Snooker Clubs in Dublin

Michael Collins · 07-12-2009 4:04pm

celticfc wrote: »

As far as I know they still do have tables. I was in the Golden Ball for a few pints recently and I seen a couple of notices around the place for the snooker room but I didn't have the chance to look further.

Michael Collins wrote: »

Again I'm not sure if they still have tables it's been a while since I've been there but they used have them upstairs, on the left as you go in.

Sorry celticfc, I'm just rereading my reply to your post, I didn't realise it came across so rude...I don't know why I phrased it like that! But yeh it must be 5 years or more since I've seen the tables in Palmers / Golden Ball so you'd have the more up to date info.

major bill · 07-12-2009 11:17pm

i see q's have gotten rid of their pool tables in the quiet room and a couple of snooker tables, they have also introduced a members scheme aswell free of charge to join.Think they trying to turn it into a decent place to play.

celticfc · 08-12-2009 9:49pm

Michael Collins wrote: »

Sorry celticfc, I'm just rereading my reply to your post, I didn't realise it came across so rude...I don't know why I phrased it like that! But yeh it must be 5 years or more since I've seen the tables in Palmers / Golden Ball so you'd have the more up to date info.

Didn't come across rude at all.

I haven't been up there since my previous post either. Must pay a visit.

major bill wrote: »

i see q's have gotten rid of their pool tables in the quiet room and a couple of snooker tables, they have also introduced a members scheme aswell free of charge to join.Think they trying to turn it into a decent place to play.

Ooooh, good to hear. I really have to be getting back to playing soon and Q's is handy enough for me. Since the Spawell closed I just haven't got around to playing much at all.

zack01 · 19-01-2010 10:17pm

Just to let you guys know crossguns have just had all their tables recovered this week

alang184 · 24-01-2010 7:20pm

Crossguns sounds and looks like a great place for snooker! I'll definitely try there, maybe next week. Super-early afternoons suit me the most. Zack01: What are mid-week early afternoons like (and also Sundays)? Would it be over-kill to stay on a table for 2 or 3 hours, or never really that busy early afternoon? Thanks.

zack01 · 24-01-2010 9:29pm

Hi alang184, the club has been really busy the last few weeks, sometimes you go in you can be waiting a while, half hour or more but it's worth it, the tables have just been recovered, i played on two of them so far and they are perfect, the rates are going up next Monday 1st Feb by one euro an hour to €7 per hour before 6pm and €10 per hour after, only 50 cent each extra when two play i suppose, myself and the boys don't mind the increase as the club has been recently had an overhaul topped off with the new cloths, well worth it!!:)

conburn · 21-02-2010 4:32pm

In the Spawell yesterday talkin to one of the guys that works there, he said its been refurnished and is been hopefully reopening next weekend(27-02-2010) Ballinteer house is also good for a game:D

zack01 · 21-02-2010 8:27pm

Yes indeed i heard about the spawell last week, it's great news, it was always a good club, i just hope whoever is investing in it hires somebody decent to run it, you need somebody with a love and fairly good knowledge of the game. Richie McAuley ran it last and i know that everyone who played there would say that Richie ran a great club until unfortunatly he got shafted by the owners.In my experience great clubs are run by great lad, a couple of examples of clubs still going well are Monkstown Snooker run by Mick Kane and Cross Guns run by Finbarr Ruane, anyone who knows their snooker should know those lads, anyway is'nt it great just to have another club opening up?

celticfc · 22-02-2010 9:36pm

Wow, great news to come back to!

I'm delighted to hear The Spawell will re-open, I have missed it a lot and haven't really gotten to play much at all since it closed.

I presume then that Richie McAuley has nothing to do with it anymore, shame really, most folk used to think he done a great job.

Any news if the pub/nightclub/restaurant/function rooms there are to re-open too?

