Multiple World Championships pool silverware for Northern Ireland players
Team Northern Ireland enjoyed an incredible IEPF World 8-Ball Pool Championships campaign with several players bringing home major titles.
Hundreds of international cueists flocked to Treacy's West County Hotel in Ennis for this year's Championships with singles, doubles and team events all on the packed 11-day programme.
Twenty years on from her maiden triumph in the competition as a record-breaking 18-year-old, Emma Cunningham defeated France's Collette Henriksen, 8-6, in the final to become a four-time world champion in the women's singles.
Aiming to end a 12-year wait to add to her title tally, Cunningham eliminated opponents from Ireland, New Zealand and Australia en route to the semi-finals where she saw off 2016 champion Sabrilla Brunet (France), 7-4.
Following previous glories in 2005, 2011 and 2013, Cunningham is now the joint-second most prolific winner in the tournament's history alongside fellow four-time victor Linda Leadbitter.
Cunningham was also part of the Northern Ireland outfit that won the world women's team championship alongside Ashleigh Dinsmore, Lisa Dart, Chucky Preston, Victoria Lomax and Roisin Smith.
Led by skipper Dinsmore, 'The Nordies' finished second in the round robin phase to qualify for the knockouts where they dispatched title holders England, 8-4, in the semi-finals.
In the final, Northern Ireland battled back from 3-0 and 4-1 down, stringing together seven consecutive frames to defeat France, 8-4, and win the team title for the first time in a decade.
In total, Northern Irish women scooped three world titles in Ennis with Dinsmore and Smith partnering up to conquer the women's doubles event.
The duo defeated English pairing Sophie Gibbs-Nicholls and Leanne Cragg 7-5 in the final.
There was success for Northern Ireland in the Men's World Masters, as Ballymena's Gary Clarke lifted the trophy for the first time, beating Shaun Storry (England) 10-9 in a thrilling final.
Clarke is the third Northern Irishman to win the World Masters accolade within the last four years, following in the recent footsteps of Ronan McCarthy (2022) and Declan Brennan (2023).