Coleraine hosts 16th Special Northern Ireland Festival of Pool
Thursday, 13 November 2008
Coleraine Deputy Mayor, Cllr Liz Johnston, helps Valerie Taggart hold up her stack of trophies, on the last day of the Special Pool Competition in the Lodge Hotel last week.
THE 2008 Special Festival of Pool, supported by Coleraine Borough Council, commences on Monday, November 17 in the Lodge Hotel Coleraine bringing together Junior and Senior players from the Special Schools and Day Centres throughout Northern Ireland.
Now in its 16th year, the festival affords the opportunity to people with learning difficulties, mental health problems and physical disabilities to compete for both national and international titles.
Following the official opening on Monday, the Junior players from Northern Ireland will take centre stage when they compete for the Northern Ireland Junior Individual title and the Northern Ireland team championship with defending champions Sandleford starting as favourites whilst Nathan Caldwell from Sandleford will need to be on top form if he is to defend his Northern Ireland Individual title.
Tuesday sees the Seniors in action with three team championship titles up for grabs with Muckamore Abbey, Mountfern and Greystone all defending their titles. The three individual championships for Men, Ladies and Social will be played for on Wednesday. Current World and European Individual Champion Valerie Taggart from Portrush and Ballycastle's Paddy Reid will be strong contenders to lift their crowns once again. However, with both championships having a large contingent of international players battling it out, the locals will need to be on top form.
The Social individual championship is a more open event with any one of 80 entrants more than capable of winning. The 2007 winner, Peter McGrath of Millbrook Ballymoney will have his work cut out if he is to repeat last year's success.
All the finals and subsequent plate finals will take place on Thursday with the newly introduced team speed pool event rounding off the competitions. The festival then concludes with the awards ceremony on Thursday afternoon.