Jules · 22-02-2010 10:29pm

Ah thats great, i used to work up there for about 5 years Great spot and hopefully they have recovered the tables! Will defiantely go back up, and Richie had a lot of time for the club and the players. There were some very good league players too.

conburn · 24-02-2010 5:22pm

celticfc wrote: »

Any news if the pub/nightclub/restaurant/function rooms there are to re-open too?

I was told the restaurant and pub should be open before paddy's day.

Gingy · 01-03-2010 12:16am

Great to hear that about Spawell (even it does mean that there'll be another match where chances are we'll get hammered in the league by a 12 year old!)

celticfc · 06-03-2010 5:22pm

I had been meaning to go down to the spawell all week but only got the chance yesterday afternoon and it was closed. I went into the golf shop underneath and the chap said it would be another couple of weeks until it opens, i was really dissapointed.

Has anyone heard what the delay is or talked to anyone about it?

On a good note, work seems to be racing ahead in the bar/lounge/restaurant part with the builders working away.

Tin_Cup · 11-03-2010 9:53am

Have heard the re-opening date is the weekend of the 27th March. Hope this is correct!

gerire · 27-03-2010 2:56pm

Spawell is now re-open; Most tables re-covered, and if you have been there before aparently you wont recgonise it.
No night club, that's being used as a function room now

Haven't actually made it down yet as im up to my neck in a project but it's supposed to be looking great.

Dont know the hourly cost either yet but will find out and report

zack01 · 27-03-2010 4:55pm

That's great, we need more clubs opening up in Dublin,hopefully more will follow, incedently Cross Guns has been selected to host the 6th RIBSA intermediate snooker tournament on April 17th, delighted for the owner,he's put a lot of work into the club recently, he's had the place overhauled and from a snooker players point of view it's a great place to play. Delighted for the Spawell though we've had a right few matches with them over the years!:)

celticfc · 28-03-2010 8:12pm

Brilliant, I'll try to make it down tomorrow evening for a few frames and a few pints.

syngindub · 29-03-2010 10:01pm

Where is cross guns?

zack01 · 30-03-2010 10:11am

It's located in Phibsboro, the details are on the website www.crossgunssnookerclub.com

Tin_Cup · 02-04-2010 6:44am

Finally got up to the Spawell last night. They have done a nice job doing up the place. Looks very well. The price though has gone up to €12 per hour and they are getting very strict on the dress code. Bouncers around the complex all the time now by the looks of things. Even had one sitting in the snooker room. Was disappointed to hear that the management have no interest at the moment of letting us play league matches from the club next season as they would have to give away a couple of hours free snooker for the matches a week!

zack01 · 06-04-2010 3:57pm

Crossguns Snooker Club 52 years open today and still going strong! Is there any other club open longer?

Snookermad · 23-04-2010 7:28am

How is the spawell getting on since its reopen?

I havent been up there since a while before it closed but i always used to like it in there. I hope the whole bouncer thing isnt too offputting.

kildare snooker · 26-04-2010 12:07am

shame to see the old places close,i used to play a lot in Blacks snooker club in old bawn in tallaght and the Spawell,couldnt believe it wen i heard spawell had closed good to see it back open hope it goes well

DubGF · 26-04-2010 11:15am

The league cup finals for DBSL were held in Spawell on Saturday for Division 1 and 2. Willows won the Division 1, while Roadstone G won Division 2.

The place is great, really enjoyed the day.

Tables were superb, good atmosphere, food and drink available as well.

Really impressed with it, its a shame I live the other side of Dublin to play there regularly.

SD7792 · 01-05-2010 10:34pm

Few questions about crossguns..

1) What are the odds of getting a table quickly on Wednesdays at 2pm or Fridays at 4pm?
2) Are memberships available, and if so, how much?
3) Is there places to leave your cue?
4) Is it open this monday (bank holiday)?

