Snooker legends

Fancy a frame against some snooker legends in Westport?

Daniel Carey

WOULD you like to play snooker against Steve Davis or Ken Doherty? The Mayo News has teamed up with the organiser of an exhibition match scheduled for the Castlecourt Hotel on Wednesday, April 9 to offer one lucky reader the chance to do just that! All you have to do is tell us in 200 words or less why you should be the person chosen to play a frame against a former world champion. You can write to us at Snooker Competition, The Mayo News, The Fairgreen, Westport, Co Mayo or email sport@mayonews.ie before next Thursday week, March 20. We hope to publish a selection of the best entries.
The event, which is in aid of Westport Lions Club, is sure to draw a large crowd to the Castlecourt. Organiser Len Collin has promised that as well as five frames of ‘proper’ snooker, the two legends of the green baize will do ‘lots of trickshots’ and play frames against some local players. It promises to be ‘a really fun evening’ with a more relaxed atmosphere than at competitive snooker events – the bar at the Castlecourt will be open, and he jokes that there won’t be a ban on coughing!
Len Collin, who is based in Knockroosey, Westport, is a keen poker player and got to know Ken Doherty through a shared love of the card game. It was also because of his interest in poker that he got to know Connie O’Sullivan, who runs a snooker club and poker card room in Kerry. O’Sullivan organises about three snooker exhibition matches a year and had previously brought players to the TF Royal Theatre in Castlebar. When he revealed that he had never ‘done’ Westport, Collin was determined to bring the event to west Mayo. He has ‘always loved to watch ’ snooker and has fond memories of the heyday of Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins and the famous ‘black ball’ final of 1985, in which Dennis Taylor just edged out Steve Davis. But as for playing the game, he laughs that ‘if I can pot two balls in a row I’m doing well!’ and is generally content with pool in The West or Jester’s!
Tickets for the exhibition match are available at the Castlecourt Hotel. Further details on the event are available from Len Collin on 098 35928.