Snooker is a really popular spectator event in Ireland, with the big events bringing in large viewership figures. The sport has a long and storied history in Ireland, and today it is changing rapidly. Many stars have come and gone over the years, as indeed have whole leagues which no longer exist or have been replaced by something else. Today, we’re going to look at some of the biggest stars in snooker as well as the biggest leagues, both old and new, and the state of the sport today.
There is no shortage of snooker events in Ireland, and with some of the world’s greatest talents with the likes of Ken Doherty, one thing you can also be sure of is that the snooker is a great sport to bet on. With competition fiercer than ever among bookmakers in Ireland today, more and more markets are offered in a bid to beat out the others. Betting on snooker is a great way to see reliable returns, if you have even a little knowledge of the sport. This knowledge is really important, so you may want to watch for a while to get to know the major players before you start betting. But once you’ve got that knowledge, Irish snooker is one of the best niche betting markets in the world.
The sport is in an interesting position today, then. There is still plainly a huge talent pool and lots of eager players and spectators alike, though at the same time the game is not as popular as it once was. In any case it will continue to be beloved for many years to come and no doubt we will see the popularity fluctuate over the years—but the talent will always be there.
Let’s get started.
Players
- Ken Doherty
Ken Doherty is doubtless one of the biggest stars in Irish professional snooker today. He has won the Irish Amateur Championship on two occasions, as well as the World Under-21 Amateur Championship and the World Amateur Championship. He went professional back in 1990, and has since won six ranking tournaments.
- Aaron Hill
Aaron Hill is in many ways an up and coming star of Irish poker. In March of 2020, he took home the title for the EBSA European Under-21 Snooker Championships, securing a place on the World Snooker Tour for the next two years. He defeated reigning world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan in the European Masters.
- Michael Judge
Now retired, Michael Judge is one of the biggest stars in Irish snooker. He qualified three times for the World Championships and performed extremely well each time, though he wasn’t able to win. He returned to form in 2006-7 and climbed much higher in the rankings. Despite a lack of specific accolades, he has nonetheless had a great career as a snooker player.
Leagues
- Irish Professional Championship
Though it has not been run since 2007, the Irish Professional Championship remains one of the most well-known professional snooker leagues in Ireland. It was invitation only and brought both Irish and Northern Irish players in. It was first held in 1947 and the first competition was won by Jackie Rea, and thereafter the event was challenger based. Rea would go on to win all but one of the following tournaments until 1972.
The event has been revived multiple times since it was discontinued in 1989. In 1992 it was brought back under the sponsorship of Murphy’s, and again abandoned the following year until 2005.
- Irish Open
The Irish Open is part of the European Masters ranking, and has been staged since 1989 internationally. It is one of the most important snooker tournaments in the nation as it determines qualification for the World Snooker Tour, perhaps the most prestigious snooker event in the world. The Irish Open has gone by a few names over the years.
It was held in Tallaght, Ireland, in 1998, where Welshman Mark Williams was the winner with Scot Alan McManus as the runner up at 9-4. The aforementioned Ken Doherty won the tournament in 2006 under the new name Malta Cup, and was the runner up in the non-ranking Malta Cup in 2008.