It has been 25 years now since an Irish player last won the World Snooker Championship. The ‘Darlin’ of Dublin’ Ken Doherty prevailed in 1997 when he defeated Stephen Hendry in the final at the Crucible in Sheffield.
Here is a look at the Irish players who have the best chance of coming out on top this year in the biggest event in the sport.
Mark Allen
Six-time ranking winner Mark Allen has been seen as a player who has the potential to win a world championship even since he became a professional in 2005. The Pistol won the Masters in 2018, one of the three Triple Crown events in snooker. Allen is 28/1 in the Betfair snooker betting odds for the 2022 World Snooker Championship. As a top 16 player, he has automatically qualified for the main draw.
The former world number four is likely to be discussed in the snooker betting predictions for the tournament. He was successful in the Northern Ireland Open earlier in the season. If he brings his best game to Sheffield, Allen would have an excellent chance of winning a maiden world title.
Ken Doherty
At the age of 52, Doherty remains on the World Snooker Tour, and he will look to qualify again for the World Snooker Championship. The Irishman has often produced his best snooker in this tournament, as he has reached the final on three occasions.
Doherty is now down to 78 in the world rankings. It means he will enter the qualification stage in the second round. He will face the winner of the Rory McLeod and Ng On Yee game. The 1997 winner will have to win three matches to qualify for the main draw.
Given the success the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Williams and John Higgins continue to have in snooker, Doherty will hope he can have at least one big run towards the trophy. Victory this year would make him the oldest winner in the tournament’s history.
Fergal O’Brien
Fergal O’Brien has been on the World Snooker Tour since 1991, so he has a wealth of experience in the game. The best the man from Dublin has done in Sheffield was his run through to the quarterfinals in 2000.
O’Brien remains very competitive on the tour. The former British Open winner now shares his time between the World Snooker Tour and World Seniors Tour. He will begin his 2022 World Snooker Championship campaign in the second qualifying round. His opening match will come against either fellow Irish compatriot Aaron Hill or Liam Davies.
The world number 73 reached the quarterfinal of the Scottish Open earlier this season. He lost to eventual winner Luca Brecel in the event. If he can reproduce that same form, O’Brien is a player who could cause an upset or two, at the very least, at the Crucible.
The final of the 2022 World Snooker Championship begins on the 1st of May and it will take place over two days, with a maximum of 35 frames scheduled to decide the winner.