Manny Byrne Wins His First Ranking Tournament

Manny Byrne who hails from Newry Co. Down put all his disappointments of final defeats over the last few years behind him to be crowned 2008 N. Ireland Open 8Ball Pool Champion in the Coach Inn venue, Omagh at the weekend past …….

Manny Byrne (Down) 2008 N. Ireland Open 8Ball Pool Champion.

The event was hosted by Ireland’s Pub 8Ball Pool Tour which attracts players from throughout the 32 counties of Ireland seen the Newry player in top form putting in awesome displays round by round over his opponents on route to victory including the tours number one ranked player Alan Mc Bennett (Cavan) in a classic final to win on a 6-4 score-line……..

Four semi-finals pictured LtoR:
Manny Byrne (Down, winner), Alan Mc Bennett (Cavan, runner-up),
Ben Mc Moran (Tyrone) and Damien Corrigan (Tyrone)

Manny, who has been regarded as one of the top players on Ireland’s pool tours over the years in both in 8ball and all American cue-sport games with his fast attacking style went into the event as the number 3 seed putting together some superb results over Ireland’s top players throughout the day which included Frank Fay, Cieran Summerville, Joe Gervin, Ben Mc Moran and Ireland’s number one ranked player Co. Cavan’s Alan Mc Bennett from the final……..

The two finalists pictured before play
Manny Byrne (Down, winner) and Alan Mc Bennett (Cavan, runner-up)

Manny’s next big event is over the weekend of Friday 29^th February -------Sunday 2^nd March 2008 when the Newry player will be travelling to Kesh in Co. Fermanagh for one of Ireland’s biggest pool tournaments ever to be staged on Irish soil………

Ireland’s 8Ball Pro-Am will cue-off over this fantastic weekend when a number of the worlds top professionals will be taking part competing against local and top Irish players from throughout the 32 counties……

Manny will also be travelling to Germany come August representing Team Ireland in the 30^th annual European Pool Championship competing against 39 other European countries in American 8ball, 9ball and straight pool events………

All and all another fantastic event hosted by Ireland’s Pub Players 8Ball Pool Tour and well done to Manny on his tournament victory and I have no doubt there will be many more titles for the Newry cueist that will becoming his way over the years……….

Tournament Highlight:
The tournament highlight must go to 15 year old Ben Mc Moran who reached his second semi-finals on Ireland’s Pub Players 8Ball Pool Tour recording some good victories over senior players and also a 5-3 win over the newly N. Ireland Junior Champion and the Northwest Open runner-up Ronan Fay before losing 5-0 to the inform Manny Byrne in the semi-finals………..