NATIONAL AMATEUR SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIP
The very first National Amateur Ladies Snooker Championship was held at the Golden Metro Club, Bray Co Wicklow in 1963, sponsored by Des Campbell. Mary Connell was our first winner and held the high break of 79 for many years. The first player to win the National Amateur Title twice was Brid Maxwell and the first to retain the title also in 1969 & 1970.
Brid Maxwell – Des Campbell – Mary Connell second from the right – first Irish Ladies Snooker Champion 1963
Mary Raymond was the first player to win the Title on 3 occasions and indeed 3 in a row, 1979, 1980 & 1981. Margaret O’Driscoll would be the first player to win the National Title on 4 occasions and 4 in a row, 1987, 1988, 1989 & 1990.
Mary Raymond – Margaret O’Driscoll
Julie Kelly is the first player to win the National Title on 7 occasions in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997 & 1998 and still the only player to hold this record. Julie also holds the record of the highest break for a female in Ireland at 96 in competitive play.
Julie Kelly
While we have a number of players since, winning this title on more than one occasion, Ann McMahon on 5 occasions, Margaret O’Driscoll on 5 occasions, we see new records being set in the years that followed as RILSA makes fantastic strides in developing, promoting and fostering female cue sports in Ireland.
Ann McMahon
Annette Newman while having won the National Title on two occasions has become the first player to win all 4 major titles in one season, In 2019 the National Amateur Championship, National 6 Red Championship, National 10 Red Championship and Maureen Butler Cup is a fantastic achievement indeed. Annette also has the most National Ranking titles to date on 16 since 1999.
Annette Newman
On the National Ranking list, Paula Darby was the first player to make number 1 on 3 occasions and so too did Ann McMahon make number 1 on 3 occasions, equalling that of Paula, however Annette Newman is the first player to make number 1 and remain number 1 for 5 seasons in a row.
Top 8 high breaks in competition/practice to date are
- Julie Kelly 96 in Competition and 126 in practice
- Mary Connell 79 in Competition –
- Margaret O’Driscoll 77 in Competition –
- Annette Newman 64 in Competition and 100 in practice
- Ann McMahon 62 in Competition and 110 in practice
- Cathy Dunne 62 in Competition and 102 in practice
- Jean McGregor 56 in Competition and 100 in practice
- Paula Judge 53 in Competition –
