The Irish Masters Snooker championship will move from its traditional home in Goffs, Co Kildare and will now take place at the City West Hotel in Dublin from Tuesday the 27th of March to Sunday the 1st of April.
Benson and Hedges announced last year that they were withdrawing their sponsorship and up until December Kevin Norton, the tournament director, was unsure if the event would survive. However, the City West Hotel and the Irish Department of Health and Children have now come on board as the new joint sponsors of the Masters, which carries a total prize fund of £195,000, with £75,000 going to the winner.
The draw for the Irish Masters will take place on Tuesday the 27th of February and will include the world's top ten players, plus two wild card entries, which should include Dubliner Fergal O'Brien along with Ken Doherty, winner of last weekend's Welsh Open.
Filed by Shane Murray
