TV Show recommendations

[gallsman]

Are st Malachys Belfast not big into basketball? Looking at donaghy's laochra Gael show the top league looks to have a bit of a following.

i went to a good few star of the sea games at Maysfield, it was a decent standard with Gareth Maguire , Aidrain Fulton and Javan Dupree  to the fore.
It must have been C4 but i definitely  remember watching some of these laker / celtic finals in the 80;s ( as well as the bulls finals of the 90s )

Played football with Gareth Maguire, serious athlete and took to football late on. Lives by me here see him most days on the beach. Good guy

Didn't know he played football. Two of his the daughters are on scholarships to college in the US. I imagine the third one will follow suit in a few years time. Seriously talented family by the looks of things.

[Newbridge Exile]

Are st Malachys Belfast not big into basketball? Looking at donaghy's laochra Gael show the top league looks to have a bit of a following.

i went to a good few star of the sea games at Maysfield, it was a decent standard with Gareth Maguire , Aidrain Fulton and Javan Dupree  to the fore.
It must have been C4 but i definitely  remember watching some of these laker / celtic finals in the 80;s ( as well as the bulls finals of the 90s )

Played football with Gareth Maguire, serious athlete and took to football late on. Lives by me here see him most days on the beach. Good guy

Remember him playing a wee bit of football, sound fella to boot

[nrico2006]

I never would have guessed that basketball was such a popular sport here with so many knowledgeable followers, who must have played the game at some level themselves and avidly followed the fortunes of Michael Jordon et al in the NBA in the 1990s, however that was possible -  perhaps by a transatlantic phone connection?

Even I was a basketball fan in the 90s - I recorded the late night games that were broadcast by c4 (definitely a few programmes broadcast per week) and followed the league closely at the time. I used to get this bi-weekly magazine/newspaper thing on the NBA, and had poster of Michael Jordan in my room...no transatlantic phonecalls required.

Basketball was big in Strabane and St Colmans HS back in the day

Yeah, the incredibly enthusiastic coach in Strabane certainly got me playing the game (which I kept playing through uni with Queen's - not an overly-successful team, but the inter-varsities tournaments were great craic).

I remember there being a few teams about the town and I had Gary Connolly as form teacher when he was playing with Star in Belfast.

[screenexile]

I never would have guessed that basketball was such a popular sport here with so many knowledgeable followers, who must have played the game at some level themselves and avidly followed the fortunes of Michael Jordon et al in the NBA in the 1990s, however that was possible -  perhaps by a transatlantic phone connection?
Perhaps we just knew things differently before broadband. We'd look at a photo in the newspaper and just know that such and such was a class act.

2 pages since and this comment hasn't aged any better!!

[An Watcher]

Jesus that little boy blue show on TV now is hard viewing. Can't believe the murder of that young fella was thirteen years ago.

[quit yo jibbajabba]

Watched it few months back. Great actin but yeah a tough watch

[SHEEDY]

Jesus that little boy blue show on TV now is hard viewing. Can't believe the murder of that young fella was thirteen years ago.

as an everton fan with a child of the same age its definitely a tough watch 😥

[Never beat the deeler]

Stumbled across a 6 part mini-series called from 2017 Broken on Netflix that I hadn't seen discussed on here.

Sean Bean plays a priest in a poor part of Sheffield.
I found it enjoyable - well written and shot. Sean Bean puts in some great performances.

[Gold]

I never would have guessed that basketball was such a popular sport here with so many knowledgeable followers, who must have played the game at some level themselves and avidly followed the fortunes of Michael Jordon et al in the NBA in the 1990s, however that was possible -  perhaps by a transatlantic phone connection?

Even I was a basketball fan in the 90s - I recorded the late night games that were broadcast by c4 (definitely a few programmes broadcast per week) and followed the league closely at the time. I used to get this bi-weekly magazine/newspaper thing on the NBA, and had poster of Michael Jordan in my room...no transatlantic phonecalls required.

Basketball was big in Strabane and St Colmans HS back in the day

Yeah, the incredibly enthusiastic coach in Strabane certainly got me playing the game (which I kept playing through uni with Queen's - not an overly-successful team, but the inter-varsities tournaments were great craic).

I remember there being a few teams about the town and I had Gary Connolly as form teacher when he was playing with Star in Belfast.

