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Ronnie O'Sullivan: Galway bound.

Snooker’s elite are all cued up for Galway

December 23, 2011 - 7:15am
City scoops major international event for St Patrick's weekend

By Declan Tierney

The eyes of 40 million sports fans will focus on Galway next March when the city plays host to a international snooker tournament which will attract the top 24 players in the world.

Household names like Ronnie O’Sullivan, Steve Davis and John Higgins will be joined by stars like Judd Trump, Neil Robertson, Mark Selby, Matthew Stevens and Ding Junhui for the Professional Tour Championship grand final which takes place in the Bailey Allen Hall in NUIG.

The four-day event will take place over the St. Patrick’s weekend and will be televised live from start to finish as well as attracting thousands of snooker fans to the West of Ireland.

Cllr. Niall McNelis has been instrumental in bringing the tournament, which has a prize fund of around €320,000, to Galway city along with his brother Shay McNelis, who is full time events organiser.

Shay was successful in bringing this same event to the Helix in Dublin last year and then convinced snooker’s governing body to hold the tournament in Galway.

The tournament is the climax of the Players Tournament Championship series. The players have been competing in 12 events staged in the UK and across Europe over the past six months and the top 24 money earners qualify for the grand final.

It will take place from March 14 to 18 and the Bailey Allen Hall can accommodate 650 spectators for each of the sessions with the tickets for the event going on sale early in the New Year.

Cllr. McNelis revealed that Thailand and Malta, where snooker attracts huge audiences, had sought to stage this tournament, but that Galway had won out in the end.

“I think the organisers wanted to hold the competition in Ireland to connect St. Patrick’s Day and the green baize we are just delighted that Galway was chosen as the venue”, he added.

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.

Source: Galway City Tribune

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