Northern Ireland Amateur Championship

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Northern Ireland Amateur Championship
Tournament information
CountryNorthern Ireland
Established1927; 97 years ago (1927)
Organisation(s)NIBSA
FormatAmateur event
Recent edition2023
Current championNorthern Ireland 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[edit]

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 N. Ireland 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[edit]

Year Winner Runner-up Final score
Amateur
1927[2] Northern Ireland Gibson Barron Northern Ireland Robert Duff 381–331[nb 1]
1928[3] Northern Ireland J. Perry Northern Ireland J. Blackburn 414–327[nb 1]
1929[4] Northern Ireland W. Little Northern Ireland Capt. John Ross 282–276[nb 2]
1930[5] Northern Ireland J. Luney Northern Ireland Gibson Barron 351–285[nb 1]
1931[6] Northern Ireland Jack McNally Northern Ireland W.R. Mills 288–273[nb 2]
1932[7] Northern Ireland Capt. John Ross Northern Ireland W.R. Mills 266–207[nb 2]
1933[8] Northern Ireland J. French Northern Ireland J. Chambers 281–218[nb 2]
1934 Northern Ireland Capt. John Ross Northern Ireland W. Price 329–199[nb 2]
1935 Northern Ireland Billy Agnew Northern Ireland Capt. John Ross 281–227[nb 2]
1936[9] Northern Ireland W. Lowe Northern Ireland Sam Brooks 326–228[nb 2]
1937 Northern Ireland J. Chambers Northern Ireland J. Blackburn 4–0
1938 Northern Ireland Jack McNally Northern Ireland Billy Sanlon 4–3
1939 Northern Ireland Jack McNally Northern Ireland Sam Brooks 4–3
1940 No competition due to World War II
1941 Northern Ireland Jack McNally Northern Ireland A. Heron 4–2
1942–1944 No competition due to World War II
1945 Northern Ireland Jack McNally Northern Ireland Charles Downey 4–0
1946 Northern Ireland Jack McNally Northern Ireland Jackie Rea 4–3
1947 Northern Ireland Jackie Rea Northern Ireland Jack Bates 4–2
1948 Northern Ireland Jack Bates Northern Ireland Ted Haslam 4–1
1949 Northern Ireland Jack Bates Northern Ireland Jim Stevenson 4–2
1950 Northern Ireland Jack Bates Northern Ireland John Dickinson 4–2
1951 Northern Ireland Jim Stevenson Northern Ireland Ted Haslam 4–1
1952 Northern Ireland Jim Stevenson Northern Ireland Dan Turley 4–1
1953 Northern Ireland Jim Stevenson Northern Ireland Joe Thompson 4–1
1954 Northern Ireland Billy Seeds Northern Ireland Jim Stevenson 4–2
1955 Northern Ireland Jim Stevenson Northern Ireland Maurice Gill 4–1
1956 Northern Ireland Sam Brooks Northern Ireland George Lyttle 4–3
1957 Northern Ireland Maurice Gill Northern Ireland Dessie Anderson 4–1
1958 Northern Ireland Billy Agnew Northern Ireland Billy Hanna 4–3
1959 Northern Ireland Billy Hanna Northern Ireland Billy Seeds 4–3
1960 Northern Ireland Maurice Gill Northern Ireland Dessie Anderson 4–3
1961 Northern Ireland Dessie Anderson Northern Ireland Maurice Gill 4–1
1962 Northern Ireland Sean McMahon Northern Ireland Dessie Anderson 4–2
1963 Northern Ireland Dessie Anderson Northern Ireland Jimmy Clint 4–2
1964 Australia Paddy Morgan Northern Ireland Maurice Gill 4–2
1965 Northern Ireland Maurice Gill Northern Ireland Sammy Crothers 4–1
1966 Northern Ireland Sammy Crothers Northern Ireland Billy Caughey 4–3
1967 Northern Ireland Dessie Anderson Northern Ireland Sammy Crothers 4–1
1968 Northern Ireland Alex Higgins Northern Ireland Maurice Gill 4–1
1969 Northern Ireland Dessie Anderson Northern Ireland Alex Higgins 4–0
1970 Northern Ireland Jimmy Clint Northern Ireland Noel McCann 4–3
1971 Northern Ireland Sammy Crothers Northern Ireland Dessie Anderson 4–2
1972[10] No competition due to the Northern Ireland conflict
1973[11]
1974 Northern Ireland Paddy Donnelly Northern Ireland Sammy Pavis 4–1
1975 Northern Ireland Jimmy Clint Northern Ireland Sean McMahon 4–1
1976 Northern Ireland Eddie Swaffield Northern Ireland Donal McVeigh 4–1
1977 Northern Ireland Donal McVeigh Northern Ireland George Maxwell 4–0
1978 Northern Ireland Donal McVeigh Northern Ireland Liam McCann 4–2
1979 Northern Ireland Raymond Burke Northern Ireland Jim Begley 4–3
1980 Northern Ireland Sammy Clarke Northern Ireland Donal McVeigh 4–3
1981 Northern Ireland Tommy Murphy Northern Ireland Billy Mills 4–3
1982 Northern Ireland Sammy Pavis Northern Ireland Kieran Erwin 9–8
1983 Northern Ireland Jack McLaughlin Northern Ireland John McIntyre 10–4
1984 Northern Ireland Jack McLaughlin Northern Ireland Harry Morgan 10–3
1985[12] Northern Ireland Sammy Pavis Northern Ireland Kieran Erwin 10–9
1986 Northern Ireland Colin Sewell Northern Ireland Gordon Campbell 10–4
1987 Northern Ireland Seamus McClarey Northern Ireland Gordon Campbell 10–4
1988 Northern Ireland Paul Doran Northern Ireland Joe Swail 10–7
1989 Northern Ireland Harry Morgan Northern Ireland Martin O'Neill 10–5
1990 Northern Ireland Kieran McAlinden Northern Ireland Martin O'Neill 10–9
1991 Northern Ireland Michael Duffy Northern Ireland Joe Swail 10–9
1992 Northern Ireland Declan Hughes Northern Ireland Andy Sharpe 10–8
