Shaun Sharkey, Dungloe, and his Irish teammates came up agonisingly short in the World Championship team event held in Blackpool recently.
They lost a nail-biting final 8-6 to Australia in a match that they will feel they could have won.
Shaun has represented his country at various levels this past number of years but, at only 25, was still the youngest player on the 10-strong Irish panel.
Indeed, the young Rosses man proved himself to be one of the bulwarks of the squad, placing second in the Irish team stats during the tournament.
[adrotate group=”55″]In the group stages, the Irish team achieved a small piece of history, being the only team ever to progress unbeaten, winning all thirteen of their matches.
In the semi-finals they went 4-1 down to India and then reeled off 7 matches on the trot to prevail 8-4.
In the final itself, Shaun won his first frame to take Ireland into a healthy 3-1 lead. However, the Aussies then took control by winning the next 5 – Shaun’s opponent broke and finished in their frame, leaving Shaun to watch on, helpless.
[adrotate group=”46″]The Irish lads battled back to trail 7-6 but could not manage to bring the match to a decider.
The team were crestfallen at the end, as it looked like their unbelievable team spirit and never-say-die attitude would deliver the ultimate prize.
Shaun’s sister, Helena, represented the Irish ladies’ team.
They found the going tough in the group stages and were unable to qualify for the knockout stages.
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