Derry's Sean Paul helps Blackstaff to All Ireland snooker title
Derry can celebrate a new national champion after local snooker player Sean Paul McCauley played a starring role in Blackstaff Snooker Club's thrilling triumph at Sunday's prestigious All Ireland Snooker Club Championships in the Gleneagle Hotel in Killarney.
The Belfast based club's B team defeated highly fancied Dubliners, Pioneers Blue, 3-1 in a thrilling Championship final - emulating the All Ireland victory of their 'A' squad who took home the Premier Section title in 2024.
Thirty-four year old Creggan native McCauley played his part in the decider with team-mate Connell Doherty securing the tournament winning point to ensure an All Ireland trophy would be heading north for a second successive year. Not only that, the 'B' side's success means they are now promoted to the Premier Division of the tournament for 2026, for which they will receive an automatic entry meaning they don't have to qualify.
Superb displays
Former AoH and Tracy's player McCauley has been playing with the Springfield Road club since moving to Belfast, where he currently lives with his partner, Rebecca, for work and is the only Derry representative on a team who exceeded expectations with some superb displays, coming through a tough qualifying section which included Derry side Daly’s to defeat Kildare based Celbridge Snooker Club in the last eight and AOH 'A' from Cork in the semi-finals
The All Ireland Championships were the brain child of the late Maurice O'Donoghue, then the owner and MD of the Gleneagle Hotel which, in the early 90s, boasted a five table snooker club in its upstairs restaurant.
The club's committee had the idea to try and organise an All-Ireland club tournament which meant bringing players from Northern Ireland across the border to compete alongside player from the south, something that would have been almost unheard of in that era.
But backed by O'Donoghue's vision and financial support, the competition has become of the highlights of the Irish snooker calendar with hundreds of players taking part qualifying taking place annually across the country.