The Official Newsletter from the Republic Of Ireland Billiards & Snooker Association

Address : Snooker HQ Issue 5 2017/2018 Unit 8 Barrowvalley Retail Park, Carlow. Email : [email protected] -Text : 085 242 8701 – www.ribsa.ie Crucible SC win Munster and All Ireland Club Championship in style

The Crucible Snooker Club in Cork City won their first ever All Ireland Snooker Club Championships in the Gleneagles Hotel in Killarney on Saturday night the 27th of January. In the final the current Munster Club Champions faced the current Leinster Club Champions and it was the Crucible who beat the Kilkenny Shed in a thrilling final 3 matches to 2. The win created a fantastic double for the Cork men who won the Munster Club Title the previous weekend. © Designed by PJ Nolan RIBSA ™ Donoghue wins Senior Event 4 – DBSL Cup

Brendan O Donoghue from the New Institute SC in Nenagh won the fourth RIBSA Senior Snooker Ranking event ” The Premier Cup ” sponsored by DBSL on Sunday the 7th of January in the Ivy Rooms SC, Carlow. The final was streamed all over the world using the new RIBSA streaming service and this is becoming very popular with everyone. The final Brendan O Donoghue from the New Institute SC in Nenagh played Michael Judge from the Q Club Wicklow in a best of 7 frame match refereed by Brendan Devlin. Brendan got off to a flyer winning the opening frame. In frame 2 Judge fought back to level at 1-1. In frame 3 Michael made a fantastic 138 clearance to go 2-1 up. In frame 4 and 5 went to the Nenagh man to lead 3-2. In 6 back came Judge to level at 3-3 and set up a dramatic decider. In the decider Brendan potted Green, Brown, Blue and Pink to win the Title. The Semi Finals Brendan beat 15 year old Aaron Hill from the Crucible who was playing in his first senior semi-final 4 frames to 1 with young Hill making a superb 127 clearance in the match. Hill beat Stephen Bateman, Alan O Connor, James Darcy and Ryan Cronin on route and Brendan had wins over Jason Devaney, Paul Griffin, Peter Donegan and Vincent Meaney. RIBSA Senior Event 5 - Saturday the 24th February Text your entry to RIBSA on 085 2428701. This is a text number only and you must include your name, club and name of the event you wish to enter. Farrell wins Masters Event 4 – Donegal Cup

John Farrell won the fourth RIBSA Masters Snooker Ranking event of the season ‘’ The Donegal Cup ‘’ sponsored by John Doherty from the Northwest Snooker Club in Letterkenny on Sunday the 7th of January in the Ivy Rooms Snooker Club, Carlow.

The Final The top 2 seeds John Torpey from St Johns Limerick and John Farrell from Terry Rogers SC in Dublin faced each other in the final to battle for the title. Farrell was to hot on the day winning the title 3 frames to nil.

The Semi Finals John Torpey beat Mark Tuite from St Johns 3 frames to nil and John Farrell beat George O Hara 3 frames to 2 in two excellent matches.

RIBSA Masters Event 5 - Sunday the 25th February Text your entry to RIBSA on 085 2428701.This is a text number only and you must include your name, club and name of the event you wish to enter. EBSA Championships – Sofia Bulgaria

EBSA U-18, U-21 and Mens Snooker Championships Sofia, Bulgaria

Good luck to Aaron Hill, Ross Bulman, Mark Gleeson, Ronan Whyte, Stephen Bateman, Aaron Holland, Brendan O Donoghue, TJ Dowling, Greg Casey and Rodney Goggins who will compete in the three European Championships in Bulgaria. Team Championships – Doha Qatar

Good luck to the RIBSA Team of 1 of Brendan O Donoghue & Michael Judge and Team 2 of Greg Casey & Mark Tuite in the first ACBS and IBSF Championships in Doha Qatar RIBSA Junior Snooker Developmental Day Held

The Republic of Ireland Billiards & Snooker Association held a very successful Junior Snooker promotional and developmental day on Saturday the 30th of December in the Ivy Rooms Sc in Carlow. All junior U-21 players in Ireland were invited to attend the day with our Irish National Coach PJ Nolan and his team of RIBSA Qualified Coaches to learn some skills of the game.

RIBSA would like to thank all the clubs who encouraged as many of their young members to attend this promotion day. The two mini games tournament were won by Adam Quinn from Edenderry SC and Noel Glesson from New Institute SC with superb snooker on the day and they were presented with their awards by Jim Leacy (RIBSA Chairman), Ger Murray (Vice Chairman) and Tony Thorpe (RIBSA Secretary) Murray wins Billiards Event 4

The fifth tournament of the Senior Billiards series was won by Aidan Murray after a great final against Wayne Doyle played at Celbridge Snooker Club on Sunday, 14th of January 2018.

Reigning Billiards short-format champion, Aidan Murray, still smarting from his defeat at the hands of Larry Drennan in the semi final of last month’s tournament, tasted sweet revenge when he turned the tables on Larry in a very open semi final game and then proceeded to take the season’s fifth tournament in a high scoring final.

Early round eliminations were Aonghus McAnally (Portmarnock) and Northern Ireland ex international Tommy Murphy, now resident in the republic and making his very welcome debut on the Senior Billiards scene.

The semi finalists in the top half of the draw were Wayne Doyle (Dun Laoghaire) and John Kehoe (Enniscorthy), Wayne having taken his place in the semi final when he won his quarter final against Lloyd Myers (AOH Cork) by almost double scores while, by contrast,

John came through his quarter final against Joe Doheny (Borris-in- Ossory) in the tightest match of the day, taking the game by a mere 2 points. In the semi finals, Wayne soon struck winning form, scoring the more freely of the two to claim his place in the final, relatively unchallenged by John and Aidan beat Larry Drennan in the other semi. Club News Round-up All Ireland B Club Champions – CYMS Letterkenny

Congratulations to CYMS Letterkenny on winning the 2018 All Ireland B Club Championship in the Gleneagles Hotel in Killarney on Sunday the 28th of January. In the final the Donegal men beat a brave New Institute SC team from Nenagh in the final 3 matches to nil. Douglas SC win B Munster Championship Club Title

Congratulations to Douglas SC in Cork city on winning the Munster B Club Title in the Gleneagles Hotel in Killarney. In the final they beat New Institute. In the final they beat New Institute SC team from Nenagh in the final 3 matches to nil. O Brien retains the Peter McNally Memorial

Benny O Brien from the Kilkenny Shed retained the Peter McNally Memorial Snooker tournament in the Edenderry Snooker Club on Sunday the 21st of January. In the final of this prestigious event Benny beat Keith Sheldreck from Q Club Wicklow 4 frames to 2 in a superb match.

The high break prize went to Andrew Doherty with a superb 120 break which was almost a maximum after he potted 15 reds and black but snookered himself on the yellow.

Edenderry SC would like all the players on making it another great event. EBSA Coaching Camp with PJ – Europeans 2018

RIBSA held their final EBSA training day on Tuesday the 30th of January in the Ivy Rooms SC in Carlow with our National Coach PJ Nolan. In attendance today was Ross Bulman, TJ Dowling and Rodney Goggins. RIBSA held two camps this month to prepare our players who will represent the Republic of Ireland in the 2018 European U-18, U-21 and Men’s Snooker Championships in Bulgaria from the 2nd - 16th of February 2018. Some players had new tips fitted on their cues and they played Match- play, Long Potting, Safety and Break building routines on the day. The camp costs was €5.00 with training from 11am – 4pm. RIBSA would like to thank the Ivy Rooms for hosting the camp.