St. Vincent's, Sligo All-Stars and Bantry capture AIG U14 Boys AICC titles

St. Vincent's BC, Sligo All-Stars and Bantry BC became the final three clubs to take home silverware from the AIG All-Ireland Club Championships in 2026, as they captured the three divisions at U14 Boys level in Gormanston, Co. Meath at the weekend. 

St. Vincent's BC - 'A' Division

Sligo All-Stars - 'B' Division 

Bantry BC - 'C' Division

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An all-time run by Cian Neary in the knockout stages, including a 32-point performance in the final, led St. Vincent's BC to the 'A' Division title as they outlasted a strong Portlaoise Panthers 60-52 to ensure the trophy had a short trip back to North County Dublin.

The decider was a see-saw battle where both teams enjoyed time in the ascendency. Noah Hill, Michael McGrath and Danny Kerry shot out of the blocks in the opening half for Portlaoise. Their 22-points almost gave Panthers an interval lead, but for an Aidan Farrington free-throw to level the game at 29-29 with ten seconds on the clock. Neary began to find his stride with an early drive to the basket to begin the second half. That started a barrage of scoring, consisting of eight free-throws and seven baskets that brought his total down the stretcgh to 22 of his team's 31 points. 

Mantas Korsakas chipped in with 13 points, while Owen McKenna, Drake Dela Pena and Matthew Dillon added a further 13 in a famous win for the club from Glasnevin.

St. Vincent's run to the final saw them top Group 1 with victories over Limerick Lions, Portlaoise and Neptune BC, before double digit wins against Castlebar Comets and local rivals Malahide in the knockout rounds. Ultimately, St. Vincent's were the only team to beat Panthers, as they grabbed a narrow 44-41 success against Limerick Lions, as well as a one point win against Neptune in their final group stage contest. Queens fell at the quarter-final stage, while a tough defensive performance allowed them to advance to the final with a 35-28 win in their rematch with Lions. 

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Sligo All-Stars wrapped up the 'B' division title with a 43-32 win over a physical Limerick Celtics side that clinched a second trophy at this level for the club this year. Jamie McMorrow and James Ettery led the way in the final, scoring 27 points as Celtics had no answer for them in the paint. 

Their weekend started disappointingly however, going down 31-28 to 'A' division quarter-finalists St. Brendan's despite a late lifeline through a three from the aforementioned Ettery. The Orange and Black regrouped with wins against Athlone and Ballyshannon where Toby Glenister and Jack Conlon made big contributions coming off the bench. A second place finish in Group 4 set up a last eight tie with St. Joseph's. 

They put in a dominant performance to start day two. Seven different scorers got their names in the boxscore during a 43-28 win at the quarter-final stage, before Ettery, McMorrow and Jack Taylor showed their class in a 48-36 victory over Cork powerhouses Neptune. A 16-point first quarter established a lead that Sligo would never relinquish throughout. On the opposite side of the bracket, Limerick Celtics picked up wins over Kilkenny Stars and Drogheda Wolves to reach the final. Evan O'Mara, Karim El Mawla and Niko Borowicz all shining offensively in two hotly contested games. 

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Bobby Murnane and Oskar Ustanjowski were the heroes as Bantry lifted the 'C' division crown with a 54-49 success against Ballyshannon 88ers on Sunday afternoon.

Peadar Finnegan, Louis Travers and Sean Travers sparkled in the first-half to give the Donegal club a 26-22 point lead at the break. Bantry chipped away at their advantage in the third, but it was a final quarter blitz that go the Cork club over the line. Murnane and Ustanjowski combined for 10 points as they outscored their tiring opponents 17-10 in a great exhibition of basketball. 

Both teams had to work hard for their place in the final. Bantry needed to score 20-points in the 4th quarter to overcome Belfast Star 45-41 in the semi-finals, while Ballyshannon held off a late rally from Maree to record a 37-34 success at the same stage. Earlier on Sunday the teams had convincing wins over Athlone and Shannon Jets respectively in the last eight.