It was finally time for the championships to take place at the weekend when the National Billiards 100up Championship took place at the Snooker and Billiards Ireland Academy of Excellence in Carlow on Saturday 15th March with 13 players competing.
Last 16 games saw John Kehoe defeat Ciaran Doyle 3-0 as did Eugene Hughes against Brendan Devlin and John Downey overcoming Annette Newman. Anthony O’ Flaherty had a good win against Larry Drennan but the close match of the round saw Robert McCrum edge Aonghus McAnally 3-2.
All quarter final matches went as expected with Wayne Doyle getting the better of John Kehoe despite John scoring a 67 break in the third game. Aidan Murray and Anthony O’ Flaherty won their games 3-0 and Eugene Hughes won the other quarter final 3-1 against ex National Intermediate Champion Joe Doheny with the highest break of the event so far with 76.
Both semi finals went down to the wire with Wayne winning the deciding game by 39 points against a gallant Anthony O’ Flaherty. The other semi final witnessed Aidan Murray come back from 2-1 behind to win a tough contest against Eugene Hughes that included a 67 unfinished break that levelled the match at 2-2 and he won the decider convincingly by 60 odd points to book his meeting once more with Wayne Doyle on finals weekend in May again to be held at the Snooker and Billiards Ireland Academy of Excellence in Carlow.
Thanks to SBI HQ and John Kehoe as Tournament Director. The National Long-up Championship will take place the next day following the 100up Championship Qualifiers again to be held at the Snooker and Billiards Ireland Academy of Excellence in Carlow on the 16th March.
Doyle v Murray 100up Championship Final
