Irish Blackball Association

Each year, Gavin Cleary runs a memorial tournament for Brian Gargan, a good friend of many pool players who sadly passed away a few years ago. The competition is run out of Liffey Gaels club in Ballyfermot, in memory to Brian and his family. The entrance fee is €50 and the first round is played as a round robin group stage. This years tournament is down to the last 16 stage which will be played this week. This years tournament was won by Graham Baitson who beat Glenn Hannigan 10-6 in the final, which was held in the Kettles Hotel at the 4th event of the Irish Tour. The following is the line up and results from the last 16 up until the final.

Last 16

David Neary 7 v 3 Dave Costello

Glen Hannigan 7 v 4 Darren Feehan

Gavin Cleary 3 v 7 Niall Docherty

Dave Kelly 7 v 0 David Carrie

Ger Griffin 7 v 4 Con Price

Graham Baitson 7 v 4 Pat Merrigan

Greg Clarke 7 v 5 Trevor Glass

Robert Kirwan 7 v 5 James Berns

Quarter Finals

David Neary 1 v 8 Glen Hannigan

Niall Docherty 5 v 8 Dave Kelly

Ger Griffin 0 v 8 Graham Baitson

Greg Clarke 5 v 8 Robert Kirwan

Semi Finals

Glen Hannigan 9 v 7 Dave Kelly

Graham Baitson 9 v 0 Robert Kirwan

Final

Glen Hannigan 6 v 10 Graham Baitson

Ireland will be participating in the European Blackball 'B' Championships 2010, which is taking place in Rhyl, Wales from October 6th - 11th 2010. There will be trials for the teams to represent Ireland in the European B team and individual event. All players that were not selected to represent Ireland at the World Blackball Championships are eligible to play in these trials. The trials will take place in the Kettles Hotel on the Friday of Event 5 (i.e. Friday 16th July 2010) at 8pm sharp. The entrance fee for these trials is €10 and players must be entered before the closing date (i.e. 1st July 2010).

Players can enter this event by emailing superleague.ireland@gmail.com or by texting Kevin Byrne 00353879791008, Martin Kirwan 00353863046485 or Stephen Carroll 00353868886766. Please note that this competition is being ran in conjunction with the Irish Blackball Association, therefore there is a dress code for this event and all future competitions, players not wearing the appropriate attire, will not be allowed to play. The dress code can be found in the rules and regulations.

Ireland will be participating in the World Blackball Championships 2010, which is taking place in Limodge, France from November 8th-13th, 2010. The following are the Ireland A, Seniors and Under 23 teams that Martin Kirwan announced in early June.

Ireland A Graham Baitson, Robert Kirwan, David Neary, Mick Connors, Glenn Hannigan, Darren Feehan and Dave Kelly

Ireland Seniors Martin Kirwan (Captain), Peter Austin, Pat Merrigan, Ray McGuinness, James Berns, Con Price and Paul Wright

Ireland Under 23s Wayne Neeson, Aaron Sheridan, David Carrie, Christi Caulfield, David Joyce, Tyson Price, Dean Mahon and Robert Warren

Ireland Ladies Yet to be confirmed

The PoolKnightShack has now changed venue to the Richmond Road. This venue is now open, breaking the way to various new competitions. One of these competitions a new 9 ball league.

For more information you can visit www.thepoolknightshack.info or contact David Poole by emailing

admin@thepoolknightshack.info or 087 2381202.

The PoolKnightShack has now changed venue to the Richmond Road. This venue is now open, breaking the way to various new competitions. One of these competitions a new Blackball 3Man Team Event.

For more information you can visit www.thepoolknightshack.info or contact David Poole by emailing

admin@thepoolknightshack.info or 087 2381202.

Breakers Pool & Snooker Club in Gorey, Wexford is hosting the Pool Club Championships. Entries close Wednesday 21st April 2010. For more information, please visit http://www.breakersgorey.com/club-competitions.htm.

Ireland will be participating in the World Pool Masters which is taking place in Bridlington, April 25th-30th, 2010.  The following are the Ireland A and B teams that Martin Kirwan Announced in late March.

Ireland A  Martin Kirwan (Captain) Niall Doherty, Con Price, James Berns, Darren Feehan, David Poole, Christy Caulfield, Martin Keogh, Robert Kirwan, Ray McGuinness, Brian McDonald, Lee Payton, James Beaton & Fionn Comerford.