Thanks in advance.

zack01 · 02-05-2010 9:25am

CrossGuns details:

1.As you would imagine the club is very busy this time of year and we cannot guarantee a table would be available at these times.Couple that with the fact that all seven tables have been recently recovered it therefore doubles demand for tables from players across the city.If you have to wait on a table we generally have a good idea of how long the wait will be, complimentary tea/coffee is available also snacks and drinks are available to purchase.

2.CrossGuns does not have membership, it was never required as the club has been built on the basis that snooker was going to be the main interest and not gaming machines pool tables etc that in the long time attract the wrong type of customer.CrossGuns has never felt the need for membership as we always try to attract new potential snooker players.

3.We do have a cue room where cues can be left, however as in all clubs items are left at the customers own risk, we do however accomadate regular customers by taking their cues into the office for safekeeping.

4.CrossGuns is open 364 days of the year 2pm - 11pm the only day we close is Christmas Day.

SD7792 · 02-05-2010 11:24am

Great. Cheers for the quick reply

empirix · 03-05-2010 4:40pm

Yes i give a thumbs up for cross guns, nice and homely feel to it and no knackers, hopefully will be going for years to come!

jesse shortall1 · 04-05-2010 7:15pm

any1 kno if you hav to be a member to play in roadstone,in kingswood?:)

hill16upthedubs · 20-05-2010 11:20pm

heya mate,

just a quick question,

im going to the pats and bohs game tomorrow
i have a couple of hours to kill after work was thinking for a frame or 2.

obviously im gonna be wearing a pats jersey, do you reckon that will be ok.

Muppet Man · 21-05-2010 6:39am

jesse shortall1 wrote: »

any1 kno if you hav to be a member to play in roadstone,in kingswood?:)

Hi Jesse, I have eat there on Fridays at lunch time (nosh is as good as it gets for less than 10 bucks). Anyway, I asked the gaffer if you had to be a member and he said you didnt... he mentioned 6 euro/hour, which seemed a bit rediculous. He did say that Tuesday (or was it wednesday) nights were busy as they had league games on there. I have no idea of the condition of the tables, havent played yet, but presume they are not too bad.

Cheers
Muppet Man

Muppet Man · 21-05-2010 6:43am

hill16upthedubs wrote: »

im gonna be wearing a pats jersey, do you reckon that will be ok.

I cant see how that would ever be OK :P:D

xabi_a · 21-05-2010 12:56pm

I know this thread is about places to play now, but I'm getting all nostalgic for the old places long gone:(

Does anybody remember these clubs:

The Orwell, in Rathmines - It's now a Chinese Restaurant I think. It was a real snooker club back in the '80s, no pool tables, no kids, just one little poker machine at the entrance. They played league. That's the place where I played most back then.

"Nat's" in Ranelagh - just across from Jason's, beside Redmond's off-licence. You went in through an anonymous door and he had about 3 full-size tables in 2 separate rooms, with a roaring open fire in one of the rooms! It was super cheap even by '80 standards. Run by an old guy called Nat. Ken Doherty played in there the odd time, when he wasn't in Jasons.

A place in Dame Lane - I only came across this in the early '90s, just before it closed and became the trendy pub 4 Dame Lane. I walked in one day and there were 6 full-size tables, with lots of dusty old junk all around, and an old man behind the desk playing loud classical music on a ghettoblaster - surreal! I never played there, don't know what the name of the place was either. But it looked like something from 50 years ago.

The Shelbourne(?) - down near Ringsend bus station. The building is still there. Back in the '80s when snooker was huge this place opened up and it was the biggest snooker hall around. They even had an electronic scoreboard for their match table.

