Irish Pool

Irish Pool – Emmett Maguire who hails from Dregish in the Tyrone County produced a dazzling display throughout the 2009 Tyrone Individual 8-Ball Pool Championships played at the end of December in the newly open Q-Sport Academy in Fintona to be crowned the official Tyrone Individual 8-Ball Pool Champion for 2009 defeating a host of top Inter County and International players on route to victory which seen the Dregish player record his first tournament title win in this superb event going alongside Connor Mc Cann (Dungannon, 2006 & 2008 champion) and Damien Corrigan (Fintona, 2007 champion) on the champions roll of honours list.

These annual Tyrone Individual 8-Ball Championships which is regarded as the biggest and most prestigious pool tournament for Tyrone based players on the tournament diary once again attracted a large turnout of players who supported this superb event travelling from almost every town throughout the county in the bad and heavy show conditions which is a credit to each and every player who made the effort.

As stated above players represented almost every town in Tyrone with these championships proving its the one every Tyrone player wants to win with players representing the following towns of Omagh, Fintona, Dungannon, Beragh, Sixmilecross, Seskanore, Ardboe, Newtownstewart, Cookstown, Aughnacloy, Coalisland, Dregish, Dromore, Killeshill but come Sunday evening at the end of December it was a young man from Dregish who claimed the title, the prize-money and the perpetual crystal trophy for his efforts when he defeated Ronnie Boyle (Fintona) in a brilliant final on a 7-5 score-line to be crowned champion.

Emmett Maguire who attends Queens University College in Belfast where he represents his college in major team pool competitions throughout Ireland and over seas such as All Ireland Inter College Championships, Inter Province Championships and UK University Championships only to mention afew has now earned his place on Tyrones Mens Inter County Pool Team for the Grand-Finals of the 2010 All Ireland Inter County 8-Ball Team Championships which takes place on the weekend from Friday 30th April to Sunday 2nd May at the beautiful Clanree Hotel Letterkenny Co. Donegal.

On route to claiming the 2009 Tyrone Individual 8Ball Championship crown Emmett was in fantastic form throughout the day starting his tournament campaign off in the last-32 and then turning on the style in the last-16 when he came up against former Irish International and Tyrones Mens Inter County team captain Brendan Mc Donagh (Dromore) but reputation didnt stand in the way of this Dregish cueist performance when he defeated this great Dromore player on a 6-2 score-line.

In the -finals Emmett defeated another Dromore player, young Brian Sheridan who is starting to come through the ranks over the last year defeating a lot of highly ranked men players in tournaments and that was proved when this young lad defeated 2009 Irish 8Ball Masters Champion Cathal McElrean in the last-32 but once again the Dregish player kept his good run of form going to defeat Brian 6-3 and move into his first semi-finals.

In the semi-finals Emmett produced the goods once again when needed by putting in another brilliant performance to overcome the challenge of Irish under-21 international and semi-finalist of the 2009 World Under-21 8Ball Championship Ronan Fay (Coalisland) with another fine result which secured Emmett his place in the final for the first time in the four year history of this great tournament with a 6-4 victory over the Coalisland man.

In the final Emmett came up against Ronnie Boyle who has now reached two semi-finals and this years final in the four year history of the event but it was Emmett who took a commanding 5-1 lead early in the match which seen Ronnie pull back to one frame difference but it was Emmett who held out to record a 7-5 win and become the third Tyrone player to be crowned Tyrone Individual 8-Ball Pool Champion by taking the 2009 event.

Ronnie reached the final recording victories over Paudraig Flannigan (Dungannon, last-32, 6-3), Dwayne Timlin (Omagh, last-16, 6-5), Daryl Beattie (Sixmilecross, -finals, 6-0) and then defeated twice winner Connor McCann (Dungannon) in the semi-finals on a 6-5 score-line before losing to Emmett in the finalresults from the last-16 onwards is as follows.

Congratulations to Emmett on being crowned 2009 Tyrone Individual 8-Ball Pool Champion and know doubt there will be plenty more titles coming Emmetts way in the coming years ahead.

Once again these championships proved a major success and hopefully carry onto be a brilliant tournament which is only open to Tyrone based players and keep growing to be bigger and better year after year with these championships once again proving that the standard of pool throughout Tyrone is second to none, and hopefully this will carry the Tyrone County in good stead when the mens, ladies, and juniors will be competing against the rest of Ireland in the 2010 All Ireland Inter County Team Championships come May.

LAST-16:
Ronnie Boyle 6-5 Dwayne Timlin
Daryl Beattie 6-3 Nathan Todd
Marty Quinn 6-5 Chris Beattie
Connor McCann 6-2 Adam Mc Mackin
Ronan Fay 6-3 Luke Quinn
Bem Mc Moran 6-4 Kieran Summerville
Brian Sheridan 6-2 Gareth Quinn
Emmett Maguire 6-2 Brendan Mc Donagh

-FINALS:
Ronnie Boyle 6-0 Daryl Beattie
Connor McCann 6-1 Marty Quinn
Ronan Fay 6-4 Ben Mc Moran
Emmett Maguire 6-3 Brian Sheridan

SEMI-FINALS:
Ronnie Boyle 6-5 Connor McCann
Emmett Maguire 6-4 Ronan Fay

FINAL:
Emmett Maguire 7-5 Ronnie Boyle

PHOTO:
Pictured from LtoR after the final of the 2009 Tyrone Individual 8-Ball Pool Championships is Ronnie Boyle (Fintona, runner-up) and Emmett Maguire (Dregish, winner)