Roadstone Snooker Club’s Brendan Thomas showed his class and composure to clinch victory at the 5th Super Seniors event in St. John’s, Limerick, on Sunday, March 16th.
A strong field of 12 seasoned competitors gathered to battle it out in what proved to be a marathon day of high-quality snooker, featuring some of Ireland’s top senior talents.
The first round delivered plenty of drama, with Greg Marks from Dublin making a stunning return to the national stage after more than 30 years away. He marked his comeback in style, taking down Paul Arnold 3-1, sealing the victory with a remarkable black-ball clearance in the fourth frame.
Elsewhere, Oliver Martyn (Tuam) and Com Daly (Clare) went the distance, with Martyn prevailing 3-2 after a gripping final black-ball battle. Nicky Ryan (Waterford) stormed past John Carney (Dublin) 3-0, while the ever-reliable Patsy Farrell (Nenagh) took down St. John’s stalwart Tom Constable 3-1.
In the quarter finals the competition intensified, Brendan Thomas staged an incredible comeback from 2-0 down to edge past Jim Carrick (Newbridge) 3-2. Stephen Merrigan (Roadstone) put an end to Greg Marks’ fairytale return with a 3-1 victory, while Nicky Ryan and Ernie McMullen also progressed with 3-1 wins over Oliver Martyn and Patsy Farrell, respectively.
The two semifinal clashes were fiercely contested. Brendan Thomas produced some scintillating snooker to defeat his clubmate Stephen Merrigan 3-1, while Ernie McMullen showed resilience, coming from behind to pip Nicky Ryan 3-2.
After a long day of high-stakes action, the top two seeds stood tall, setting up a final worthy of the occasion. Ernie McMullen came out firing, producing some fantastic potting to move 2-1 ahead. But Brendan Thomas dug deep, showing his champion mentality to snatch the fourth frame on the colours, setting up a thrilling deciding frame with Ernie taking an early lead, it looked like he had one hand on the trophy. But Brendan turned on the style, producing a sensational 45 break under pressure to seal a memorable victory.
Snooker & Billiards Ireland (SBI) extends its heartfelt thanks to Tournament Director Anthony Cronin for running a fantastic event. A special shoutout also goes to St. John’s Limerick for their outstanding hospitality and top-class playing conditions, which were praised by all competitors.