Others I vaguely remember but was only in once or twice:
- the Mint, just off Henry St
- someplace downstairs in O'Connell St, forget the name. Eugene Hughes played there.
- the Pierrot club, on Bachelor's Walk I think?

zack01 · 21-05-2010 4:59pm

Yes indeed I remember when I played leagues in the late seventies early eighties there were plenty of great clubs, here's a few I remember:
The Cosmo - O'Connell St
The Home of Billiards - Batchelors Walk
Pierrot Clubs - Batchelors Walk, Dun Laoghaire, Ringsend
Potters - Edenmore
Potters - Crumlin
The Star - Drimnagh
Castle Billiards -Drimnagh
Tallaght Leisure - Tallaght Village
The Belgard - Tallaght
Bills - Fairview
Rodgers - Fairview
The Regal Diplomat - Corduff
The Classic - Finglas
The Green Baize - Bolton Street
Langans - Capel Street
The Aristocrat - Clanbrasil Street
Joeys - Harminstown
The Westbury - Malahide
Bo Diddleys - Rathmines
Breaks - Drumcondra
Ballymun Snooker Club
Then there were the many CYMS and workmans club that had a table or two, a few of my favourites were:
The Workmans Club - Welington Quay
The Pioneer Club - Mountjoy Square
Frederick Street CYMS
Inchicore Workmans Club
Howth CYMS

Such a shame they are all gone only real club left is CrossGuns now, it's seen them all come and go and is still flying after 52 years!

jesse shortall1 · 24-05-2010 1:28pm

Muppet Man wrote: »

Hi Jesse, I have eat there on Fridays at lunch time (nosh is as good as it gets for less than 10 bucks). Anyway, I asked the gaffer if you had to be a member and he said you didnt... he mentioned 6 euro/hour, which seemed a bit rediculous. He did say that Tuesday (or was it wednesday) nights were busy as they had league games on there. I have no idea of the condition of the tables, havent played yet, but presume they are not too bad.

Cheers
Muppet Man

cheers i might head u there for a game

DubGF · 24-05-2010 3:25pm

Tables in Roadstone are great, they are originally from the Ivy rooms club in Carlow, cant remember the make but are very nice indeed. league matches would be tuesday and Thursday but they are all finished for the summer

jesse shortall1 · 26-05-2010 9:12am

nice gonna drop in sounds good,as i regularly play in cues:D

Dudley Smith · 31-05-2010 9:09am

Is the Spawell definitely back in business? What are the opening times and can you still get a pint upstairs? Thanks!

DubGF · 31-05-2010 7:21pm

Spawell is open, its called D'Arcy McGees now I think, it had a website but I cant seem to find it now, the phone number is 01 4907727, tables were smashing the last time I played there about 5 weeks ago.

DubGF · 31-05-2010 7:30pm

Found this from google's lovely cache...

Refurbished Spawell Snooker Club 2010 (Upstairs)
The old Spawell Snooker Club (D'arcy Mcgees Snooker Room) has re-opened upstairs in Spawell Sports Club. All tables in the refurbished Spawell have been upgraded to a very high standard, with a bar and lowered ceiling also available. Opening hours are from 10am-11.30pm Sunday-Thursday and 10am-12.30am Friday-Saturday. Standard rate is 12 euro per hour, with Under 16's and OAP's rate at 8 euro per hour. Gift cards/loyalty cards are also available which can be bought for 100 euro, which will be topped up with a further 30 euros making the card worth 130 euros. This card can be used for snooker, food and teas and coffees within the snooker room. Any player wishing to join D'arcy Mcgees Snooker Room can download a membership application form from here (link is broken).

kevkel · 02-02-2011 2:56am

i played there from 1963 0nwards and it was the dustiest dirtiest club in dublin but full of character and characters. it was run by the hanlon brothers from rathfarnham

xabi_a wrote: »

I know this thread is about places to play now, but I'm getting all nostalgic for the old places long gone:(

Does anybody remember these clubs:

The Orwell, in Rathmines - It's now a Chinese Restaurant I think. It was a real snooker club back in the '80s, no pool tables, no kids, just one little poker machine at the entrance. They played league. That's the place where I played most back then.

