Wheelchair Basketball team claim Munster title in style.

On Thursday Coláiste Pobail Bheanntraí created history by winning the Munster Schools Wheelchair Basketball Championship. It was an early start to get to Neptune Stadium where our team played six schools from all over Munster in our pool and we had six wins led by Oisín O’Connor and ten other players that made up the squad, who were Charlie Curran, Paddy Russell, Clodagh Downey, Leah Cotter, Guido Toniolo, Chloe Coppinger, James Keane, Cathal McCarthy, Searlaith Bestor and Shona O’ Sullivan. Each player on the squad has a basketball background but the wheelchair game involves additional skills and these were both taught to them and displayed on the court by our inspirational captain, Oisín O’ Connor of the Rebel Wheelers Basketball Club. Oisín displayed skills on the chair that mesmerised both his teammates and opposition, and his passion for the game became contagious as his teammates seemed to familiarise themselves with the tempo of the game that he set. Paddy Russel and Guido Toniolo were excellent on defensive boards while Oisín O’ Connor, Leah Cotter and Charlie Curran were our leading scorers thanks to fantastic build up play from Clodagh Downey and Cathal McCarthy. Searlaith Bestor, Chloe Coppinger and Shona O’ Sullivan chipped in with a fantastic work rate and a good few scores.
After winning the pool CPB beat Carrigtwohill in the semi final to set up a final against St Brendan’s of Killarney, a school with a rich history of both GAA and Basketball. While the opening half was a tight affair the skill set shown by the Bantry team in the second half was too much for the Kerry team to overcome and when the buzzer went at full time the Bantry team had earned a well deseverd victory to be crowned Champions of Munster.
The team were greeted in Bantry by fire engines and Garda sirens and of course their family and friends. They were kindly sponsored treats in school on Friday morning by Mairead Allen where they all met up in the canteen to be congratulated by school management and staff.
It was a fantastic win which everybody enjoyed. The school waits patiently for the arrival of the ten sports wheelchairs which will allow more participation and solidify the status of inclusive sport in our school.

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