Paul Meany

Player, Sport Administrator, Chairman and President of Basketball Ireland

Hall of Fame induction

2014

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National League

1978 Player Coach

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Administration roles

Treasurer of ABAI (now BI), Dublin Mens Basketball Board, National League, Executive Chairman of BI, President of BI (Basketball Ireland)

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Clubs

Marian Basketball Club (Founder member, player and coach)

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After being introduced to basketball in Marian College, Paul became one of the founding members of Marian Basketball Club in 1969. He was central to the club's first-ever National League winning team in 1978 as he player coached the team. He continued to play at National League level until 1982 and at local league until 2002, an incredible five decades of representing the club. Since retiring he has been one of the driving forces behind the clubs Super League team both on the sidelines and behind the scenes. 

As an administrator in the sport, Paul immediately got to work as he left school in 1969. He initially became treasurer of the Amateur Basketball Association of Ireland (as Basketball Ireland was then known), he also served as administrator of the Dublin Men's Basketball Board for 17 years. At National level he became the first administrator of the National League in 1973 and carried out the role until a full-time professional administrator took over in 1984. 

In the late 1980s he was part of a group that was formed to help the development of a National Basketball Arena, which came to fruition in 1993, he subsequently served as Chairman of the Arena Board. 

In the mid-1990s seeking a new development for his Marian Club, Paul joined with close friend Fran Ryan and helped develop a new relationship with UCD to form a partnership called UCD Marian which led the way for many other clubs to follow similar paths. 

In 2009 when a financial and governance crisis hit Basketball Ireland, Paul stepped into the breach and led the sport for 17 months as unpaid Executive Chairman (while continuing his day job as principal of Marian College). In 2011 the sport was in a strong enough position to hire a new Secretary General to move the sport forward. in 2013 he stepped away from his role as Chairman of the Basketball Ireland board feeling that the legacy issues had been dealt with and it was time for a new ideas and leadership. 

Paul also served as Basketball Ireland President from 1994 to 1997.