Aidan Murray and Wayne Doyle will meet in the final of the National Billiards Championships – 150 Format. After a long days play at the Ivy Rooms, Carlow, Wayne emerged the victor in the semi-final over Joe Doheny and Aidan beat fellow sparing partner Larry Drennan in the other semi-final. A total of 11 players contested the event, which meant that all four seeded players were awarded a bye into the quarter final stages.
First round eliminations were Lloyd Myers (Cork), who lost in a well balanced and close match against John Kehoe (Enniscorthy), Brendan Devlin (Celbridge), who was no match on the day for a free scoring Liam O’Brien (Borris-in-Ossory) and Robert McCrum (Celbridge), bowing out to former champion Eugene Hughes (Baltinglass) making a welcome return to the game after a season’s absence.
In a repeat of last year’s quarter final Aonghus McAnally (Portmarnock) lost 3-0 to an in-form No 1 seed Wayne Doyle (Q Club Wicklow). In the other quarter final in the top half of the draw, Joe Doheny (Borris-in-Ossory) had a 3-1 victory over John Kehoe (Enniscorthy) in a match that fluctuated in scores and looked as though it could have gone either way. In a closely contested semi final Wayne scored the more solidly of the two, making telling breaks in the three games that he won against Joe.
The quarter finals in the bottom half of the draw were two very contrasting matches. In the first, the No 3 seed Larry Drennan (Ivy Rooms) was pushed all the way by Liam O’Brien, Larry’s experience showing through at the closing stages to take the closest match of the day 3-2. By contrast, the other quarter final was a clear-cut 3-0 victory for the No 2 seed, Aidan Murray (Ivy Rooms) against a somewhat ring-rusty Eugene Hughes. In the semi final, which was a tightly contested match between two regular practice partners, Aidan took three games to Larry’s two.
Congratulations and best of luck to the two finalists who play their match as part of the RIBSA Finals Weekend 22nd to 24th May 2015.
The Intermediate Billiards Championship – 150 Format takes place next Sunday 29th in Carlow
Senior Billiards Championship – Long Format takes place on Sunday 12th April in Carlow
Intermediate Billiards – Long Format takes plae in Celbridge on 19th April
All Finals will be played at the Ivy Rooms during the National Finals weekend at the end of May
As always, our thanks are due to Marian Leacy and the staff at the Ivy Rooms Snooker Club for their help on the day and indeed throughout the season.
Results as follows:
Prelims
Lloyd Myers 1 v 2 John Kehoe
Brendan Devlin 0 v 3 Liam O’Brien
Robert McCrum 0 v 3 Eugene Hughes
Quarter-Finals:
Wayne Doyle 3 v 0 Aonghus McAnally
John Kehoe 1 v 3 Joe Doheny
Larry Drennan 3 v 2 Liam O’Brien
Eugene Hughes 1 v 3 Aidan Murray
Semi-Final:
Wayne Doyle 3 v 1 Joe Doheny
Larry Drennan 1 v 3 Aidan Murray
Final:
Wayne Doyle v Aidan Murray