BY MATTHEW WILSON
DUNGLOE’s Shaun Sharkey is enjoying the challenge of professional pool as he reflects on a stellar year and career in the sport.
Like many fellow professionals, Sharkey’s pool journey began at an early age, playing in a local bar in his hometown of Dungloe.
Speaking to the Donegal News, he expressed that he played casually until he was in his late teens before taking to the competitive scene around the country.
“Mum worked in the bar here down in Dungloe and then we took over the bar ourselves. Just from a young age, I was always hitting a few balls around the tables. I’d be stocking the shelves for mum when I was really young, I’d get a couple of coins to play a couple of games of pool and that’s how it really started.”
“I only started playing competitively and taking it seriously when I was 18 or 19. That’s when I realised that there were Irish pool tournaments and that there was pool outside of local bars”
The Donegal cueist has a very impressive resume in the sport, enjoying a rich vein of form at local level, including six county titles in-a-row between 2017 and 2022.
As well as this he’s secured All-Ireland titles both individually and as a team, representing Team Donegal in 2021’s triumph before winning the Men’s Singles crown in 2022.
Earlier this year, the Dungloe man finished the season as Ireland’s top-ranked pool player, which saw him awarded the association’s Player of the Year award, an accomplishment that Sharkey was pleased to have achieved.
“We won the All-Ireland title with Donegal in 2021 and I won the singles in 2022. This year then for the 24/25 season, I finished number one ranked in the country, that was my first season finishing the season ranked number one.”
“That was something that I wanted to tick off the list because I had the Ulsters, the Donegals, the All-Ireland Singles, the All-Ireland Team and that was the next thing.
“I made it to number one a few times but I never finished off the year as number one to get the Player of the Year award. That was another thing off the bucket list.”
Another career highlight for the pool star was Ireland’s 2024 European 8-Ball Pool triumph, defeating Malta in the final at the INEC in Killarney.
Having captained the side for a number of years prior to last term’s European title win, Sharkey expressed that it was an unbelievable feeling, with the Dungloe native potting the match winning shot in the showpiece.
“That was massive. I’ve been captain of Ireland for the last seven or eight years. I’ve lost four World Finals and three or four European Team Finals with Ireland.
“I’ve won two Home Nations with Ireland playing in a team but to finally get that major, winning the Europeans on home soil was unbelievable. It was some buzz and I potted the winning black to add to it.
“That tournament was in Killarney as well, it seems to be my second home. Everytime I go down there I come back with something.”
In recent times, Sharkey has made the step up to the professional ranks having qualified courtesy of the Challenger System.
He came through that Challenger System at the beginning of 2024 and has enjoyed some good runs in the Ultimate Pool events, including a number of last 16 appearances as well as a run to the semi-final in the British Open back in March.
He lost out in a final frame decider in the British Open semi-final and having come so close, he is now craving a professional title to his name.
“I knew the step up was going to be what it was but I felt that’s the level that I should be playing at anyway. I had a good start to the season this year, getting to the semi-final of the British Open in Daventry.
“I lost there in the deciding frame, you’re a frame and a match away from taking home my first professional title. That’s the aim this year now, to win a professional event.”
With a wealth of experience and success in the sport through the years, Sharkey’s rise to the professional ranks seemed like a matter of when and not if.
The talented Donegal cueist discussed that it was something that was always an ambition of his and was offered a wildcard to jump straight to professional pool however, he insisted that he wanted to go through the process the ‘proper way’.
“I always have great belief in myself, it’s something that I don’t lack. I was offered to go professional as a wildcard but I said that I wanted to do it the proper way and go through the challenger system which was a minefield as there were over 300 players and you had to finish in the top eight.
“But I backed myself to do it. I wanted to come through the proper way because if you went straight into the professional system and things didn’t go your way then you might start doubting yourself. I wanted to go the proper way so that you know you deserve to be in it.”
The Dungloe native recently participated in the Ultimate Pro Pool Cup, losing 7-3 to Chris Melling in the last 32 on Monday evening.
It was a difficult assignment, facing a top class opponent in the form of ‘The Magician’ but it will be one he’ll take learnings from.
However, it’s a quick turnaround for Sharkey as he’s in action for Donegal in two weeks time, participating in the Inter-County Cup before a trip to Cyprus for the European Championships in February.
“I’ll be away with Donegal on 17 January, we’re playing in the Inter-County Cup in Armagh. I’ll be away then in Cyprus for the European Championships with the Irish team.
“You’ll be playing Irish Ranking events in between these but the next big one after that is the Ultimate Pool which will be starting up again. I’ll just keep my head down and keep practicing.”
