Two legends of snooker will revive memories of one of the greatest sporting duels in living memory when they make an appearance in the Springhill Court Hotel on November 2.
Twenty-five years ago Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor captured the world’s attention when 21 million viewers watched their World Championship final creep into the early hours fo the morning and climax with a final frame, black ball shootout.
It remains to this day the biggest audience for a sporting event on BBC television.
The two players, who remain among snooker’s favourite personalities, will be in town for a fundraiser in aid of the Kilkenny outreach group of the Chernobyl Children’s Project in the Springhill Court Hotel from 8pm.
Their will be a VIP reception at 7.15pm with both players for VIP ticket holders, who are also guaranteed front row seats for the snooker. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to chat and mingle with two of the game’s greats.
The night will be full of nostalgia, stories, jokes and even some snooker and there will also be an auction of sporting memorabilia with two surprise guests on the night, two legends of Kilkenny hurling.
Three local players will pit their own skills against the two legends on the night, among them Stephen Bateman, a 12-year-old form Kilkenny nicknamed ‘the Ginger Assassin’ who first represented Ireland at the age of nine.
His highest break is 55 and he finished third in the u14 rankings last season and made it to the semi-final of the u16 Irish championship in 2010 and has been chosen in the Irish elite squad for 2010/2011.
Frank ‘Fun’ Coyne is a barman at the popular O’Riada’s pub in Kilkenny city and though he has been playing snooker for a long time, his biggest break remains his nose on Parliament Street one summer’s evening.
But he is no stranger to playing the big names, having previously pitted himself against Ronnie O’Sullivan, Jimmy White, Ken Doherty and Stephen Hendry.
And Benny O’Brien is one of the most natural talents to pick up a cue in Kilkenny, finishing number one in the national intermediate snooker rankings in 2008.
A former u18 international with countless local tournament victories under his belt, he has a high break of 143 and plays snooker in an attacking and stylish way which may yet prove a match for the two legends.
Tickets are available in the Springhill Court Hotel on (056 ) 7721122, from Kilkenny Snooker Club on 086 2434144 and James Bateman on 087 2279988.
