User:Steveflan/Irish Professional Championship

The Irish Professional Championship was an invitational professional snooker tournament for Irish and Northern Irish snooker players.

History
The Irish Professional Championship was inaugurated on 6 November 1952 when the Eire and Northern Ireland Billiards Association announced that Jackie Rea had been unanimously declared as the professional snooker champion of Ireland.

The event was then held on a challenge basis, with the champion choosing his challenger. Due to the lack of professional players within Ireland, Rea was only challenged twice for the title.

The first challenge came from, Jack Bates, who was a professional billiards player. Rea and Bates met in a 73 frame match held at the RAOB Hall in Belfast, with Rea winning by 37 frames to 26.

Due to there being no other Irish professional snooker players, Rea it was not until 1972 that Rea's second challenge came from Alex Higgins in a 55 frame match held at different venues across Ireland. Higgins won the match 28-12 to become the new Irish Professional Champion.

Higgins defended the title four times in a row, before losing the title to Dennis Taylor. Taylor defended the title in the following two years. During this time the tournament was only sponsored in 1978 by Benson & Hedges and in 1979 by Smithwicks Brewery.

In 1982 the tournament was converted to a knock-out tournament. Eight players took part, and was sponsored by Smithwicks Brewery. Higgins and Taylor won nine titles between them, and their run of success in the championship was interrupted only by Jack McLaughlin, in 1988. After the 1983 event Smithwicks ended their sponsorship, and Strongbow took over for 1985 and 1986 and Matchroom for 1987. After the 1989 event the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association withdrew their backing to national championships in form of £1,000 per player, and the event was discontinued.

In 1992 the event was revived with sponsorship by Murphy's, and for the first time, the event was held in Republic of Ireland. 34 players competed at the event. When Joe Swail and Jason Prince contested the 1992 final, it was the first time in over 20 years it featured neither Higgins or Taylor. It was held again in 1993, but was abandoned again. The event was held again between 2005 and 2007.