'Weird' but wonderful family dynasty and Killester intertwines for Michelle Clarke

Pyrobel Killester have had their fair share of heartaches but in the last couple of years, everything's been coming up Milhouse on the big days.

Last year, the Dublin club won the Paudie O'Connor Cup and then three weeks ago they ended a 44-year wait for a league title triumph by beating FloMAX Liffey Celtic in the winner-takes-all decider.

This Sunday, they will be back at the National Basketball Arena once again to vie for further glory in the MissQuote.ie Champions Trophy final against SETU Waterford Wildcats, while their men's team will also be in final action later that evening.

So the trophy cabinet could well be heaving if all goes well for Killester but their captain Michelle Clarke has been getting used to handling silverware and is following a long-held family tradition of success and dedication in the sport.

Indeed, when the Ireland international was being handed the league trophy on 23 March, it was her aunt Breda Dick who did the honours, a poignant moment that had a direct connection to the Killester women's team that had last hoisted the crown back in 1980.

"My auntie Breda, I didn't realise until afterwards but she was actually the captain of the last winning team 44 years ago so it was a really special moment to have her of all people presenting it," Clarke tells RTÉ Sport.

"She did try to get my mam out of the crowd who was also on the team with her but my mam is not one to get in front of big crowds unless she's playing herself. It was a really special day for the family and for the club. I think I had over 20 family members either on the sidelines with me or in the crowd."

As that anecdote clearly underlines, when it comes to basketball and specifically Killester, the branches of Clarke's family tree reach