Cork connection key in Ireland 3x3 basketball squads

IRELAND men’s 3x3 head coach Colin O’Reilly has named Jordan Blount, Cian Heaphy, Matt Treacy and Patrick Lyons in his four-man squad for the FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup Qualifier in Cyprus this weekend.

Blount and Heaphy are in familiar territory, having been part of the Irish squad that finished second to Azerbaijan at this event 12 months ago. They’ll be hoping to go one better alongside 24-year-old Treacy, who has represented Ireland at U17, U18, U20 and senior level in the 5v5 format and 27-year-old Patrick Lyons. 

Lyons currently plays his club basketball in Germany, previously featuring for Moycullen on home soil. He has made one previous appearance for Ireland at a FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup Qualifier in Romania in 2021. Lyons also featured in four games for Ireland in the 2018 FIBA European Championship for Small Countries.

Ahead of the tournament, head coach O’Reilly said: “The lads have shown fantastic commitment to the programme. We have had a number of sessions and tournaments to prepare, so we are hoping to hit the ground running in the first game and build from there. 

There is a nice blend of experience at 3x3 in the group so we are looking to go one step further than last year’s runners-up spot.” 

There’s an experienced feel to head coach Paul Kelleher’s Ireland women’s squad. Gráinne Dwyer, Claire O’Sullivan, Enya Maguire and Áine O’Connor make the plane, eyes firmly set on bettering a semi-final appearance for Ireland last year. 

Dwyer and Maguire featured on that occasion, performing excellently as Ireland just came up short against Luxembourg in the last four after topping their group. Irish international Áine O’Connor is also no stranger to the 3x3 format of the game. 

O’Connor previously lined out for Ireland in a FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup Qualifier 2018, as well as a FIBA 3x3 World Series event in Turin in 2019. This will be O’Sullivan’s first appearance for Ireland in the 3x3 format since 2021, but The Address UCC Glanmire star has enjoyed an impressive campaign in the MissQuote.ie Super League and has plenty of experience playing alongside the likes of Dwyer previously.

"It will be Patrick O’Neill who will lead the team on the ground in Cyprus,” said head coach Kelleher. 

“This has been a really good group to work with from my point of view. The experience coming back along with young players and the integration process developed by Matt Hall this year has brought great energy along with the staff. So I’m very excited to see where this can go."

Ireland’s senior men are in Pool B with Albania, Andorra and Kosovo while the Irish women’s team are in Pool A, alongside Malta and Azerbaijan. The men’s and women’s qualifying tournament winners will advance to the FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup 2023, which takes place from September 5-7 in Jerusalem, Israel.

Ireland Men’s Squad: 

Jordan Blount, Cian Heaphy, Patrick Lyons, Matt Treacy.

Ireland Women’s Squad: 

Gráinne Dwyer, Claire O’Sullivan, Enya Maguire, Áine O’Connor