Northern Ireland Amateur Championship Explained

Tournament Name:Northern Ireland Amateur Championship
Country:Northern Ireland
Organisation:NIBSA
Format:Amateur event
Recent Edition:2023
Current Champion: Robbie McGuigan

The Northern Ireland Amateur Championship (often referred to as the Northern Ireland Championship) is an annual snooker competition. It is the most prestigious amateur event in Northern Ireland.

History

The first year of the championship was 1927, when G. Barron defeated G.R. Duff. It was not held in the years 1940 and 1942–44 due to World War II and in 1972 and 1973 because of The Troubles.[1]

Many players who have appeared in the final of the tournament have gone on to be professional, most notably including two-time World Snooker Champion Alex Higgins, six-time ranking event winner Mark Allen, 25-time Irish Professional Champion Jackie Rea, World Championship semi-finalist Joe Swail, World Championship quarter-finalist Patrick Wallace (who has won the competition a record eight times) and, most recently, ranking event winner Jordan Brown.

Other players who have gone on to be professional include Tommy Murphy, Jack McLaughlin, Martin O’Neill, Michael Duffy, Declan Hughes, Julian Logue, Joe Meara, Sean O'Neill and Dermot McGlinchey. Currently Allen and Brown are playing on the World Snooker Tour.

The current champion is Robbie McGuigan, who defeated Raymond Fry 10–8 in the 2023 final to win the national title for a third consecutive year.

Winners

YearWinnerRunner-upFinal score
Amateur
1927[2] Gibson Barron Robert Duff381–331[3]
1928[4] J. Perry J. Blackburn414–327
1929[5] W. Little Capt. John Ross282–276[6]
1930[7] J. Luney Gibson Barron351–285
1931[8] Jack McNally W.R. Mills288–273
1932[9] Capt. John Ross W.R. Mills266–207
1933[10] J. French J. Chambers281–218
1934 Capt. John Ross W. Price329–199
1935 Billy Agnew Capt. John Ross281–227
1936[11] W. Lowe Sam Brooks326–228
1937 J. Chambers J. Blackburn4–0
1938 Jack McNally Billy Sanlon4–3
1939 Jack McNally Sam Brooks4–3
1940No competition due to World War II
1941 Jack McNally A. Heron4–2
1942–1944No competition due to World War II
1945 Jack McNally Charles Downey4–0
1946 Jack McNally Jackie Rea4–3
1947 Jackie Rea Jack Bates4–2
1948 Jack Bates Ted Haslam4–1
1949 Jack Bates Jim Stevenson4–2
1950 Jack Bates John Dickinson4–2
1951 Jim Stevenson Ted Haslam4–1
1952 Jim Stevenson Dan Turley4–1
1953 Jim Stevenson Joe Thompson4–1
1954 Billy Seeds Jim Stevenson4–2
1955 Jim Stevenson Maurice Gill4–1
1956 Sam Brooks George Lyttle4–3
1957 Maurice Gill Dessie Anderson4–1
1958 Billy Agnew Billy Hanna4–3
1959 Billy Hanna Billy Seeds4–3
1960 Maurice Gill Dessie Anderson4–3
1961 Dessie Anderson Maurice Gill4–1
1962 Sean McMahon Dessie Anderson4–2
1963 Dessie Anderson Jimmy Clint4–2
1964 Paddy Morgan Maurice Gill4–2
1965 Maurice Gill Sammy Crothers4–1
1966 Sammy Crothers Billy Caughey4–3
1967 Dessie Anderson Sammy Crothers4–1
1968 Alex Higgins Maurice Gill4–1
1969 Dessie Anderson Alex Higgins4–0
1970 Jimmy Clint Noel McCann4–3
1971 Sammy Crothers Dessie Anderson4–2
1972[12]
1973[13]
1974 Paddy Donnelly Sammy Pavis4–1
1975 Jimmy Clint Sean McMahon4–1
1976 Eddie Swaffield Donal McVeigh4–1
1977 Donal McVeigh George Maxwell4–0
1978 Donal McVeigh Liam McCann4–2
1979 Raymond Burke Jim Begley4–3
1980 Sammy Clarke Donal McVeigh4–3
1981 Tommy Murphy Billy Mills4–3
1982 Sammy Pavis Kieran Erwin9–8
1983 Jack McLaughlin John McIntyre10–4
1984 Jack McLaughlin Harry Morgan10–3
1985[14] Sammy Pavis Kieran Erwin10–9
1986 Colin Sewell Gordon Campbell10–4
1987 Seamus McClarey Gordon Campbell10–4
1988 Paul Doran Joe Swail10–7
1989 Harry Morgan Martin O'Neill10–5
1990 Kieran McAlinden Martin O'Neill10–9
1991 Michael Duffy Joe Swail10–9
1992 Declan Hughes Andy Sharpe10–8
1993 Patrick Wallace Kieran Erwin10–8
1994 Kieran McAlinden Michael Duffy10–6
1995 Julian Logue Colin Bingham10–4
1996 Joe Meara Paul King10–6
1997 Jonathan Nelson Paddy Doherty10–5
1998 Martin O'Neill Jonathan Nelson10–8
1999 Michael Duffy Kieran McMahon10–2
2000 Patrick Wallace Barry McNamee10–2
2001 Sean O'Neill Julian Logue10–5
2002 Joe Meara Jonathan Nelson10–7
2003 Mark Allen Colin Bingham10–4
2004 Colin Bingham Joe Meara10–9
2005 Mark Allen Kieran McMahon10–1
2006 Dermot McGlinchey Kieran McMahon10–9
2007[15] Patrick Wallace Joe Meara10–5
2008[16] Jordan Brown Julian Logue10–9
2009[17] Jordan Brown Dermot McGlinchey10–4
2010[18] Dermot McGlinchey Kieran McMahon10–8
2011[19] Kieran McMahon Brian Milne10–5
2012 Patrick Wallace Dermot McGlinchey10–4
2013 Patrick Wallace Jordan Brown10–4
2014 Patrick Wallace Raymond McAllister10–4
2015[20] Jordan Brown10–2
2016[21] Patrick Wallace Jordan Brown10–8
2017 Jordan Brown Dermot McGlinchey10–8
2018 Jordan Brown Patrick Wallace10–5
2019[22] Declan Lavery Darren Dornan10–5
2020 Declan Lavery Robbie McGuigan10–9
2021[23] Robbie McGuigan Rab McCullagh10–4
2022[24] Robbie McGuigan Rab McCullagh10–6
2023[25] Robbie McGuigan Raymond Fry10–8

