Jack O Brien from St Johns SC Limerick won the second Under 18 Snooker & Billiards Ireland (SBI) Tour event of the season in the SBI HQ on Sunday the 5th of November.
In the final he beat Jamie McCarthy from Crucible SC in a great final 3-1.
The first game of the day was an absolute cracker as Max Kennedy and Lorcan O’Curraoin played out a 3-2 final black thriller, with Max coming out best with a good pot on the black to the centre pocket.
Jack O Brien got his tournament off to a good start after he beat the luckless Davy Hickey 3-0. I think Jack will be the first to admit he had a lot of the run in this match which was capped off with a fluke on the black to win the match.
Joe Shannon and Jamie McCarthy played out another cracking match, with Jack potting an incredible pink and nudging the black over the corner pocket to win the match 3-2. Joe was 2-0 down but fought hard and was only beaten by a touch of magic by Jamie.
David Farrelly showed all his experience against Max Kennedy and played some really tight safety that kept Max away from the balls. David scored when he got the chances and won out 3-1.
To the semi-finals and first up was Jamie McCarthy and Aaron Donnelly, this was possibly the game of the tournament with Aaron playing some lovely snooker to go one up. In the next frame it was very tight and Jamie left Aaron in on the yellow in which he took and followed that up with a good green and brown followed by a lovely shot on the blue to land behind the pink. It’s all Aaron needed but a little fast on the shot and he wobbled the pink. It was all Jamie needed and he went in and took the pink and black to tie up the match at 1-1. Aaron was beginning to curse the snooker Gods as the match went on, it seemed like nothing could go right and Jamie was getting his fair share of luck and was taking full advantage going into a 2-1 lead. The third frame was excellent with both players making 20+ breaks but it came down to the black ball and Aaron’s bad luck coming back as Jamie went for a long black that he missed but it rolled into the green pocket for to put Jamie into the final.
The other semi-final was between Jack O Brien and David Farrelly. At 1-1 it was anyone’s game but Jack O Brien again seemed to pull out his best potting when needed and took the next two frames decisively to win 3-1.
The final promised so much but Jamie McCarthy at 1-1 was starting to lag as the long day started to take its toll. A 36 break in the final was fantastic to see by Jamie and he promises to be one for the future, but it was Jack O Brien who dug out another 3-1 victory which included a lovely 33 break. Jack is our ranking event 2 champion and with the talent on show today, the number one spot at the end of the year is going to be hard fought for.
- Thank You
SBI would like to thank all the players and parents for attending the event. We hope everyone enjoyed the great day of Junior Snooker. Players should be aware that entries are now open for Event 3 through the on line system and you have to enter before the closing date.
- Event 3: U-18 Tour – SBI HQ Carlow – 25TH NOVEMBER
Five ranking events are planned and this is followed with a National Championship. The Current U-18 National Champion is Ronan McGuirk from R&R who won the title in 2023.
Under-18 DATES & VENUES – click here to ENTER
- Event 1: U-18 Tour – SBI HQ Carlow – 7TH OCTOBER – WINNER JOE SHANNON
- Event 2: U-18 Tour – SBI HQ Carlow – 5TH NOVEMBER – JACK O BRIEN
- Event 3: U-18 Tour – SBI HQ Carlow – 25TH NOVEMBER
CUTT OFF DATE FOR 2024 EBSA U-18 CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Event 4: U-18 Tour – SBI HQ Carlow – 6TH JANUARY 2024
- Event 5: U-18 Tour – SBI HQ Carlow – 23RD MARCH 2024
- National Under 18 Championships: – SBI HQ Carlow – 5TH MAY 2024
CUTT OFF DATE FOR 2024 IBSF U-18 CHAMPIONSHIPS & HOME INTERNATIONALS
U-18’s: a player who’s 18th birthday is on or before 31st August 2024 will not be able to enter the SBI under 18s events in the 2023 /24 season.
Enter Via – On-Line Payment System
Players will have to first pay SBI registration / membership or Renewal their membership and register for the new season. When you register, you will be asked to create a username and password. You will only be allowed to enter an event if log in and use this username and password.
You can reset your own password and there is also a support form on the system for members to complete and I.T. will follow up to resolve any major issues.
Closing Dates
The closing date for all SBI events will 1pm on the Thursday before the event. The Draw will be done automatically on the system with match times and displayed on the web site.
Tournament Entry Fees
The cost of entry will be the following:
- Under 18 Events – €10.00
All players will need to register for the new season. SBI Registration runs from September to September each season.
SBI Registration
- Under 18’s – €16.00
- One Day/Event – €10.00
Only SBI members can access the online system and enter to play in SBI tournaments but one-day registration is available at €10.00 if you are not already a SBI members, remember this expires 24hrs after the event.
Format
- All matches are the best of 5 frames
Dress Code
- SBI POLO SHIRTS ARE ALLOWED
- Dark Shoes (no runners)
- Dark one coloured trousers (no jeans)
- One coloured shirt buttoned at the wrist
- Waistcoats must be worn for all matches in National Championships.
- National Waistcoats are not permissible
- Bowties are also required for the SBI Championships for all matches.
