Alexander Gordon Higgins was a Northern Irish professional snooker player and a two-time world champion who is remembered as one of the most iconic figures in the sport's history. Nicknamed "Hurricane Higgins" for his rapid play, and known as the "People's Champion" for his popularity and charisma, he is often credited as a key factor in snooker's success as a mainstream televised sport in the 1980s.
Steve Davis is an English retired professional snooker player who is currently a commentator, DJ, electronic musician and author. He dominated professional snooker in the 1980s, when he reached eight World Snooker Championship finals in nine years, won six world titles, and held the world number one ranking for seven consecutive seasons. He won 28 ranking titles during his career, placing him fifth on the all-time list, behind Ronnie O'Sullivan (41), Stephen Hendry (36), John Higgins (31) and Judd Trump (30). The first player to make an officially recognised maximum break in professional competition, at the 1982 Classic, he was also the first to earn £1 million in career prize money. He is the only snooker player to have won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, which he received in 1988.
Ken Doherty is an Irish professional snooker player from Ranelagh in Dublin. He is the sport's only world champion from the Republic of Ireland, having won the title in 1997, making him one of just four players from outside the United Kingdom—in addition to Cliff Thorburn from Canada, Neil Robertson from Australia, and Luca Brecel from Belgium—to have won the World Snooker Championship in the sport's modern era. He combines his ongoing playing career with regular commentary and punditry work on televised snooker broadcasts.
Raymond Reardon was a Welsh professional snooker player who dominated the sport in the 1970s, winning the World Snooker Championship six times and claiming more than a dozen other professional titles. Due to his dark widow's peak and prominent eye teeth, he was nicknamed "Dracula".
Clifford Charles Devlin Thorburn is a Canadian retired professional snooker player. Nicknamed "The Grinder" because of his slow, determined style of play, he won the World Snooker Championship in 1980, defeating Alex Higgins 18–16 in the final. He is generally recognised as the sport's first world champion from outside the United Kingdom—since Australian Horace Lindrum's 1952 title is usually disregarded—and he remains the only world champion from the Americas. He was runner-up in two other world championships, losing 21–25 to John Spencer in the 1977 final and 6–18 to Steve Davis in the 1983 final. At the 1983 tournament, Thorburn became the first player to make a maximum break in a World Championship match, achieving the feat in his second-round encounter with Terry Griffiths.
Douglas Mountjoy was a Welsh snooker player from Tir-y-Berth, Gelligaer, Wales. He was a member of the professional snooker circuit from the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, and remained within the top 16 of the world rankings for 11 consecutive years. He began his professional snooker career by taking the 1977 Masters, which he entered as a reserve player. He won both the 1978 UK Championship and the 1979 Irish Masters. Mountjoy reached the final of the 1981 World Snooker Championship where he was defeated by Steve Davis. He was also runner-up at the 1985 Masters losing to Cliff Thorburn, but by 1988 he had dropped out of the top 16.
Patsy Fagan is an Irish former professional snooker player. Having been runner-up in the 1974 English Amateur Championship, he turned professional in October 1976. He experienced early success with victories at the 1977 UK Championship and the 1977 Dry Blackthorn Cup but following a car accident, developed a psychological block when using the rest which affected his playing and he did not win another title. He lost his professional status in 1989 following a 2–9 playoff defeat by Brady Gollan and now works as a snooker coach. His highest career ranking was 11, in 1978/79.
The 1972 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place between March 1971 and 26 February 1972, as an edition of the World Snooker Championship. The final was played at Selly Park British Legion from 21 to 26 February. Alex Higgins won his first world title, defeating defending champion John Spencer 37–31 in the final. Higgins also made the highest known break of the tournament, 133. In all, he won six matches to secure the title, including a 31–30 deciding frame victory over Rex Williams in the semi-final after Williams had missed an attempt to pot a blue ball. Higgins became the first qualifier to win the World Championship, and, aged 22, the youngest champion until Stephen Hendry in 1990. Higgins's win led to increased interest in snooker from the media and sponsors.
John Joseph Rea was a Northern Irish snooker player. He turned professional in 1947 and was the leading Irish snooker player until the emergence of Alex Higgins and held the Irish Professional Championship almost continuously from 1952 to 1972.
Eugene Hughes is an Irish former professional snooker player. In 1985, 1986 and 1987 he was a member of the successful all-Irish team in the World Cup, alongside Alex Higgins and Dennis Taylor.
The Irish Professional Championship was an invitational professional snooker tournament for mostly Irish and Northern Irish snooker players.
Jordan Brown is a Northern Irish professional snooker player. After winning back-to-back Northern Ireland Amateur Championships in 2008 and 2009, he made his debut on the professional tour in 2009–10 but lost his tour card after one season. He rejoined the tour via the 2018 Q School.
Dennis Taylor is a Northern Irish retired professional snooker player and current commentator. He turned professional in 1972 and is best known for winning the 1985 World Snooker Championship, in which he lost the first eight frames of the final to defending champion Steve Davis but recovered to win 18–17 in a duel on the last black ball. The final's conclusion attracted 18.5 million viewers, setting UK viewership records for any post-midnight broadcast and for any broadcast on BBC Two that still stand.
Jack McLaughlin is a Northern Irish former professional snooker and billiards player from Lurgan. McLaughlin is most notable for winning the 1988 Irish Professional Championship.
The 1982 Smithwicks Irish Professional Championship was a professional invitational snooker tournament, which took place between 9 and 13 March 1982. The tournament was played at the Riverside Theatre in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, and featured eight professional players. After many years as a challenge match, this was the first time the championship was held as a knockout event.
The 1983 Smithwicks Irish Professional Championship was a professional invitational snooker tournament, which took place between 9 and 13 March 1983. The tournament was played at the Maysfield Leisure Centre in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and featured eight professional players.
The 1985 Strongbow Irish Professional Championship was a professional invitational snooker tournament, which took place between 8 and 11 April 1985 at the Ulster Hall in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
The 1986 Strongbow Irish Professional Championship was a professional invitational snooker tournament, which took place between 20 and 23 May 1986 at the Maysfield Leisure Centre in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
The 1987 Matchroom Irish Professional Championship was a professional invitational snooker tournament, which took place between 27 and 30 May 1987 at the Antrim Forum in Antrim, Northern Ireland.
The 1988 Irish Professional Championship was a professional invitational snooker tournament, which took place between 9 and 12 February 1988 at the Antrim Forum in Antrim, Northern Ireland.
Alex Higgins 