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Global Snooker Countries – Northern Ireland. Global Snooker Centre. https://web.archive.org/web/20081223133841/http://www.globalsnookercentre.co.uk/files/Countries/country_nthireland.htm. 17 June 2017. 23 December 2008.
  2. News: G. Barron Wins Snooker Title. 5 April 1927. The Belfast Telegraph. 11.
  3. Aggregate score over 7 frames.
  4. News: Ulster Snooker Championship. 18 April 1928. The Belfast Telegraph. 11.
  5. News: Northern Snooker Championship. 9 May 1929. Northern Whig. 2.
  6. Aggregate score over 5 frames.
  7. News: Final of Ulster Snooker Championship. 25 April 1930. Northern Whig. 5.
  8. News: Ulster Snooker Final. 20 March 1931. News Letter. 2.
  9. News: Ulster Snooker Final. 5 March 1932. News Letter. 11.
  10. News: Ulster Championships: French beats Chambers. 27 February 1933. The Belfast Telegraph. 11.
  11. News: Snooker Title Final: W. Lowe beats S.R. Brooks. 12 February 1936. The Belfast Telegraph. 6.
  12. Book: Snooker Scene. July 1972. 7.
  13. name="Billiards back" https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results/1970-01-01/1979-12-31?basicsearch=billiards&somesearch=billiards&retrievecountrycounts=false&sortorder=score&newspapertitle=belfast%2Btelegraph&page=1
  14. Book: Snooker Scene. August 1985. 21.
  15. Web site: Patrick's Day. 25 June 2007 . Snooker Scene. 19 July 2018.
  16. Web site: Jordan's Top of the Pots. Johnston Press. 15 June 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20170308222516/http://www.oaktest.johnstonpress.co.uk/sport/jordan-s-top-of-the-pots-1-1688870. 8 March 2017. dead.
  17. Web site: Right On Cue – Jordan Brown's story. 3 June 2009 . Eurosport. 15 June 2018.
  18. Web site: Castlederg's Dermot McGlinchey wins the Northern Ireland Championship for a second time. https://web.archive.org/web/20170308224348/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-22137424.html. 15 June 2018. 8 March 2017.
  19. Web site: McQuillan shines in St Patricks Cup. 15 November 2018.
  20. Web site: 2015 Northern Irish National Snooker Championship. The Cue View. 1 December 2018.
  21. Web site: Dungannon ace Patrick Wallace wins Northern Ireland title for an amazing eighth time. Tyrone Times. 15 May 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180327144954/https://www.tyronetimes.co.uk/sport/snooker-dungannon-ace-patrick-wallace-wins-northern-ireland-title-for-an-amazing-eighth-time-1-7359106. 27 March 2018. dead.
  22. Web site: Lavery Claims Northern Ireland Title. 16 April 2019 . WPBSA. 7 July 2019.
  23. Web site: McGuigan Becomes Youngest Champion . World Snooker . 19 July 2021 . 21 July 2021 . 20 July 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210720173303/https://wst.tv/mcguigan-becomes-youngest-champion/ . dead .
  24. https://wpbsa.com/mcguigan-defends-northern-irish-title/ 'McGuigan Defends Northern Irish Title'
  25. Web site: Magic McGuigan Makes it Three-in-a-Row in Northern Ireland. WPBSA. 23 May 2023. 24 August 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230523120408/https://wpbsa.com/magic-mcguigan-makes-it-three-in-a-row-in-northern-ireland/. 23 May 2023. live.