Irish Blackball Association

The 2nd Catalonia Pool Festival 17th - 22nd October 2011

For more information, please visit www.cataloniapoolfestival.com. It’s 8ball pool but not as you know it! This is a pool festival with a difference, yes there are events but unlike other promoters we believe that players require more than just a few competitions.

Since our last festival, we have been working on ways to further improve the experience to aspire to meet the needs of our guests / participants. So we decided to ask the people who really mattered - the PLAYERS!

1. Can we stay in a Hotel?

We have secured a hotel at reasonable rates, 15 yards from the beach and 80 yards from the playing arena, bar open 24 hours. 61 rooms available(at time of writing 18 gone already) When this is full, another Hotel will be used.

2. Can I arrive before Monday 17th?

Yes it's entirely up to you! Furthermore we have so far taken 37 bookings 35 of which have booked from Sat 15th/Sat 22nd.

3. Is there a nice town with places to go?

Yes, we will be staying in the holiday town of Salou.

4. What about if I take my kids?

Loads of stuff for them, the Port Adventura is about 15 Min's away, a free bus picks you up near the hotel.

5. Is there any night life?

There are Night clubs on a strip in the town. For the romantics, there are also a host of beautiful restaurants.

6. I hate getting up early to play pool especially with a hangover!

So that families have time to visit places, lay on the beach get over their hangover's during the day, we will not be starting any main event before 3pm, we will be trying to make it 5pm time permitting.

7. I just want to play pool all day, can I?

There will be flyer's on each day, also the pool tables will be on free-play all week.

8. Will it be live streaming?

Yes, we have streaming planned on the main match table.

9. Oct, won't it be cold then?

The average weather is generally between 64f and 70f for October.

10. Last year you guaranteed €10,500, will you be guaranteeing it again or does it depend on entrants?

Not only will we be GUARANTEEING the prize fund, we are actually INCREASING it to €15,000!  There will be €7,000 Euros up for grabs in the Open event.

A few extra things what we have planned to keep you entertained.

There will be a welcome party night on the Sunday with music, also a going home party after the presentation on the Friday night.The Sangria cup, a 5 a side football comp played on the beach between Countries.A 100 yoyo a person comp for serious pool players, Challenge tables. A trip to the Nou camp, wine tasting etc etc.We think we have everything covered.....but if you have any ideas that might enhance this Festival for the players, all suggestions will be appreciated. As we have said before, this is a holiday for everyone, not just the pool player.Our aim is to look after everybody’s needs so that they have a truly great experience.

For all details and booking, look at our website

If your answer is not there, then drop your question into the forum.

For information on visiting Catalonia, please visit here!!

Many thanks, and we look forward to seeing you in sunny Spain!

Joan, (Spain) Ross and Pat.

Mark Selby : professional snooker player & multi-Jersey Festival Champion

Click to enter website

Welcome to the 2012 Jersey Festival of Pool the biggest, most established and longest running English Pool event of its kind anywhere in the world. At Jersey we pride ourselves in organizing an event that's open to everyone. It's free of the politics that so strangles our sport and consequently free of all the arguments and bias that come as a result of those politics.

Every year hundreds of different players are attracted to the Jersey Festival. World rules, Black Ball and old EPA rules players are joined by scores of fun loving pool enthusiasts and not just from the UK, but from France, Spain, Gibraltar.

Obviously no one knows just who will be going home with the prize money, which for 2102 stands at a record of over GBP 18,500 but one thing you can guarantee at Jersey everyone will have a great time, so win or lose everyone goes home happy!

ROUND 1

Group 1 (Mon 18th) Results

Winner: Philip Dunne

2nd: Pat Merrigan

Martin Cording

Trevor Glass

Group 2 (Tues 19th) Results

Winner: Niall Docherty

2nd: Con price

Mick Brady

Tony Singleton

Group 3 (Wed 20th) Results

Winner: Wayne Neeson

2nd: Paddy Murphy

Ger Farrelly

Wayne Doyle

Group 4 (Thurs 21st) Results

Winner: Dave Kelly

2nd: Tyson Price

Greg Clarke

Jonathan Garland

Group 5 (Mon 25th) Results

Winner: Gavin Cleary

2nd: David Neary

Graham Baitson

Craig Verdon

Group 6 (Tues 26th) Results

Winner: Mark Wilson

2nd: Mick Connors

Kevin Byrne

Charlie Hanlon

Group 7 (Wed 27th) Results

Winner: Karl Dowling

2nd: Keith Cahill

David Joyce

Paddy Hahir

Group 8 (Thurs 28th) Results

Winner: David Jewell

2nd: Jay Ward

Glenn Hannigan

Tony Hanlon

ROUND 2

Group 1: Monday 1st Aug

Winner: Pat Merrigan

2nd: Dave Kelly

Phily Dunne

Paddy Murphy

Group 2: Tuesday 2nd Aug

Winner: Niall Docherty

2nd: David Jewell

Mick Connors

Keith Cahill

Group 3: Wednesday 3rd Aug

Winner: David Neary

2nd: Mark Wilson

Tyson Price

Karl Dowling

Group 4: Thursday 4th Aug

Winner: Gavin Cleary

2nd: Wayne Neeson

Con Price

Jay Ward

Quarter Final

Niall Docherty 8 v 3 David Jewell

Pat Merrigan 4 v 8 Wayne Neeson

David Neary 8 v 6 Mark Wilson

Gavin Cleary 8 v 4 Dave Kelly

Semi Final

Niall Docherty 9 v 7 Wayne Neeson

David Neary 5 v 9 Gavin Cleary

Final

Niall Docherty 6 v 10 Gavin Cleary

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.

The PoolKnightShack has now changed venue to the Richmond Road. This venue is due to open in November 2009, breaking the way to various new competitions. One of these competitions is Dublin's only American 9Ball league and is now open for players for registration for the next league starting in November.

This is a singles league and it is the 1st of its kind In Dublin. This league is growing rapidly and is getting popular with all types of pool players involved including Blackball and 8Ball players.

Places are limited to 20 players and there is only 6 places left so act quickly to secure your place and you wont be dissapointed on missing out on Dublins only 9Ball league.

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

admin@thepoolknightshack.info or 087 2381202.