National Cup

Jan 13 2026

Preview: Teams get set for Domino’s MD1 National Cup and Domino's WD1 National Cup finals

Limerick Sport Eagles captain Daniel Shahab says his team are "confident" going into the Domino's MD1 National Cup final. The 2023/24 finalists face a Drogheda Wolves side who are joint-top of the Domino's Men's Division One table.

Eagles are having a strong season on all fronts. The Limerick side are at 9-4 and just one win off of the top of the table where their final opponents Drogheda Wolves currently sit at 10-3. Niall McDermott’s side have had a fairly convincing run in the cup, opening with a 12-point triumph over ND Audit Portlaoise Panthers, followed by a big 81-50 win over Carrick Cruisers to reach the last four. A semi-final win over Templeogue set up a date with Drogheda and Eagles’ Daniel Shahab has said it is business as usual in the days leading up to the final.

“You try not to change as much, you want to keep it somewhat of the same schedule. We all know it is a big thing, it is a very big thing for the club. All of the teams in the country want to be here so we know it is a major thing and we are definitely looking forward to it. We know Drogheda will be a good team going into it, so we'll definitely have a lot of preparation to do, but we have a lot of good players ourselves, we have a very deep team, we're confident going into it.” - Daniel Shahab , Limerick Sport Eagles

For Drogheda, finalists in 2021/22, it has been a very strong season to date for the Louth side. A strong playoff push along with a big cup run has really put the Wolves on the map this season. Vernon Jackson has been the star of the show for Drogheda this season, sitting in the top five in the league for points per game and is also second for scoring in the cup.

Drogheda have put on some strong showings in the MD1 National Cup, with a 35-point opening round triumph over Killarney Cougars, followed by a nail-biting win over Dublin Lions, thanks to late free throws from Jackson to send them to the semi-finals, where they defeated Ulster University by 13 to set up a final berth in the National Basketball Arena with the Eagles. Wolves captain Cian Crowley says that the team will use their previous final defeat as fuel in hopes of securing the cup this time around.

“It is a motivating factor, I think we are all just focused on the job at hand, there’s nothing else to it really, it is just a game of basketball at the end of the day. There is no alternative motives. Everyone can play how they want to but we just want to play basketball and get the job done at the end of the day.” - Cian Crowley, Drogheda Wolves

The Domino’s MD1 National Cup final will be shown live on BITV on Sunday at 2:30pm.

The top two sides in the Domino's Women's Division One contest the Domino’s WD1 National Cup final, as Cleveland Rockets take on Limerick Sport Huskies on Sunday afternoon.

Cleveland Rockets have had a stellar season to date, losing just two games all season. But it would appear that Limerick is their kryptonite, with both of their defeats coming against Limerick Celtics and their cup final opposition in Huskies. Rockets cup run has been quite dominant, in that they have only lost one quarter across their three games in the cup. Rockets opened with an 11-point win over Clunetech Kilkenny Stars in a what was a tight contest for the majority of the game. They followed that up by easing to victory over University of Galway Mystics by 40 points and then defeated one of their closest competitors in the league, Templeogue, 65-49 in the semi-final. Rockets’ Charley McGrath believes the form that Rockets have had will make a difference this weekend.

“We have worked really hard to get there, I think this year, we have really clicked as a team. I think it has all just fallen into place for us. We did have a loss last week, but I fell it has just fuelled us coming into this week.” - Charley McGrath, Cleveland Rockets

For Huskies, it has been a very strong season for the Limerick side. Patrick O’Regan’s side are currently sitting at the top of the Domino's Women's Division One, after a 5-1 start put them a strong position in the table. Huskies have also won their last two league games, including a big fourth quarter comeback victory over local rivals Limerick Celtics.

The cup for Huskies has been home to some of their most dominant games so far this season. After receiving a first-round bye, Huskies defeated Abbey Seals Dublin Lions by 43 points and beat Moy Tolka Rovers by 29 to reach the final in Dublin. Huskies' Sophie Moore is optimistic they have enough to overcome the in-form Rockets side.

“They are a very well-coached team. They are in-form, obviously over the last few games they have had a lot of wins, but we are confident and we are just going to go out and play our own game and our own team game.” - Sophie Moore, Limerick Sport Huskies

The Domino’s WD1 National Cup final will be live and exclusive on BITV this Sunday at 12:15.

National Cup finals Fixtures

Friday 16^th January

IWA National Cup Final

Rebel Wheelers v South East Swifts WCB, 1800

NICC Men’s National Cup Final

Phoenix Basketball v Killester, 2015

Saturday 17^th January

NICC Women’s National Cup Final

Fr. Mathews v Liffey Celtics, 1000

U20 Men’s National Cup Final

Neptune v Titans, 1215