Ireland B1  Kevin Byrne (Captain), Stephen Carroll (Vice Captain), Brendan Price, Tyson Price, Brendan Hinchey, David Joyce, Jim McCabe, Fintan Brady, Patrick Murphy, Danny Ashe, Denis Horan, Pat Kelly, Keith Cahill & Danny Evans.

Ireland B2 Derek O'Connor (Captain), Aiden Nolan, Ger Farrelly, Alan Nolan, Tony Hanlon, Craig Verdon, Anthony Saul, Jason Mahon, Stephen Wallace, Stuart Hughes, Elmir Brdar, Cormac Lyons & Billy Flood.

Ireland Seniors Paul Wright (Captain), Kevin Connolly, Cormac Dennis, Shane Connor, Joe Morris, Derek Hall & John Cole.

www.cataloniapoolfestival.com, will be held in Tarragona next march from 20th to 26th, departing on 27th. This festival is a mixing of blackball competitions, holiday and party, you choose your best proportion. The incredible rate includes accommodation and apartment, a good breakfast, lunch and dinner served in buffet, 14 new free play Simply Pool tables, ready to be burned per €299 the all week. Only 2 minutes walking to the Tarragonas nicest beach and some optional visits like a wine tasting trip, a day in Port Aventura, carting, quads, golf, a trip to Camp Nou in Barcelona to watch a live... Messi and friends playing best football ever and much more.

A welcomeparty with live music and lots of sangria, a farewell party too, and between seven competitions and €11.500 in prize money guaranteed, some of the best players from six countries attending at the moment, also and snooker professional player as Tom Ford is not going to loose it. Flyers every day from 12am, and programmed competitions from 6pm, by this way you'll be able to make some tourism or to cure your hangover. 

Registration is still open and if you flight to Reus, we'll collect you for free, we are nervous to be good hosts. I don't have to say that we been preparing this festival from long time ago, people wish to have you here and the lucky ones that can achieve to be there will remember always that week.

For information on visiting Catalonia, please visit here!!

Joan Marminyà and many others,

Catalonia Pool Festival

Send it to a friend, will thank-you coming back. Find us at www.cataloniapoolfestival.com, also in facebook, youtube and the main billiard sites. 

The Slaughtered Lamb Pub, Swords are hosting a brand new 7-man pool competition starting February 8th 2010.  The entry fee is €80 per team with prize money of €5000.

Application forms can be downloaded from the website www.theslaughteredlamb.com or you can get them fom the Slaughtered Lamb pool room which is open from 3pm till late Monday-Sunday!!!

Entry forms must be filled in and submitted directly to the pool room with the entry fee in full, by January 31st 2010. For more information, visit www.theslaughteredlamb.com

We are pleased to announce a brand new venue and dates for the 2010 IrishBlackball Tour. On the Friday night of the tour, there will be a brandnew 5 man team event in preparation for the November Inter County Finals.

The dates for the 2010 Irish Blackball Tour, are as follows: 

fri  26th feb - sun 28th

fri 19th march - sun 21st

fri 16th april - sun 18th

fri 21st may - sun 23rd

fri 25th june - sun 27th

fri 16th july - sun 18th

fri 1st oct - sun  3rd oct  

The new venue, Kettles Hotel Country House, is situated in Lispopple Swords. More information can be viewed below:  

Kettle's Country House Hotel

Lispopple

Swords

Co Dublin

Tel: 01 813 8511

Fax: 01 813 8510Web: http://www.kettleshotel.ie/

Email: reception@kettleshotel.ie

Kettles Country House Hotel was completed in January 2007; it is opened andoperated by the Kettle family who previously operated the Rolestown Innon this site for the preceding 30 years. The hotel has been built to incorporate the highest level of technology available while maintaining the homely atmosphere that they are famous for. The hotel consists of 25 beautifully appointed bedrooms which contain all the comforts and services for the modern traveller including HD Flat screen Television, WI-FI and wired broadband in each room.

On theground floor there are two public bars "Sam's Snug" where you can enjoy a pint with the local characters and possibly pick up a tip for a "surething". "The Inn" lounge serves food all day and is an ideal place to unwind after a long journey, at the weekend there is a variety of entertainment to enjoy from traditional Irish music to lively bands, a large number of plasma televisions show all sports.

The restaurant "Leys Brazeel" is situated on the first floor and serves a selection of modern & traditional hearty Irish dishes, it is named after a local town land in the area consisting of 50 acres in The Rathof Kilrossery.