University of Galway Mystics have been awarded Social Media Club of the Year by Basketball Ireland, recognising the club’s outstanding digital presence throughout the season.
The award was presented on Saturday, May 23 at the Osprey Hotel in Naas. Mystics’ PRO Karen Smyth accepted the honour on behalf of the club from Robbie Fahy of Basketball Ireland.
As the only Women’s Division One basketball team in Connacht, Mystics’ win is even more significant. Competing against much larger clubs with broader structures, the award underscores the impact the club has made through creativity, consistency, and community engagement online.
“Visibility really matters in women’s sport. If young girls in the west of Ireland can see high-level women’s basketball being celebrated on social media, that’s incredibly important” said Mystics PRO, Karen Smyth.
“A lot of the work happens quietly behind the scenes, so it’s lovely to see it recognised nationally. From the players on the court, to the coaches, sponsors, photographers and supporters – this recognition belongs to the entire Mystics community,” she added.
As they look ahead to the next season, University of Galway Mystics remain committed to growing their community both on and off the court and continue to build a high-performance environment for talented players in the west of Ireland.
There were five other Galway awardees honoured on the night. Maree’s Michelle Fahy was inducted into the Basketball Ireland Hall of Fame. Adrian O’Neill was awarded the Tom Collins Award for his contribution to Post Primary Schools basketball. Titans had double the reason to celebrate as Fortune Igbokwe was named the U20 Male Player of the Year, while Jack Considine was named Men’s Underage Coach of the Year. Hannah Coen from Claregalway was named Volunteer of the Year – Connacht.