Connolly was a v good player
St Galls were class in 80s and played in the Superleague (top all Ireland division) until mid 90s. The atmosphere was incredible in Andytown Leisure Centre on Sat nights for games against teams like Liam McHales Ballina. Like now each team had 2 American players who maybe played college ball in the states and came over here for a year to do a Masters and get free digs and paid for a bit of coaching...the Americans are usually able to play above the rim...so always brings the house down when they dunk!

Galls left the superleague and Maguire left Galls and teamed up with Adrian Fulton and Javan Dupree at Star and they won 2 leagues back to back in the mid 90s. the games v the Cork and Dublin teams and Ballina were electric in Maysfield. Queens and Dungannon were playing at the top level too around then...paying the Americans through sponsership etc is incredibly difficult and like most clubs the responsibility falls on too few to sort that...so inevitably many clubs couldnt keep it going and dropped out of the Superleague

Belfast Star are the only Northern side left and won the league last month, the 1st since the mid 90s

Fultons son CJ is still at school in St Malachys but is leaving for the States on a scholarship and will be a huge loss

Interestingly John Stockton came here at the height of his NBA Utah fame and coached at Dungarvan Basketball Camps and Dungannon. The man has the most steals and assists in NBA History

Class sport and so physical...After playing it it blows my mind how people cant work in massive spaces in GAA ...for example in basketball if youre 2 on one you draw the man and pass for an easy layup or dunk...if you dont draw the man and instead you pullup and shoot and miss youll be taken off. Mad that in GAA with so much more space and 2 on 1 some attacker might close his eyes and blast a shot rather than drawing the keeper or full back and then passing to the free man. Maybe thats why St Galls were so good at Summer Football and 7s with their bball background and Ryan McHugh style palmed goals. Even MDMA with his limited football skills will drive at a man, punch holes and lay it off...all from his bball days at Killester. I havent even mentioned the obvious skill benefits gained by Star Donaghy from his lofetime playing bball

Also bball helps with using body and backside to hold onto the ball etc..many transferable skills to GAA

[imtommygunn]

That's interesting reading gold. Was pj ohare a basket baller? Was he any good? I mind seeing big John Kennedy playing for st galls. If I remember rightly he was a notable basket baller too?

[laoislad]

I never would have guessed that basketball was such a popular sport here with so many knowledgeable followers, who must have played the game at some level themselves and avidly followed the fortunes of Michael Jordon et al in the NBA in the 1990s, however that was possible -  perhaps by a transatlantic phone connection?
Perhaps we just knew things differently before broadband. We'd look at a photo in the newspaper and just know that such and such was a class act.

2 pages since and this comment hasn't aged any better!!

Wouldn't be the first time he's made an ass of himself on here.

[Milltown Row2]

That's interesting reading gold. Was pj ohare a basket baller? Was he any good? I mind seeing big John Kennedy playing for st galls. If I remember rightly he was a notable basket baller too?

PJ and the MvGourtys and Michael Gribben were all big players on that team Fra Dick also great player and all turned out for the club, hurling and football!

[imtommygunn]

No player burnout then!

[Milltown Row2]

No player burnout then!

Burn out is a myth! Those lads were playing in Ulster finals (2 in a row) mid 80's

[Gold]

That's interesting reading gold. Was pj ohare a basket baller? Was he any good? I mind seeing big John Kennedy playing for st galls. If I remember rightly he was a notable basket baller too?

PJ and the MvGourtys and Michael Gribben were all big players on that team Fra Dick also great player and all turned out for the club, hurling and football!

Apparently PJ was great as was Sean McGourty but just before my time.

Big John Kennedy was v strong, great player, as was his brother Paul, v classy player. Aidan Donnelly who played GAA for St Pauls and Antrim for years was a lightening fast point guard for St Galls as was his brother Fergie. All those men wouldve travelled serious miles to play away games in packed Saturday night halls in places like Cork and maybe drove home straight after.  Serious commitment but id say the craic was good too...the noise in Andytown leisure centre was serious...all us kids allowed on at half time to shoot...class times.
Andytown also hosted the Allstar Game 1 year (now defunct) which was basically just 6 foot 5, giant American players dunking on each other...the athleticism was off the charts to see up close...class occasion!

Great sport for helping control a ball in tight spaces and keeping your head up and eyes open.