Cork's Darragh O'Sullivan enjoying the professional basketball lifestyle in Denmark with BMS Herlev

Cork basketball player Darragh O’Sullivan has swapped his Neptune jersey for Denmark’s Basket Liga Division One side BMS Herlev's jersey for this season.

O’Sullivan played all his underage basketball with Neptune before he went on scholarship with Florida Tech and played under the former Neptune coach Billy Mims. 

He returned to his boyhood club last season and got to play with his brother Conor and his former teammates in the Men’s Super League an experience he really enjoyed.

However, he and his girlfriend Lina decided to try something different and they took this new adventure on at the end of last season.

“Coming back home last year to play with Neptune was very enjoyable, being around my friends and family again playing with the club I grew up in was great fun,” Darragh said.

“Sharing the floor with my brother Conor again and having my parents Tom and Betty being able to come to the games was and will always be a huge plus for me.

“We obviously didn’t manage to achieve what we set out to at the start of the year, but it was a year of learning personally for myself. 

"Selfishly, I’m a bit frustrated that I missed out on the renovation of the stadium and being able to play there, however, it was also nice to know I played one of the last games in the old stadium."

O’Sullivan is now treading the hardwood as a professional player in the Denmark First Division with Basket Liga side BMS Herlev and he is really enjoying the experience to date with his new club where his is averaging just under seven points, three rebounds and two assists a game. 

These are pretty good numbers he is put up especially when you think of the standard of the League and Country he is playing in.

“I’m currently in Denmark playing in the Basket Liga (first division) with BMS Herlev. I moved to Denmark last August to be with my girlfriend Lina. 

"I obviously wanted to continue playing and was lucky enough that I had someone like Colin Murray that helped me in doing that. 

"What he’s doing with Box Out Consulting is great for the Irish League, but also for players in Ireland looking to make that leap into Europe.

“My new team is primarily Danish lads, they are all cools guys and have been very inclusive with myself from the start. 

"They all speak fluent English which is a bit help, but obviously when the adrenaline gets going can slip back into Danish every now and then. 

"I’m not too frustrated at it at all because it is helping me pick up the language a little bit quicker.

“So the League here is very top heavy due to funding. 

"The top teams are pro teams with five American players on each team and the rest of the players are some of the best Danish players in the country. 

"So, the way they do it here is at the end of the year we split into Liga A (Top 6) and Liga B (Bottom half) and then have the playoffs that way. 

"We’re currently sitting second in the Liga B and have hit good form as of recently, so hopefully we can keep it up and be in for a good shout to win something this year. 

"Again the standard all around is very good, I would still say the top teams in the Danish league with be too strong for the SuperLeague in Ireland simply because of the pros."

O’Sullivan has no immediate plans to return home at the present time as both himself and his girlfriend Lina are enjoying their new surroundings and the new culture in a different country. 

However, Darragh does still have aspirations to still play with the senior Ireland program after playing with different programs in the past with his last experience play with the Irish 3x3 team recently.

“I don’t tend to look too far into the future but I can definetly see myself being in Denmark for a while. 

"Obviously, I would love to represent my country again whenever I get the chance and opportunity. 

"I haven’t been around that scene now for the last few years, but I do watch and support whenever it does come around. 

"I had the pleasure of working with coach Mike Bree in the previous summers at the Basketball Ireland camps and got to pick his brain in a few workouts, I’m very happy to see that’s the way they decided to go when picking the new coach and personally think he will do a great job with the lads,” O’Sullivan added.