Women's basketball Ireland immersion tour blog

The Holy Cross women's basketball team is taking part in an immersion tour in Ireland from July 26 until August 3, 2023 visiting Dublin, Galway and Cork . Not only will the team compete against local club teams, but student-athletes will also have the chance to experience authentic Irish culture and visit historical landmarks throughout their travels. Student-athletes and coaches will describe their experiences abroad throughout the trip.

CORK/DAY SEVEN:

To start the morning we woke up and had breakfast before heading to Blarney Castle. At Blarney Castle we were able to explore the gardens, discover the hidden waterfalls, and kiss a legend: the Blarney Stone. Shortly thereafter we traveled to the English Market in downtown Cork, where we shopped and ate a wide variety of foods. However, the best part of the day had to be learning the different traditional Irish games: Hurling, Gaelic Football, and Gaelic Handball. After running around for a few hours, we settled down for a big family dinner, followed by some tasty gelato. We ended the night back in our hotel, getting ready for tomorrow’s flight back to the States! - Junior Lauren Huber

BUNRATTY CASTLE/DAY SIX:

 Before the Crusaders hit the floor, the team departed Galway and headed to Cork. The squad stopped at Bunratty Castle and Folk Park and took a guided tour of the castle which which was completed in 1425. Following the tour the team got back on the bus and left for the hotel where they had a pregame meal and some downtime before their game at the newly completed MTU Arena on the campus of Munster Technological University. 

THE GAME: HOLY CROSS AT CORK

The Crusaders outscored Cork 46-30 in the second half to earn a commanding 84-66 victory at the MTU Arena. Senior Bronagh Power-Cassidy paced the guests with 25 points (14 in the first half) including seven long range connections while classmate Cara McCormack chipped in 14 points and four three-balls. Senior Janelle Allen opened the scoring for both sides at the 8:26 mark in the first stanza getting an old fashioned three point play. A drive by Allen later on bumped the lead up to 10 giving the Crusaders their biggest lead of the half (24-14). Cork battled back and leveled the margin at 36 apiece before a junior Lindsay Berger bucket gave Holy Cross the 38-36 advantage heading into the intermission. The Crusaders opened up the game in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Irish 24-9, with Power-Cassidy, freshman Simone Lewis, junior Grace Munt and sophomore Simone Foreman all hitting from beyond the three-point arc.

After the game, the Crusaders met up with member of the Fr. Matthews Basketball Club. Holy Cross will remain in Cork and will head to the Blarney Castle tomorrow. 

COACH'S CORNER:

First we have to give props to the Cork team and the atmosphere they created. It’s was amazing watching Bronagh drop 25 in her home country versus her friends that she grew up with and to put it in Irish terms - it’s super grand!  As a team I was happy how we locked in during the fourth quarter and finally got some stops. It’s the summer, so it’s really about getting everyone time and the opportunity to get a feel for our system in a real game. Cara continued her shooting streak and I thought overall our team did a fantastic job of sharing the basketball. I’m really looking forward to see how this experience pays dividends during the season. Tomorrow we wrap up the trip to the Gaelic Games, I’m looking forward to dominating all day. - Assistant Coach Candice Green

GALWAY/DAY FIVE:

Our first full day in Galway was a ton of fun! We woke up and had a yummy team breakfast in the hotel and then headed to a local gym for a youth clinic. We coached a group of around 20 children who live in and around Galway. My teammates and I had so much fun! Right after the youth clinic, we had a team practice to prepare for our game tomorrow. After practice, we hopped back on the bus and headed back to the hotel to freshen up before we went into Galway for the night. The team had some free time to explore the city of Galway, which was probably one of my favorite stops of the Ireland tour. The city is full culture and had a ton of restaurants and shops to go to. After the evening in Galway, we ended back in our hotel as we get ready for our trip to Cork tomorrow! - Junior Lindsay Berger

CLIFFS OF MOHER/DAY FOUR:

Today we woke up and had an early breakfast before getting on the bus to leave Dublin. We then had a long drive across the country until we finally arrived at the Cliffs of Moher! It was a little misty and rainy but we were lucky to have some time to walk around and explore the cliffs, which were gorgeous, before getting some food. After, we went to the gift shops before leaving to go to our next hotel. After checking in we all relaxed in our rooms before grabbing dinner at the restaurant in the hotel. Then we had a team stretch before going to bed. - Sophomore Mary-Elizabeth Donnelly

DUBLIN/DAY THREE:

GAME. DAY. Before the game, the team took a guided tour of St. Patrick's Cathedral which was built in 1191. Following the tour, the Crusaders then hopped on a World War Two amphibious DUKW for a Viking Splash Tour which drove on land through the streets of Dublin and through the water. The guide, Paul had the team rolling over with laughter throughout the hour long excursion. Following the tour the squad ate a pre game meal and departed for the Leixlip Amenities Sports Centre. 

THE GAME: HOLY CROSS AT IRELAND

The Crusaders led 20-12 through the opening 10 minutes with senior Cara McCormack scoring 11 of her 20 points in the opening frame. Ireland battled back to take a three point halftime edge 32-29. A 17-15 third period in favor of the Crusaders dropped the deficit to one, 47-46. Sophomore Simone Foreman connected on four made free throws to push the guests back ahead 50-47. Ireland then reclaimed the lead for good using a 13-2 run on the strenghth of the three-ball as four of their six three-point conversions came in the final stanza. Senior Bronagh Power-Cassidy joined McCormack in double-figures with 10 markers. 

After the game, the Crusaders met up with members of the Ireland team and former player Elieen Bradley '97. Holy Cross will depart to Galway for their next stop on the foreign trip. 

COACH'S CORNER

Tonight was a great effort against a very talented Irish team. The atmosphere in the gym was terrific and we really appreciated the hospitality from everyone! It was an exciting game that saw many lead changes and I was proud of how we competed to come back from down in the 3rd quarter. I thought we adjusted to the 24 second shot clock well and played a quick, uptempo game. Cara’s energy in the first half really gave us the confidence we needed and made some tough deep 3’s against Ireland’s pressure defense. It was great to see 10 people score as well and felt everyone contributed for us tonight! Ireland made some big plays down the stretch, especially from “3” to come away with the win. It was a great experience to play against national level players, we thank Ireland for the opportunity to compete! - Head Coach Maureen Magarity

DUBLIN/DAY TWO:

We had an early wake up and breakfast before heading to practice at 9:30 a.m. After practice, we had some down time at the hotel where we had a quick lunch. At 3:00 p.m. we went on a tour of the EPIC museum where we learned about the journeys taken by Irish immigrants around the world. From there, we went to Bronagh’s house for dinner, had amazing food, and birthday cake to celebrate my 20th birthday! Finally, on the way back we had a rap battle on the bus where Janelle dedicated a beautiful song to me. - Junior Grace Munt

TRAVEL DAY/DAY ONE:

We took off from Logan around 6 p.m. on Wednesday July 26. We had a smooth ride and we landed in Dublin around 4:30 a.m. As soon as we got off the plane, we retrieved our bags and went through customs. Once we secured our luggage, we met the families that also flew to Ireland just outside the gate. From there we got on the bus and headed to breakfast. After breakfast, we boarded the bus and did a bus/walking tour of Dublin and got to explore the city while fighting off some serious jetlag due to the time change. At 2 p.m. Dublin time, we finished the tour, checked into the hotel and were able to have some down time to chill at the hotel for the rest of the day. - Sophomore Meg Cahalan

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