By Elliott West
“It’s wonderful to be back in Belfast. It’s one of my favourite stops, and I think it is one of everyone’s favourite stops on the tour of all the places we go”.
Shaun Murphy
Introduction
Northern Ireland has long been a stomping ground for snooker. It has produced a wealth of snooker talent over the years including players like Alex Higgins, Dennis Taylor, Joe Swail and more recently, Mark Allen. At its heart, the capital city, Belfast where the troubles of the past have thankfully been put to bed, lie a number of thriving snooker clubs where the enchanting click of snooker balls can still be regularly heard as the Guinness flows from behind the bar. I only recently went to Ireland for the first time, visiting Dublin but have yet to experience the warmth and enchantment of this regenerated city never ceases to amaze so many who come here.
Belfast has a number of brilliant attractions to visit such as Titanic Belfast, St George’s Market, Ulster Museum, Botanical Gardens, Belfast City Hall, Crumlin Road Gaol and the Metropolitan Arts Centre. However, for snooker fans, there is nothing better than the yearly pilgrimage to what has quickly become one of the best venues on the tour and many would agree, a tournament, part of the BetVictor Home Nations series, that is up there with Alexandra Palace, the Crucible, Goffs and the Tempodrom in Berlin. It is, of course, the Waterfront Hall at the centre of Belfast. A snooker temple where fans and players just love coming to for the annual Northern Ireland Open. A tournament that Judd Trump has won three times (2018, 2019 & 2020) and Mark Allen, the current champion in 2021 and 2022.
A Crowd Pleaser
Opened in 1997 and renovated in 2016, the main circular auditorium in the Waterfront Hall seats 2,241 and its design is based on the Berlin Philharmonic Hall. The seating structure is unique because it allows it to be moved to create a bigger arena and the dome of the glass building is coated with copper so it will eventually turn green like Belfast City Hall and other Victorian buildings in this iconic city. Housing bars and a restaurant, the hall looks out onto the banks of the River Lagan.
Traditionally used as a music venue, some of the greats have played here. These include U2, Robbie Williams, Sting, Chuck Berry, BB King, Westlife, One Direction, and opera legends Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Katherine Jenkins and will soon play host to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers next year and The Waterboys in October. A perfect music venue where I am told the acoustics are amazing. This is a hall that draws you in and even if you are walking past, can catch the bustling atmosphere through the glass and hear the enchanting music flowing through its structure. A Northern Irish powerhouse that continues to give.
A Snooker Magnet
With more tickets than ever sold last year, this is a venue that snooker players love coming to. A journey that is worth the effort and where Belfast welcomes fans and players alike with open arms. The Northern Ireland Open is a tournament where you very rarely see an empty seat and fills to the rafters as the week or 8 days this year, progresses. Whether you sit at the front or in one of the boxed balconies, ticket holders get a brilliant view of the multi-table or later single-table set-up. Alex Higgins would have been proud of this venue and it is only fitting that the trophy is named after him. A genius in his pomp, who could pull shots and breaks out of thin air.
The Waterfront King
It remains to be seen who will lift this prized trophy at the end of the tournament but the clear favourites have to be Judd Trump and Mark Allen. Yet we all know that snooker can produce a few surprises. So you would be a brave person to place a sizeable wager on a specific player. With £80,000 up for grabs for the winner, this is certainly a victory that you would want for the first or multiple times. It is a tournament that oozes class and the sheer adoration that Northern Ireland has for snooker. A Celtic love that spans the Republic of Ireland and Wales. So whoever wins, will remember this special place, tournament and victory for many years to come.
