By Elliott West
Introduction
Back in 1993, Irish amateur snooker history was made when John Buckley attained a magnificent 147 break on day two of the Connaught Masters. The achievement was so special, it overshadowed the victory of the overall champion John Cronin. Buckley, the 1988 Irish Senior Champion became the first Republic of Ireland player to compile a tournament maximum.
The Break
The Olympic Snooker Club in Ballybane, Galway was hosting the event for the first time and was brought to a standstill when this magical snooker moment happened. The 147 break came in John Buckley’s second-round match against Tom O’Driscoll, an achievement that earned the 26-year-old Enniscorthy man an £8,000 bonus, an additional £147 and a trophy from the sponsors.
This was a good season for John Buckley, who had already reached the semi-final of the Dublin Masters and was unbeaten in the Home International Championships. However, there was no fairytale ending for Buckley. In his match against his clubmate Billy O’Neill in round four but ended up losing 3-2.
The final was a disappointment, a match pitched between John Cronin and Mark Dooley. Cronin, with aid of an 84 clearance in frame one, led 3-0 before Dooley won his only frame. Breaks of 60 and 40 followed and in the end, the young Limerick man lad won 5-1. For his efforts, Cronin received the Connaught Masters trophy, a crystal carriage clock and £400. John also took the No.1 spot after the first two events of the season.
