T he city’s Irish pubs were well represented at the Tullamore Dew 9-Ball Pool Invitational, a 16-team tournament at Pool-Pub Copenhagen in Nordvest on January 7.

Among those in action were Jim from Kennedy’s,

Gus from the Dubliner,

and Gareth from the Downtown Dubliner.

But only one team could prevail through the group stage and eight-team knockout, and this year the trophy belonged to the Shamrock Inn, the capital’s oldest Irish watering hole.

After losing their opener to the Globe, the Shamrock team – (centre: left-right) Johannes Maan, Keith Norris, Stuart Rattray and John Tanswell – remained adamant they could win.

They promptly knocked out that same Globe team in the semis after John, the player of the tournament, potted the nine-ball off the break.

Their opponents in the final, Kennedy’s, also took them to a decider, and it was that man John again who rose to the occasion with an amazing multiple ball plant to pot the nine out of sequence.

Fortunately for Kennedy’s, there was plenty of Irish coffee to drown their sorrows.