Northern Irish amateur snooker championship
Northern Ireland Amateur Championship Country Northern Ireland Established 1927; 97 years ago (1927 ) Organisation(s) NIBSA Format Amateur event Recent edition 2023 Current champion Robbie McGuigan
The Northern Ireland Amateur Championship (often referred to as the Northern Ireland Championship ) is an annual snooker competition. It is the most prestigious amateur event in Northern Ireland.
History
The first year of the championship was 1927, when G. Barron defeated G.R. Duff. It was not held in the years 1940 and 1942–44 due to World War II and in 1972 and 1973 because of The Troubles .[ 1]
Many players who have appeared in the final of the tournament have gone on to be professional, most notably including two-time World Snooker Champion Alex Higgins , six-time ranking event winner Mark Allen , 25-time Irish Professional Champion Jackie Rea , World Championship semi-finalist Joe Swail , World Championship quarter-finalist Patrick Wallace (who has won the competition a record eight times) and, most recently, ranking event winner Jordan Brown .
Other players who have gone on to be professional include Tommy Murphy , Jack McLaughlin , Martin O’Neill, Michael Duffy, Declan Hughes , Julian Logue, Joe Meara, Sean O'Neill and Dermot McGlinchey. Currently Allen and Brown are playing on the World Snooker Tour .
The current champion is Robbie McGuigan , who defeated Raymond Fry 10–8 in the 2023 final to win the national title for a third consecutive year.
Winners
Year
Winner
Runner-up
Final score
Amateur
1927[ 2]
Gibson Barron
Robert Duff
381–331[ nb 1]
1928[ 3]
J. Perry
J. Blackburn
414–327[ nb 1]
1929[ 4]
W. Little
Capt. John Ross
282–276[ nb 2]
1930[ 5]
J. Luney
Gibson Barron
351–285[ nb 1]
1931[ 6]
Jack McNally
W.R. Mills
288–273[ nb 2]
1932[ 7]
Capt. John Ross
W.R. Mills
266–207[ nb 2]
1933[ 8]
J. French
J. Chambers
281–218[ nb 2]
1934
Capt. John Ross
W. Price
329–199[ nb 2]
1935
Billy Agnew
Capt. John Ross
281–227[ nb 2]
1936[ 9]
W. Lowe
Sam Brooks
326–228[ nb 2]
1937
J. Chambers
J. Blackburn
4–0
1938
Jack McNally
Billy Sanlon
4–3
1939
Jack McNally
Sam Brooks
4–3
1940
No competition due to World War II
1941
Jack McNally
A. Heron
4–2
1942–1944
No competition due to World War II
1945
Jack McNally
Charles Downey
4–0
1946
Jack McNally
Jackie Rea
4–3
1947
Jackie Rea
Jack Bates
4–2
1948
Jack Bates
Ted Haslam
4–1
1949
Jack Bates
Jim Stevenson
4–2
1950
Jack Bates
John Dickinson
4–2
1951
Jim Stevenson
Ted Haslam
4–1
1952
Jim Stevenson
Dan Turley
4–1
1953
Jim Stevenson
Joe Thompson
4–1
1954
Billy Seeds
Jim Stevenson
4–2
1955
Jim Stevenson
Maurice Gill
4–1
1956
Sam Brooks
George Lyttle
4–3
1957
Maurice Gill
Dessie Anderson
4–1
1958
Billy Agnew
Billy Hanna
4–3
1959
Billy Hanna
Billy Seeds
4–3
1960
Maurice Gill
Dessie Anderson
4–3
1961
Dessie Anderson
Maurice Gill
4–1
1962
Sean McMahon
Dessie Anderson
4–2
1963
Dessie Anderson
Jimmy Clint
4–2
1964
Paddy Morgan
Maurice Gill
4–2
1965
Maurice Gill
Sammy Crothers
4–1
1966
Sammy Crothers
Billy Caughey
4–3
1967
Dessie Anderson
Sammy Crothers
4–1
1968
Alex Higgins
Maurice Gill
4–1
1969
Dessie Anderson
Alex Higgins
4–0
1970
Jimmy Clint
Noel McCann
4–3
1971
Sammy Crothers
Dessie Anderson
4–2
1972[ 10]
No competition due to the Northern Ireland conflict
1973[ 11]
1974
Paddy Donnelly
Sammy Pavis
4–1
1975
Jimmy Clint
Sean McMahon
4–1
1976
Eddie Swaffield
Donal McVeigh
4–1
1977
Donal McVeigh
George Maxwell
4–0
1978
Donal McVeigh
Liam McCann
4–2
1979
Raymond Burke
Jim Begley
4–3
1980
Sammy Clarke
Donal McVeigh
4–3
1981
Tommy Murphy
Billy Mills
4–3
1982
Sammy Pavis
Kieran Erwin
9–8
1983
Jack McLaughlin
John McIntyre
10–4
1984
Jack McLaughlin
Harry Morgan
10–3
1985[ 12]
Sammy Pavis
Kieran Erwin
10–9
1986
Colin Sewell
Gordon Campbell
10–4
1987
Seamus McClarey
Gordon Campbell
10–4
1988
Paul Doran
Joe Swail
10–7
1989
Harry Morgan
Martin O'Neill
10–5
1990
Kieran McAlinden
Martin O'Neill
10–9
1991
Michael Duffy
Joe Swail
10–9
1992
Declan Hughes
Andy Sharpe
10–8
1993
Patrick Wallace
Kieran Erwin
10–8
1994
Kieran McAlinden
Michael Duffy
10–6
1995
Julian Logue
Colin Bingham
10–4
1996
Joe Meara
Paul King
10–6
1997
Jonathan Nelson
Paddy Doherty
10–5
1998
Martin O'Neill
Jonathan Nelson
10–8
1999
Michael Duffy
Kieran McMahon
10–2
2000
Patrick Wallace
Barry McNamee
10–2
2001
Sean O'Neill
Julian Logue
10–5
2002
Joe Meara
Jonathan Nelson
10–7
2003
Mark Allen
Colin Bingham
10–4
2004
Colin Bingham
Joe Meara
10–9
2005
Mark Allen
Kieran McMahon
10–1
2006
Dermot McGlinchey
Kieran McMahon
10–9
2007[ 13]
Patrick Wallace
Joe Meara
10–5
2008[ 14]
Jordan Brown
Julian Logue
10–9
2009[ 15]
Jordan Brown
Dermot McGlinchey
10–4
2010[ 16]
Dermot McGlinchey
Kieran McMahon
10–8
2011[ 17]
Kieran McMahon
Brian Milne
10–5
2012
Patrick Wallace
Dermot McGlinchey
10–4
2013
Patrick Wallace
Jordan Brown
10–4
2014
Patrick Wallace
Raymond McAllister
10–4
2015[ 18]
Patrick Wallace
Jordan Brown
10–2
2016[ 19]
Patrick Wallace
Jordan Brown
10–8
2017
Jordan Brown
Dermot McGlinchey
10–8
2018
Jordan Brown
Patrick Wallace
10–5
2019[ 20]
Declan Lavery
Darren Dornan
10–5
2020
Declan Lavery
Robbie McGuigan
10–9
2021[ 21]
Robbie McGuigan
Rab McCullagh
10–4
2022[ 22]
Robbie McGuigan
Rab McCullagh
10–6
2023[ 23]
Robbie McGuigan
Raymond Fry
10–8
^ a b c Aggregate score over 7 frames.
^ a b c d e f g Aggregate score over 5 frames.
References
National amateur
snooker championships
Europe Americas Africa