Tony Burke

Tony's involvement started at as player over 65 years ago. After 12 yrs playing he decided to take up refereeing & the love affair commenced.

Tony Burke is one of the most respected and outstanding referees and personalities in Irish basketball over the decades.

Although a fine player in his own right playing with Corinthians and later Killester, Tony would really make his mark as a referee, being particularly renowned for his knowledge of the rules and exceptional communication with, and empathy for, players.

As Paul Dempsey, the referee manager with Basketball Ireland, once observed, “He was able to diffuse any situation with the right word, look or even smile, at always the right time.” Or as Tony himself once remarked, “I never blew my way through a game but just tried to manage it by communicating with the players; in other words, by preventative refereeing.”

As well as officiating countless national finals, Tony would go on to be an outstanding FIBA referee and commissioner as well as our national appointments officer.

With such a passion for the game and its players and coaches, it was not surprising that Tony would also serve as a team manager to multiple national teams, particularly various underage teams coached by John O’Connor, and later sit on Basketball Ireland’s board of directors.