Irish Professional Championship

The Irish Professional Championship was an invitational professional snooker tournament for mostly Irish and Northern Irish snooker players.

History

The Irish Professional Championship was first staged in 1947 and was dominated for a quarter of a century by Jackie Rea, the first star of Irish snooker.

Rea held the title, played on a challenge basis, every year but one until 1972, when he was beaten 28–12 in the final by 23-year-old Alex Higgins. Higgins had already become world champion and for the next two decades would enjoy a fierce rivalry with another Northern Irish talent, Dennis Taylor. They won eleven titles between them, and their run of success in the championship was interrupted only by Jack McLaughlin, in 1988. When Joe Swail and Jason Prince contested the 1992 final, it was the first time in over 20 years it featured neither Higgins or Taylor. They faced each other in the final six times, with Taylor gaining the upperhand on four of those occasions.

Since 1992 the championship has been contested five more times with honours going to either Joe Swail or Ken Doherty. Doherty has contested the last four finals winning on three occasions, and was the last Irish Professional Champion.

Winners

References