OVERSEAS NEWS
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
Irish National Championship
Eugene Hughes beat Phil Martin to recapture the Irish Billiards Championships at the Ivy Rooms, Carlow on Saturday 9th June. It was the first time the Dunlaoghaire club owner had entered the championship since he won back- to-back titles in 1977 and 1978. In the intervening years Hughes had tried his luck as a professional player, but has now let his membership of the WBA lapse. Having beaten his teacher and mentor Victor O'Gorman in the quarter-finals, he powered in four breaks over fifty to outscore Aidan Murray in the semi-final. In the other half of the draw, Phil Martin eventually overcame some stout resistance by defending champion Dick Brennan. The players were locked together at 200 and 400 apiece, before Martin managed to pull away, helped by runs of 57 and 62 to reach the 650 target first. Brennan, who has won the Irish title three times, took some consolation by taking the event's high break of 153, made in his quarter-final match against Brendan Devlin.
In the final Hughes established a lead of 200 at the interval, reflecting his superior scoring power and highlighted by runs of 79 and 98. An enthusiastic crowd, including four times former champion, 72 year old Larry Codd, cheered Hughes to victory.
"I thought all this was behind me", laughed Hughes, who has concentrated most of his career on snooker. "I really enjoyed playing here, but if anything, the tables were just too good for billiards, so I found it a bit hard to control the balls and score as I'd have liked."