"Nat's" in Ranelagh - just across from Jason's, beside Redmond's off-licence. You went in through an anonymous door and he had about 3 full-size tables in 2 separate rooms, with a roaring open fire in one of the rooms! It was super cheap even by '80 standards. Run by an old guy called Nat. Ken Doherty played in there the odd time, when he wasn't in Jasons.

A place in Dame Lane - I only came across this in the early '90s, just before it closed and became the trendy pub 4 Dame Lane. I walked in one day and there were 6 full-size tables, with lots of dusty old junk all around, and an old man behind the desk playing loud classical music on a ghettoblaster - surreal! I never played there, don't know what the name of the place was either. But it looked like something from 50 years ago.

The Shelbourne(?) - down near Ringsend bus station. The building is still there. Back in the '80s when snooker was huge this place opened up and it was the biggest snooker hall around. They even had an electronic scoreboard for their match table.

Others I vaguely remember but was only in once or twice:
- the Mint, just off Henry St
- someplace downstairs in O'Connell St, forget the name. Eugene Hughes played there.
- the Pierrot club, on Bachelor's Walk I think?

zack01 · 02-02-2011 1:28pm

The cosmo was the club in O' Connell St, I remember the club in Dame Lane too. Spent most of the time sneezing went I played in there!

liammyy · 13-04-2011 11:22am

hi to u all do any 1no if there is any snooker club r any where tp play snooker in banch cos wat bk in play

thanks you

Muppet Man · 13-04-2011 11:42am

It is tough to read your writing friend, but I am not aware of any clubs in Blanchardstown, if that is what you were asking.

I think Blanchardstown LeisurePlex have two or three tables. Not sure if they are full size. Its at the corner of Blanhardstown shopping centre, by TGI Fridays I think.

Muppet Man

claw · 05-05-2011 9:33am

Hi,
I run the Dublin Snooker League Web Site (http://dublinsnookerleagues.dynalias.com) and the snooker clubs who play or have played in the last couple of years in our league are:

Roadstone Sports Club (Kingswood)
Darcy McGees (formerly Spawell) (Templeogue)
Willows Snooker Club (Dundrum)
Glenalbyn Sports Club (Stillorgan)
Howth CYMS
Ierne Sports Club (Drumcondra)
Classic Snooker Club (Finglas)
Racecourse Snooker Club (Baldoyle)
Guinness Sports Club
ALSAA Sports Club
Sportslink Sports Club (Santry)

There are other clubs in Dublin who do not play in the snooker league. All of the above clubs are happy to have new players playing, although some of the clubs do require memberships.

HONEI · 04-03-2023 4:03am

I used to play in the Orwell back in about 1971. It was a great little place…about 4 tables, run by John and Denis (owner I think). Anto Berney was the best player, would give me 30 up and beat me every time almost! Local lads were Deckie and Joey, and Marty who used to lock up some nights when we would end up trying out trick shots and stuff. Jim McCann, the ballad singer, was a late night visitor. Those days are long gone!

The Nal · 04-05-2023 9:57am

Darcy McGees (Spawell) is closed and won't be reopening.

DelBoy Trotter · 04-05-2023 1:14pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120553428#Comment_120553428

What’s the reason for that? I know it shut when Richie retired, but surprised they didn’t find anybody to take over from him

The Nal · 04-05-2023 1:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120554340#Comment_120554340

I know they had issues getting staff after covid. Was very quiet up there during the day over the last decade so it could be just a money thing. In the evening they had 10 tables (I think?) being used at 8 quid an hour for 5 hours a day. 6pm to 11pm. At best. So 400 odd quid a day in light fees and maybe the same ish in pints and the odd plate of chips. Isn't sustainable really. Wasnt a big drinking club either.

Theyd do more in one lunchtime carvery downstairs than a week in the snooker hall.

Danye · 08-05-2023 9:52pm

Is there anywhere now that do flyers, leagues or competitions of any kind and open to average players. I’d love to get back playing.

Snooker Clubs in Dublin

Comments