Longford snooker star Joe Shannon representing Ireland in the European Championships

The 12 year old will represent Ireland at both under 16 and under 18 level and is the youngest member of the Irish team. Joe will play some of the best young snooker players in the world alongside his Irish teammates in what is promised to be an excellent week of snooker.

This comes after winning a national under 16 title last weekend in Ireland’s Snooker headquarters in Carlow.

Joe who is a sixth class student in Scoil Mhuire, Newtownforbes has had another very successful season so far. Reaching eight finals out of ten competitions this year, he is currently ranked number 1 in Ireland at under 14s and is ranked number 2 at under 16 and under 18 levels. 

Joe is the current high break holder in Ireland in the under 14 category. In January, as the youngest player in the tournament, Joe competed in the All-Ireland club championships in Killarney playing on the Sligo team. 

 Joe started playing the game at only ten years old and has won many national titles since. Last year Joe won the national under 12 championship and was also ranked number 1 at under 14s in 2022. 

He represented his country at the Celtic Challenge played in the Terry Griffith’s Club in Llanelli, Wales and at the U-16 Home Internationals in Leeds last August.  Joe’s success so far this year has qualified him to represent Ireland at the Home Internationals in Leeds for a second year running.

 Recently the Irish Snooker and Billiards Centre of Excellence was featured on RTE’s Nationwide. The programme saw Joe play the 1997 world champion, Ken Doherty. Joe played Ken last October when Ken was inducted into the hall of fame at the official opening of the Snooker and Billiards Centre in Carlow. 

 The very best of luck to Joe and the rest of the Irish team in the European Championship in  Malta next week.