Irish snooker veteran Fergal O'Brien impressed with Youghal CYMS progress

DUBLIN’S Fergal O’Brien attracted a big crowd to the Youghal CYMS for a brilliant night of snooker at a recent exhibition.

Over the last number of years, the Youghal CYMS Snooker Club have been great supporters of Irish professionals and this was another night to remember at the market square venue.

O’Brien captured his sole ranking event title to date at the 1999 British Open with a 9-7 victory against Anthony Hamilton in the final.

O’Brien turned professional in 1991 and has been one of Ireland’s leading players for much of his career, reaching a high ranking of number nine during the 2000-01 campaign.

At the 2016 UK Championship, he recorded five-century breaks during a 6-5 victory against Barry Hawkins, becoming the first player to score five tons during a best-of-11 match. Earlier in the same year, he became the oldest player to make a 147-maximum break in professional play.

Youghal CYMS captured the recent Munster Championship title in Killarney and 23 years after winning it for the first time, this was a massive success for all involved in the Youghal club as they got the better of Cork rivals the Crucible in a fantastic decider.

It was an evening full of laughter and great snooker at the exhibition. Youghal CYMS have a wonderful hard-working committee and the local community is lucky to have such a fantastic organisation.

O’Brien played the five-man Munster-winning team of Aaron Tobin, Adam Bulman, Adam Fitzgerald, Conor Kennedy, and Ross Bulman.

All performed extremely well and they got fantastic local support. Another big hit on the night were local juniors Cathal Horgan, Davy Hickey, and Robert O’Riordan.

Earlier that day, O’Brien did a two-hour coaching session at the club, with a large number turning up for the session.

“It’s great to be here in Youghal,” said O’Brien. “It’s a fantastic club; the work Brendan Cooney and all the committee do is brilliant. 

It’s great to see all the lovely photos on the wall from the juniors who have played for Ireland.”

Speaking about his current form and plans for the future, O’Brien said: “I have a two-year professional card and I’ll need some good results to remain on the tour going forward. I’m happy with my current form and my game so hopefully things will turn around. I’m doing a bit of coaching and I’d love an opportunity at TV commentary.”

The Youghal Club have produced a huge number of Irish internationals. They will also be represented at the upcoming European Championships in Malta with Ross Bulman playing in the senior’s event. No stranger to big success, Bulman is a multiple Irish national champion and has reached a European final in recent years. He is expected to be involved in the business end of the competition.

Davy Hickey will make his international debut in the U16 Championships.