allen, the endless hours doing individual work with me, he would open the Stadium for me on a Sunday night and coach me trying to perfect my skills. He is a great mentor and still to this day a person I always go to for advice when needed and special thanks to Kay Leahy for all she does for me and everyone in Neptune.

"My parents John and Deirdre are my biggest silent supporters and always having my back,” Downey added.