An Invitation to Compete:
Austin Masters at the Galway Masters
An Invite-Only Team for Austin’s Over-50 Basketball Guys — Galway, Ireland
Text Chris Corbett: 512-921-4444
Real photo — Austin Masters at the Santander Masters Basketball Tournament, June 2026
First things first: one team. One tournament. Done right.
We told you last time that Galway might be next. It is.
Same team we built for Santander. Same standard. New country.
Galway Masters Basketball Tournament
Friday, October 30 – Sunday, November 1, 2026 — Galway City, Ireland
This one’s been running since 2011. It’s grown every year since — this year is the 13th, and past editions have drawn close to 50 teams from the USA, Canada, Italy, Spain, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Ireland. Everybody plays at one venue: the Kingfisher Club at the University of Galway Sports Centre. Real games, real referees, real competition — not a rec-league reunion.
We’re entering the Men’s Over-50 division.
(Galway also runs Men’s 40s, 60s, and 65s, and Women’s 40s, 45s, 50s, and 55s — if you’re not 50-and-up, ask us about other Austin teams forming for different divisions.)
Ireland, and a real bracket.
Galway’s a walking city — cobblestone streets, live trad music pouring out of the pubs on Quay Street, the Atlantic right there at your doorstep. It’s the kind of place where you play hard for two hours and then spend the evening doing it right — good food, good pints, good company. Most guys who make this trip carve out an extra day or two for the Cliffs of Moher or the Wild Atlantic Way. You’re not just flying over for a bracket. You’re going to Ireland.
Here’s how it runs.
Arrival, team dinner
Games at the Kingfisher Club (NUIG), plus the tournament’s Gala Dinner Saturday night
Finals wrap up Sunday — most of us extend through Monday to actually see the country before flying home
The official schedule dropped in July. Here’s where we play — Men’s 50s, Group 2, alongside White Chocolate and Manchester Panthers:
| Day | Time / Court | Matchup |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, Oct 30 | 5:10 PM · Court 3 | Austin Masters vs. White Chocolate |
| Saturday, Oct 31 | 3:00 PM · Court 3 | Austin Masters vs. Manchester Panthers |
| Sunday, Nov 1 | Cup / Plate bracket | Time & opponent set by pool standings — win Friday & Saturday and Sunday gets a lot more interesting |
- Friday, Oct 30 Games — Courts 1–3, NUIG (full PDF)
- Saturday, Oct 31 Games — Courts 1–3, NUIG (full PDF)
- Sunday, Nov 1 Finals & Playoffs — Courts 1–3, NUIG (full PDF)
- 2026 Team Pools — All Divisions (full PDF)
He’s not disappearing for a boys’ trip to nowhere. This is a real tournament, in a beautiful city, with a team that takes it seriously. Plenty of partners come along and make a vacation out of it — Galway’s an easy, walkable, safe place to spend a week. If you want the honest version of what this trip actually looks like, call me. I’ll tell you straight.
What This Costs
This team is self-funded, same as always. Nobody’s getting a scholarship to play in Ireland. Here’s the real breakdown:
| Tournament entry fee €420 total, split 8 ways — rates shift a little before October | €52.50 (≈ $60.70 USD) |
| Team deposit Refundable — but only if you actually show up and play. No-shows forfeit it. | $100 |
| Uniform fee New team members only — covers your full kit, jersey and shorts. Returning players skip this. | $200 |
| Flights On you. Shannon is about an hour from Galway; Dublin is roughly 2.5 hours. Book early. | — |
| Gala Dinner, meals, incidentals Separate, and worth budgeting for — it’s part of the experience | — |
We handle the organizing, the communication, and making sure the team shows up ready. You handle getting yourself there — and getting your fees in on time.
The real Austin Masters kit — navy and white, home and away. New players: this is what your $200 covers.
This isn’t a reunion team. It isn’t “let’s get the old crew together and see what happens.” If you haven’t touched a basketball in five years and you’re looking for a nostalgia trip, this isn’t it.
You’re over 50, and you still play — or you used to play at a real level and you’re not far off. You understand team basketball: spacing, roles, moving without the ball. You take care of your body enough to compete for three days in a row. You’ve got the time and the means to make an international trip work. And you actually care about representing this team well, on the court and off it.
This is the team. Not a reunion — a roster.
This One’s for You
You put your kids first. Your job first. Everybody else’s calendar before your own. That’s not a complaint — that’s just what being a good man over 50 looks like most days.
This is the one that goes on the calendar for you.
Not a someday. A real date — October 30 — that gives you a reason to get back in the gym, tighten up your conditioning, and maybe finally deal with the fifteen pounds you’ve been talking about since last spring. A goal with a deadline does something a New Year’s resolution never does.
And it doesn’t stop when the tournament does. This is a club now — guys who play, guys who travel, guys who show up for each other on and off the court. Santander was the first stop. Galway’s the next one. There will be another after that.
Your family gets a better version of you when you take care of this part of yourself. That’s not an excuse. That’s just true.
European club mindset — calm, clear, non-negotiable.
- Show up prepared. Conditioning is your job, not ours.
- Defend, space the floor, move the ball.
- Accept your role. Nobody’s ego is bigger than the team.
- Respect the referees, respect the opponent — they’re the same volunteers who make this whole thing possible.
- Carry yourself well, on the court and off it. Leave politics and drama at home.
3 spots. That’s it.
This isn’t an open tryout, and it’s not first-come-first-served. Spots are limited — a 12-man roster gets you the tee shirts and gets you a real rotation, nothing more. What we’re looking at:
- Can you actually still play
- Are you in shape now, or do you have a credible plan to get there before October
- Can we count on you — for practices, for the trip, for showing up
- Do you handle yourself like an adult
- Do you fit with the guys already on this team
Not your résumé from twenty years ago. Where you are right now, and where you’re headed.
Think this is you?
Don’t wait on this one — there are only 3 spots left on the roster.
Do your homework.
galwaymasters.ieOfficial rules, venue directions, accommodation, and entry info. Visit site →
Galway Masters 2024 — One Shining MomentThe tournament’s own highlight reel from last year’s event (Gold Clover Studios). Three minutes, and it’s exactly the energy you’re walking into. Watch →
How to Spend One Day in Galway, Ireland151K views for a reason (Adventures of Matt and Nat). Covers exactly what to see, do, and eat. Watch →
If this sounds like you — or someone you know — don’t overthink it.
Start a quiet conversation.
Text Chris Corbett: 512-921-4444
No pressure. No hype. No chasing.
Just one team, one tournament, done right.
