Lions coach Tommy Walsh leads the Ireland Under-20 men into the FIBA U20 European Championship in Yerevan, which tips off today.
Walk into a Lions session and Tommy Walsh is one of the coaches putting young players through their paces. Today he is somewhere rather different. He is on the bench of the Ireland Under-20 Men's team, head coach for the FIBA U20 European Championship, which starts today in Yerevan, Armenia.
It is a role the club is proud to see one of its own take on. The job gets real this week, in front of the rest of Europe.
There is something fitting about a coach from a junior club in Limerick standing on an international bench. The grounding is the same. The same eye for a young player, the same insistence on doing the small things right. That is what Walsh brings, and it is what got him here.
It is a proud day for everyone connected to the Lions. We will keep an eye on Yerevan over the coming days as Ireland's campaign begins.