1993 Northern Ireland Patrick Wallace Northern Ireland Kieran Erwin 10–8
1994 Northern Ireland Kieran McAlinden Northern Ireland Michael Duffy 10–6
1995 Northern Ireland Julian Logue Northern Ireland Colin Bingham 10–4
1996 Northern Ireland Joe Meara Northern Ireland Paul King 10–6
1997 Northern Ireland Jonathan Nelson Northern Ireland Paddy Doherty 10–5
1998 Northern Ireland Martin O'Neill Northern Ireland Jonathan Nelson 10–8
1999 Northern Ireland Michael Duffy Northern Ireland Kieran McMahon 10–2
2000 Northern Ireland Patrick Wallace Northern Ireland Barry McNamee 10–2
2001 Northern Ireland Sean O'Neill Northern Ireland Julian Logue 10–5
2002 Northern Ireland Joe Meara Northern Ireland Jonathan Nelson 10–7
2003 Northern Ireland Mark Allen Northern Ireland Colin Bingham 10–4
2004 Northern Ireland Colin Bingham Northern Ireland Joe Meara 10–9
2005 Northern Ireland Mark Allen Northern Ireland Kieran McMahon 10–1
2006 Northern Ireland Dermot McGlinchey Northern Ireland Kieran McMahon 10–9
2007[13] Northern Ireland Patrick Wallace Northern Ireland Joe Meara 10–5
2008[14] Northern Ireland Jordan Brown Northern Ireland Julian Logue 10–9
2009[15] Northern Ireland Jordan Brown Northern Ireland Dermot McGlinchey 10–4
2010[16] Northern Ireland Dermot McGlinchey Northern Ireland Kieran McMahon 10–8
2011[17] Northern Ireland Kieran McMahon Northern Ireland Brian Milne 10–5
2012 Northern Ireland Patrick Wallace Northern Ireland Dermot McGlinchey 10–4
2013 Northern Ireland Patrick Wallace Northern Ireland Jordan Brown 10–4
2014 Northern Ireland Patrick Wallace Northern Ireland Raymond McAllister 10–4
2015[18] Northern Ireland Patrick Wallace Northern Ireland Jordan Brown 10–2
2016[19] Northern Ireland Patrick Wallace Northern Ireland Jordan Brown 10–8
2017 Northern Ireland Jordan Brown Northern Ireland Dermot McGlinchey 10–8
2018 Northern Ireland Jordan Brown Northern Ireland Patrick Wallace 10–5
2019[20] Northern Ireland Declan Lavery Northern Ireland Darren Dornan 10–5
2020 Northern Ireland Declan Lavery Northern Ireland Robbie McGuigan 10–9
2021[21] Northern Ireland Robbie McGuigan Northern Ireland Rab McCullagh 10–4
2022[22] Northern Ireland Robbie McGuigan Northern Ireland Rab McCullagh 10–6
2023[23] Northern Ireland Robbie McGuigan Northern Ireland Raymond Fry 10–8
  1. ^ a b c Aggregate score over 7 frames.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Aggregate score over 5 frames.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Global Snooker Countries – Northern Ireland". Global Snooker Centre. Archived from the original on 23 December 2008. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  2. ^ "G. Barron Wins Snooker Title". The Belfast Telegraph. 5 April 1927. p. 11.
  3. ^ "Ulster Snooker Championship". The Belfast Telegraph. 18 April 1928. p. 11.
  4. ^ "Northern Snooker Championship". Northern Whig. 9 May 1929. p. 2.
  5. ^ "Final of Ulster Snooker Championship". Northern Whig. 25 April 1930. p. 5.
  6. ^ "Ulster Snooker Final". News Letter. 20 March 1931. p. 2.
  7. ^ "Ulster Snooker Final". News Letter. 5 March 1932. p. 11.
  8. ^ "Ulster Championships: French beats Chambers". The Belfast Telegraph. 27 February 1933. p. 11.
  9. ^ "Snooker Title Final: W. Lowe beats S.R. Brooks". The Belfast Telegraph. 12 February 1936. p. 6.
  10. ^ Snooker Scene. July 1972. p. 7.
  11. ^ 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
  12. ^ Snooker Scene. August 1985. p. 21.
  13. ^ "Patrick's Day". Snooker Scene. 25 June 2007. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  14. ^ "Jordan's Top of the Pots". Johnston Press. Archived from the original on 8 March 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  15. ^ "Right On Cue – Jordan Brown's story". Eurosport. 3 June 2009. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  16. ^ "Castlederg's Dermot McGlinchey wins the Northern Ireland Championship for a second time". Archived from the original on 8 March 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  17. ^ "McQuillan shines in St Patricks Cup". Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  18. ^ "2015 Northern Irish National Snooker Championship". The Cue View. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  19. ^ "Dungannon ace Patrick Wallace wins Northern Ireland title for an amazing eighth time". Tyrone Times. Archived from the original on 27 March 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  20. ^ "Lavery Claims Northern Ireland Title". WPBSA. 16 April 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  21. ^ "McGuigan Becomes Youngest Champion". World Snooker. 19 July 2021. Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  22. ^ 'McGuigan Defends Northern Irish Title'. WPBSA, 29 March 2022, retrieved 15 August 2022
  23. ^ "Magic McGuigan Makes it Three-in-a-Row in Northern Ireland". WPBSA. 23 May 2023. Archived from the original on 23 May 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.