Tom Collins hailed from Carran, a small village in the heart of the Burren in Co. Clare. Not surprisingly, he originally had a Gaelic football and hurling background.

It was only when Tom started teaching in St. Paul's in Monasterevin in 1972 that his lifelong passion for basketball took hold. St. Paul's had only seventy pupils and an outside court, but Tom and his good friend Gerry Mahony trained their team every day. They won the Midland League in their first year.

After St. Paul's lost the Midlands final in 1975, Niall Molloy, the renowned Athlone coach, told Tom to "go away and learn how to play basketball properly." That's exactly what Tom did.

In the summer of 1975, Tom went to the famous Dungarvan Summer Camp and took a coaching course. He never looked back. He began building contacts with other coaches, both at home and abroad. Together with his brothers, he set about building the gym in Monasterevin.

Over the next few years, Tom went on to win two All-Ireland titles with St. Paul's and became firmly established within Irish basketball.

It is for his work with the Irish Schoolgirls Committee that Tom is most renowned. A man of vision, Tom set trends rather than following them. His vision for basketball, combined with his motivational and administrative ability, resulted in a virtual revolution in the Schools Basketball Network in the 1980s.

In April 1992, Tom became the first full-time Schools Development Officer. During his time in this position, participation rates rose dramatically, and he also spearheaded major developments in coaching, refereeing and administration. The successful structure he put in place for Schools Basketball made Ireland a model for other countries.

Tom continued to work tirelessly for Schools Basketball, even while fighting a deeply private battle with illness. His legacy to the sport he loved is reflected in the hundreds of motivated teachers, coaches, officials and administrators who follow his example, as well as the many players he inspired.

A truly remarkable man, he will always be deeply missed by all in Irish basketball.

Ní bheidh a leithéid ann arís.