Outside of army personnel, it's difficult to say what civilian really started the whole basketball bug. One person who was very much involved in the beginning right up till quite recently was Fr. Joseph Horan. To recent participants he will be remembered as the person who built the Oblate Hall, founded the Naomh Mhuire club and helped pioneer European Cup basketball. But in the early years he founded the UCD club and inspired many around him to ,spread the gospel' of hoop. In 1991 he recorded a detailed interview on a number of aspects from the early days.

On the physical nature of the game: The early games of basketball in Ireland were very physical. Fr. Horan was keen to see International Rules apply. He said "I was playing international rules with no bodily contact, they were playing Irish Rules with murder in their hearts." Many neutral observers would probably contradict this. Indeed, as he himself later said 'I never really finished many games then."

On the issue of a National Stadium: 'The idea was supported by the National Executive in the 60's. There were a number of fundraising ideas tried including a 'buy a brick' campaign. However the amount of money raised was never sufficient to proceed. At one stage the Association could have purchased an aircraft hanger in Northern Ireland for 11,500. Cork though continually objected on the basis that a central stadium would mean all games being played in Dublin. I contacted the Minister of State at Public Works - who had been in jail with my uncle, and we got land from Dublin Corporation on Nephin Rd.(1957). But the nuns objected on the basis of youngsters playing near the convent." On why he was asked to resign at one stage: "I had a row with Comm. Heffernan over asking players from Northern Ireland to play on a Sunday. Because of the controversy surrounding this my superiors asked my to resign."

On why he was asked to resign at one stage: "I had a row with Comm. Heffernan over asking players from Northern Ireland to play on a Sunday. Because of the controversy surrounding this my superiors asked my to resign." on the Blitz idea: "I brought this concept back from Rome. Essentially it afforded the opportunity to bring lots of teams together in one day, I called it 'basketball in a hurry'.

In 1963 the Belfast Celtic's played on front of a crowd estimated between 3,000 and 7,000 at the Kings Hall in Belfast. Another Belfast team, Collegians entered Europe the following year. But the first Irish club that took play in the European Cup was the famous Dublin Celtic's team of 1960.

Donal O'Donoghue is from a family with a rich association with the game in Cork. As was the case elsewhere the game in Cork had its origins in the Army with Neptune being the first organised civilian club, founded in 1948. With proper facilities in short supply, almost all the games had to be played in the Collins Barracks. But this had one particular advantage as Donal O'Donoghue says "It made controlling registration very easy as all personnel going into the barracks had to be cleared for security reasons - there were no illegal players then.'

In Northern Ireland the sport had three great sources of inspiration. 1) the US Navy base in Derry 2) Visiting Aircraft carriers to Belfast in the late 40's would invite local teams to play on-board, and 3) the Mormons encouraged basketball as a means of community involvement through sport. In the early days of the Irish Association, Northern Ireland contributed some of the main thinkers on the game including George Glasgow, Denis Hughes, Ken Davenport and Brian McMahon.

In 1963 the Belfast Celtic's played on front of a crowd estimated between 3,000 and 7,000 at the Kings Hall in Belfast. Another Belfast team, Collegians entered Europe the following year. But the first Irish club that took play in the European Cup was the famous Dublin Celtic's team of 1960.