Month: May 2022

Defense Forces Inter-Command Basketball Championship 1928-1986

Championship Finals 1928-1986

Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command

(Final)
4:21 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1928

5th Brigade

(Final)
4:22 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1929

6th Brigade

(Final)
4:23 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1930

4th Battalion

(Final)
4:23 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1931

4th Battalion

(Final)
4:24 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1932

3rd Battalion

(Final)
4:25 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1933

3rd Battalion

(Final)
4:26 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1934

5th Battalion

(Final)
4:27 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1935

5th Battalion

(Final)
4:28 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1936

School of Music

(Final)
4:29 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1937

5th Battalion

(Final)
4:29 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1938

5th Battalion

(Final)
4:30 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1939

5th Battalion

(Final)
4:31 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1940

5th Battalion

(Final)
4:32 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1941

Western Command

(Final)
4:33 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1942

Western Command

(Final)
4:34 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1943

Western Command vs Eastern Command

(Final)
4:35 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1944

Western Command vs 5th Brigade

(Final)
4:36 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1945

2nd Brigade

(Final)
4:55 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1946

Western Command vs Eastern Command

(Final)
4:56 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1947

Western Command vs Eastern Command

(Final)
4:57 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1948

Western Command vs Eastern Command

(Final)
4:58 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1949

Western Command vs Eastern Command

(Final)
5:01 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1950

Eastern Command vs Western Command

(Final)
5:02 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1951

Western Command vs Eastern Command

(Final)
5:03 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1953

Eastern Command vs Western Command

(Final)
5:04 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1953

Eastern Command vs Western Command

(Final)
5:06 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1954

Air Corps vs Southern Command

(Final)
5:06 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1955

Air Corps vs Western Command

(Final)
5:08 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1956

Western Command vs Eastern Command

(Final)
5:25 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1957

Eastern Command vs Western Command

(Final)
5:27 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1958

Eastern Command vs Air Corps

(Final)
5:28 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1959

Eastern Command vs Western Command

(Final)
5:29 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1960

Eastern Command vs Air Corps

(Final)
5:30 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1961

Southern Command vs Eastern Command

(Final)
5:32 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1962

Western Command vs Air Corps

(Final)
5:35 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1963

Air Corps vs Eastern Command

(Final)
5:37 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1964

Western Command vs Air Corps

(Final)
5:38 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1965

Western Command vs Southern Command

(Final)
5:39 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1966

Western Command vs Eastern Command

(Final)
5:47 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1967

Western Command vs Southern Command

(Final)
5:49 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1968

CTC vs Southern Command

(Final)
5:50 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1969

School of Music vs Western Command

(Final)
5:52 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1970

Eastern Command vs Western Command

(Final)
5:53 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1971

Tech Wing vs School of Music

(Final)
5:55 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1972

Eastern Command vs Air Corps

(Final)
5:56 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1973

Western Command vs CTC

(Final)
5:57 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1974

CTC vs Air Corps

(Final)
5:59 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1975

Air Corps vs Eastern Command

(Final)
6:00 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1976

Air Corps vs Southern Command

(Final)
6:03 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1977

Western Command vs Eastern Command

(Final)
6:04 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1978

Air Corps vs Western Command

(Final)
6:06 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1979

Western Command vs Air Corps

(Final)
6:07 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1980

Western Command vs Southern Command

(Final)
6:08 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1979

Eastern Command vs Air Corps

(Final)
6:11 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1982

Western Command vs Air Corps

(Final)
6:12 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1983

Southern Command

(Final)
6:15 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1984

Curragh Command vs Western Command

(Final)
6:18 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1985

Southern Command

(Final)
6:19 pm
Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command
1986

Air Corps vs Southern Command

Results compiled from Defense Forces Documents at the Defense Forces Military Archives in Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin. [References: 1]

All-Time Win-Loss Table 1928-1986

Defense Forces Basketball Championships Inter-Command All-Time 1928-1986

PosTeamWLPts
1Western Command2010100
2Eastern Command101250
35th Battalion6030
3Air Corps6930
5Southern Command3615
63rd Battalion2010
64th Battalion2010
6CTC2110
6School of Music2110
102nd Brigade105
105th Brigade115
106th Brigade105
10Tech Wing105

Table compiled from Defense Forces Documents at the Defense Forces Military Archives in Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin. [References: 1]

Report

Western Command were the leading team in the Defense Forces Inter-Command Basketball Championships from 1928 to 1986. With Basketball first being played in Ireland in the Army Barracks as these were the only places with Gyms before the end of World War II, it was the Defense Forces that dominated the early Basketball scene in Ireland. After the foundation of the Amateur Basketball Association of Ireland (now Basketball ireland) in 1947, the Defense Forces continued to play alongside civilian teams in the All-Ireland Club Championships and Blitzes. With the foundation of the first civilian Basketball teams (Neptune in Cork – still in existence) and the Weevils (named after a bug that eat the corn in the Defense Forces supplies), the focus shifted away from the Defense Forces to the population at large.

The earliest Defense Forces Basketball Championships were thus the equivalent of the All-Ireland Basketball Championships up until after World War II. The first two winners were the 5th Brigade (1928) and 6th Brigade (1929), and from then until the outbreak of the war (“The Emergency” as WWII was known as in Ireland), Battalions dominated, with the 5th winning six Championships, and the 4th and 3rd two each, along with one for the School of Music.

From 1941 onwards the Commands took over, with the Western Command being the best overall during the Cold War era, with the Republic of Ireland again being neutral like in WWII. The Western Command picked up 20 Championships from then until 1986, with nine runners-up spots, and the majority of the players on the 1948 Olympic Basketball team, until very recently the only team event where Ireland had competed in the Olympic Games.

Eastern Command took second in this table with 10 wins and six runners-up places, and coming on strongly in later years were the Air Corps with 6 Championships and 9 runners-up spots.

References

Archive Material

[1] Defense Forces Military Archives Cathal Brugha Barracks (1986) Document: DF AA/400/4 541/11-E12 “Basketball Championships: Established in 1928”  Requested by Enda Mulcahy on 12 October 2016.

Bibliography

[2] Shannon, Kieran (2009) “Chapter 2: The First Civilians” “Hanging from the Rafters: The story of Neptune and the Golden Age of Irish Basketball”. pp. 41-55. Echo Publications, Cork, Ireland.

[4] History Ireland (2012) Ireland ‘slam-dunked’: basketball at the 1948 games [Internet] Available from: https://www.historyireland.com/20th-century-contemporary-history/ireland-slam-dunked-basketball-at-the-1948-games/ [Accessed 30 April 2020]

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks to Sean, John and Richie.

ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 8 May 2022

(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2022

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