Six Cork basketballers picked on the Irish U18 provincial squads for the Youth EuroBasket tournament 

Four Cork girls and two Cork boys have been named on the Irish U18 provincial basketball squads for the upcoming FIBA Youth EuroBasket later this summer.

Brunell have three girls on the squad with Abbie Lyons and ex Cobh star Francesca Kyamagero all returning from last year’s team and they will be joined by teammate Jean Ahern and Lucy Walsh from Glanmire.

Ireland U18 WNT head coach Ian Lynch has acknowledged the high standard of player coming through the Basketball Ireland international pathway in naming his extended squad of 24 for the 2025/26 season, his first in charge.

The pool of players will come from Brunell BC, Templeogue BC, Dublin Raiders, Ongar Chasers, Limerick Celtics, Kilkenny Stars, Belfast Star, Tralee Magic, Killester BC, Tolka Rovers, Meteors, St. Mary's Castleisland and Glanmire BC all represented.

Ireland U18 Women’s Squad:

Jean Ahern (Brunell BC), Katie Behan (Templeogue BC), Éabha Booth (Templeogue BC), Laura Buckely (Limerick Celtics), Laura Byrne (Templeogue BC), Grace Colfer (Dublin Raiders), Shekinah Djoussa (Ongar Chasers), Aoibheann Donnelly (Belfast Star), Amy Elliot (Killester BC), Naomi Farrington (Tolka Rovers), Laura Gocek (Limerick Celtics), Madelyn Hartigan (Limerick Celtics), Francesca Kyamagero (Brunell BC), Abbie Lyons (Brunell BC), Amy McCarthy (Meteors), Grace Miley (Templeogue BC), Julie O’Connor (St. Marys Castleisland), Aimee O’Reilly (Kilkenny Stars), Meabh Purtill (Limerick Celtics), Kaitlyn Summers (Meteors), Muireann Teahan (Tralee Magic BC), Caoimhe Timmons (Kilkenny Stars), Udochukwu Uzor (Tolka Rovers) and Lucy Walsh (Glanmire BC).

The two Cork players that made the U18 provisional squad are Sean Noonan and Oliver Ensko from Neptune. 

Noonan, who is the son of former Irish senior international and Neptune star Ger is hoping to build on his experience of playing with the Irish U17 Development squad last summer. 

He is in red hot form at the moment and recently put up 30 points in Neptune’s 76-71 BIDL Men’s League victory against St Paul’s Killarney.

“I was on the U17 Ireland academy last year where I got chance to take part in the Home Nations tournament in Cardiff, against England, Scotland and Wales,” Sean said.

“I learned a lot from the tournament, but if I were to key in on one thing it would probably be the style of European basketball, how fit and strong you have to be to compete and how sharp technically and tactically also.

“I am delighted to make the extended panel for this years U18 programme, it’s always an honour to get the chance to fight for an opportunity to play for your country and to get to train with the top talent across Ireland my age.

“The location for the European Championships this year is yet to be announced and so is our potential pool,” Noonan added.

The Ireland U18 MNT head coach Niall Berry has selected a squad of 29 players ahead of the forthcoming international season, which will culminate with FIBA Youth EuroBasket in the Summer of 2026. The squad includes eight previously uncapped players.

Six players - Adam McCarthy, Aivaras Buzas, Kieran Quinn, Nathan Gbinigie, Shareef Elmahi and Mark Burns - return from the squad which finished in 20th place at this season's tournament in Romania, while a further 10 players make the step up from the very successful U16 squad of 2025.

There is representation from eight counties in the extended squad - Antrim, Cork, Dublin, Laois, Kerry, Limerick, Galway, Tipperary. Oblates Basketball Club from Inchicore in Dublin have the largest number of players inlcuded at three, while Belfast Star (2), Neptune BC (2), Eanna BC (2), Tolka Rovers (2), Dublin Lions (2), Titans BC (2), Portlaoise Panthers (2), Killester BC (1), South Tipp Titans (1), St. Declan’s BC (1), Limerick Lions (1) and Templeogue BC (1) are also represented.

Eight players who currently play in countries such as the USA, Germany and Spain also make the grade.

Ireland U18 Men’s squad:

Adam McCarthy (Eanna BC), Aidan McGrath (Thayer Academy / Expressions Elite), Aivaras Buzas (NABA), Bentoy Monshengwo (Dublin Lions), Collins Ejike (Killester BC), Declan Ehigie (Westtown School, PA), Desmond Ogedegbe (Portlaoise Panthers), Etinosa Ehioghae (Rasta Vechta, Germany), Elliot Kristiansen (Declans BC), Fryderyk Klimas (Limerick Lions), Harry Lynch (Eanna BC), Joaquin Patrick Pahinag (Oblates BC), Jayden Umeh (Portlaoise Panthers), John Murphy (Templeogue BC), Kieran O'Shaughnessy (St. Ignatius College Prep, San Francisco), Kieran Quinn (Bergen Catholic, Oradell NJ), Layden O'Neill (Belfast Star), Lewis Adjinakou (Oblates BC), Lorcan Bailey Morrow (St Andrews High School, Rhode Island), Mark Burns (Belfast Star), Michael Cunningham Smyth (Titans BC), Michael Kenny (Oblates BC), Nathan Gbinigie (Titans BC), Oliver Ensko (Neptune BC), Patrick Omotade (Tolka Rovers), Patrick O'Keeffe (South Tipp Titans), Ruben Fraunfelter (Tolka Rovers), Sean Noonan (Neptune BC) and Shareef Elmahi (Dublin Lions).