The article below is an excerpt from the Munster Snooker Special Preview in Next Friday’s ( 20th Jan 2012) Weekend Sports Magazine in Cork’s Evening Echo.

The last Cork side to lift the coveted ‘Munster Cup’ were Youghal CYMS back in the year 2000 when the East Cork side created a real piece of history for the club, beating the red hot favourites Cork Victoria in the final, where Paul Butler famously finished off the match with some incredible pots sending the fanatical Youghal supporters into a frenzy which started a celebration that lasted quite a few days.

This year is another historic one for the Youghal CYMS who are making their 25th consecutive appearance in the event which is a fantastic achievement in itself for the club who have only four tables, but are impressively entering no fewer that three teams and could have entered a fourth side, such is the strength of the Youghal Society.

Youghal CYMS President William Kelly a player in Youghal’s ‘B’ side in Killarney said “We love going to Killarney and we get incredible support down there, it seems that everyone who is involved in snooker in the town in one form or another travels down for the weekend of the ‘Munsters’ and we appreciate that. We are going down a quarter of a century this year which is a hell of a thing for us, it would be great to win it again it really would”.

All the latest news and updates, high breaks and results will be posted on Facebook checking out Munster Snooker Club Championships, plus they will be here on www.youghalonline.com and on www.ribsa.ie

Munster Snooker Club Championships 2012

Venue 1 = INEC Lobby  Venue 2 = tables 1-5 in ballroom Venue 3 = tables 6-12 in ballroom

Tournament format = 5 groups of 5 teams, with 3 teams qualifying from each group.

(Thats 10 matches per group, and 50 group matches total.)

Winners of group A go straight into the quarter final stage at 10.00am on Sunday .

The remaining 14 qualified teams will play a knockout match to reach quarte final (best of 3)

The winners of groups 2, 3, 4, and 5 will be drawn against  4 of the 3rd place finishers.

The 5 group runners-up will join the remaining 3rd place finisher in the final 3 last 16 games.

All group matches and top 16 matches are best of 3 frames on each table

The quarter finals and the semi finals are best of 5 frames on each table.

Friday—(Group games)

3 Matches, in venues 1, 2 and 3 at 10am, 11am, 12noon, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm  = 21 Matches(7×3)

2 Matches in venues 2 and 3  at 5pm, 6pm, 7pm, 8pm and 9pm = 10Matches        (5×2)

Saturday

Group games

3 Matches in venues 1, 2 and 3  at 10am, 11am, 12am, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm  = 21 Matches

Playoffs at 5pm

Last 16 at 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, 9pm  (7 Matches – 2 matches per session)

Sunday

2 Quarter Finals at 10am   (INEC and Ballroom)

2 Quarter Finals at 11.30am (INEC and Ballroom)

2 x Semi-finals  at 1.30pm   (INEC and Ballroom)

Final at 4 pm in the INEC.