Co. Down Are Crowned 2005 All Ireland Team Champions

Ireland’s American 8 & 9 Ball Pool Tour staged their annual All Ireland Inter County 4-aside Team Championships last weekend which was played in Enniskillen Co. Fermanagh with 10 County teams making it through to the grand-finals, but it was Co. Down who was crowned champions after facing defeat in the round robin group matches.

This was a great event which saw a host of top Irish snooker players make there presence on the 9-ball table for the first time and hopefully they will make a regularly visit to our tour in the 2006 season.

The tournament cued-off on Saturday morning at 10-am with the captains cup which saw Tommy McQuaid (Monaghan) come through the strong field of players to claim his first title win on Ireland’s American 8 & 9 Ball Pool Tour.

On Tommy’s route to victory he defeated Sligo’s A team captain Barry O’Sullivan 3-1 before over coming the challenge of Down’s Manny Byrne on the same score-line of 3-1, and in the final just making it over the line on a 3-2 victory over the tours inform player Gareth Deegan (Dublin).

This victory should put the Monaghan cueist in good shape for tournaments taking place in the 2006 tournament diary on Ireland’s American 8 & 9 Ball Pool Tour.

Co. Meath 2005 Runner-Up

12 noon saw the All Ireland Inter County 4-aside Team Championships cue off with players representing counties from Tyrone (2 teams), Sligo (2 teams), Donegal, Meath, Down, Monaghan, Derry, and Dublin.

This tournament produced a great high standard of play throughout the day with no team dominating as every match and group was very close with all players very happy with the tournament format.The tournament saw all ten teams divided into two groups of five with each team playing each other in there own group, with the top two teams progressing to the semi-finals.

Group 1 saw the outright champions Co. Down come runner-up in their group just making it through to the semi-finals on the difference of three racks. In their first match Down defeated Sligo (B) on a 9-4 score-line and followed that up with a 9-2 victory over Donegal. The champions next two matches saw them face defeat in the hands of Tyrone junior team 9-8 and by the same score against Meath but their two wins was still enough to put them through to the semi-finals on the difference of 3 racks from Tyrone juniors.

Group 2 saw Tyrone (A) team top the group with wins over Monaghan 9-5, Derry 9-6, Dublin 9-6 only to lose there other match against Sligo (A) 9-6. Dublin also played solid pool throughout the day to secure the second spot just piped by Tyrone by the odd rack.

The semi-finals saw Co. Down and the Co. Meath play outstanding pool with Down knocking out Tyrone on a 9-4 score-line with everyone of their team members playing tremendous pool and Meath overcame the hard battle that the Dublin lads put up to them to come away with a 9-6 victory.

So the stage was set for the 2005 4-aside inter county team championships final which saw these two counties field players who contested many a snooker tournament throughout the 32 counties both north and south of the border.

Co. Down 2005 All Ireland Team Champions

The final was played to a race to 12 and it was touch and go all the way to 9 each before Down claimed the next three racks to claim victory and be crowned champions on a 12-10 score-line for the first time in there history.

Group 1: (Team Photo’s - Group Tables - Results )

Group 2: ( Team Photo’s - Group Tables - Results )

Captains Cup: ----- Results:

Prem-Round:

Manny Byrne (Down) 3-2 Paul Tierney (Meath)

Alan Crowe (Donegal) 3-0 Chris Brown (Derry)

¼-Finals:

Manny Byrne (Down) 3-2 Chris Kivlean (Sligo B)

Tommy Mc Quaid (Monaghan) 3-1 Barry O’ Sullivan (Sligo A)

Ronnie Boyle (Tyrone A) 3-1 Paul Lough ran (Tyrone B)

Gareth Deegan (Dublin) 3-0 Alan Crowe (Donegal)

Semi-Finals:

Tommy Mc Quaid 3-1 Manny Byrne

Gareth Deegan 3-2 Ronnie Boyle

Final:

Tommy Mc Quaid 3-2 Gareth Deegan

Tommy Mc Quaid