St Fintan's Snooker Club, Mountrath

Contact : 085 185 7423

The club is based in St Fintan's Hall, Mountrath, Co Laois.

A tribute to former Vice President of the club, Mr Tommy Watkins (1948 – 2011)
Tommy, a native of Nenagh Co Tipperary joined St Fintan's SC Mountrath (then known as CYMS Billiards & Snooker Club) in 1948.  He played in Kildare & Leighlin CYMS Leagues from 1950-1960.  Initially Tommy enjoyed playing a game of billiards and as snooker became more popular with the advert of television, Tommy began to focus on snooker more.  He demonstrated his snooker prowess by winning the Fr Fenlon Cup in 1965.  As a native member of the committee, Tommy looked after the club in a hands-on supervisory role during 1970-1980 when the CYMS closed.  Always keen to promote Mountrath Snooker Club on the local and national stage, Tommy was a founding member of Laois Snooker Committee in 1982 with the vision of holding the inaugural Laois individual & Team Championships the following year.  A vision realised through planning, hard work, commitment and Tommy's passion for snooker.  These inter town and later inter region championships with the advent of the 3-Counties League (1990-2003) became a social occasion with the teams playing at home and away on alternate weeks during the 6 months snooker calendar season.  Tommy has had many a highlight over the course of his snooker career, let it be adjourning for a tea break in the middle of a gripping finale at 12:30 a.m. in Mountrath against his long standing contemporary Pat McMahon or winning the various billiard and snooker competitions of the day, advising and coaching young and up coming snooker players on the various strategic & technical aspects of the game or always there with the quip and a jibe or advising Steve Davis or Alex Higgins on the finer points of the technical aspects of the game at the Irish Masters or refereeing a century break in the Laois Snooker Championships.  Tommy's massive 60 years of dedication to the growth and development of snooker and billiards in Mountrath was formally recognised by St Fintans SC when he was bestowed with the Honorary Lifetime Presidents Award.  A legend in his own Lifetime and to St Fintans Mountrath Snooker Club.