Scratch Billiards National Championships


The National Billiards Championships, preliminary rounds down to the last two, took place at The Ivy Rooms Snooker Club, Carlow on Bank Holiday Monday, 3rd May 2010. Current champion, Eugene Hughes (Kilkenny), who, due to business and other commitments, has not played competitive billiards this season, made a welcome return to the game to defend his title. He bowed out at quarter final stage at the hands of Phil Martin (Celbridge), who will now meet last season’s Championship runner-up Aidan Murray (Wicklow) in the Final, to be played on May 22nd.

In the well-appointed comfort of the new Ivy Rooms, play started promptly at 11.00am. Among the first round eliminations were veteran Victor O’Gorman (Dun Laoghaire), local player Jack Daly (Rathdowney), relative billiards newcomers Robert McCrum (Dublin) and Aonghus McAnally (Portmarnock), current Snooker No. 2 Robert Murphy (Dun Laoghaire) and Rathkeale’s Anthony O’Flaherty.

The semi finalists in the top half of the draw were Phil Martin (Celbridge), having a comfortable win against last season’s champion, Eugene Hughes (Kilkenny) and Timmy Murphy (Cork) who won a free flowing quarter final game against Brendan Devlin (Celbridge). While Phil stepped up his game in the semi final, scoring solidly at each visit, Timmy, perhaps feeling the strain of a tiring day’s play, flagged a little, surprisingly missing some very elementary shots. Phil, sensing Timmy’s loss of form, lost no time in responding to the situation, claiming his place in the Final with a convincing semi final win.

The semi finalists in the bottom half of the draw were former Champion Larry Drennan (Kilkenny) who won a gripping quarter final against Joe Doheny (Borris-in-Ossory), Larry leading by a mere 13 points when time was called and last season’s Championship runner-up, Aidan Murray (Wicklow) who saw off the quarter final challenge of Darren Ryan (Celbridge). In the semi final, Aidan had a comfortable win over Larry, who, like Timmy Murphy, was feeling the strain of a tiring day’s play.

In its current format the Championship is played in a series of long matches requiring that the emerging finalists will have scored a total of 1750 points, or seven and a half hours, in a single day’s play. This format puts heavy physical demands on players, which would seem to favour the younger and fitter players. Perhaps it is time that the system should be reviewed in the interests of a providing fairer platform for all players.
 

Congratulations and best of luck to Aidan Murray and Phil Martin who won through to their places in the Final.

CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS DOWN TO LAST TWO:
Semi-finals
Phil Martin 650 - 403 Timothy Murphy
Aidan Murray 435 - 234 Larry Drennan
Final
Phil Martin - v - Aidan Murray

The Championship Final will be held at The Ivy Rooms, Carlow on Saturday 22nd May 2010 at 6:00pm.

As always, our thanks to Jim and Marian Leacy and the staff at the Ivy Rooms Snooker Club for their help on the day and indeed throughout the season.