Pearse Kelly - When Coalisland was snooker loopy

Dennis Taylor's epic World Snooker title win is all of 40 years ago this week.
We celebrate a time when snooker in Coalisland was vibrant with players of all abilities and ages on the green baizes.
Snooker aficionado Pearse Kelly recalls men like Jim Joe, his son Joe, Vincent Gervin and Louis Conlon who ran Gervin's Hall a bastion of snooker and billiards in the North.
Lads turned back the clock to nick more time, got a swish of Jim Joe's feather duster when they climbed on the table, the hall packed and names listed as they waited to get a free table.
There were also superb cue-men including Johnny Rea, Sean T Hughes, Hugh Gerard Coney, the phenomenal Harry Morgan, Pearse's brother Colm, the Cullens with multiple snooker leagues in the area.
We recall local man Jackie Rea who reached a world final and appeared on the famous BBC2 Pot Black series where Dennis made his first TV appearance in 1975.
Those days stars like Terry Griffiths, Doug Mountjoy, Kirk Stevens, Graham Miles and Steve Davis played exhibitions in Gervins while the best players in the North took part in competitions in front of packed audiences: Joe Swail, Eddie Swaffield, Tommy Murphy...
The pinnacle was the 1985 World final when Dennis Taylor potted the last black ball to spark unbridled celebrations in the town. A week later, he came home with the trophy in a never-to-be-forgotten day as a packed Coalisland was top of the world and Dennis donned the Mayor's robes and was regaled with a song written in his honour by Dessie Symington.
Then came Eamonn Andrews' red book when Dennis was the subject of the celebrated TV show 'This is your Life' and his former team-mates and local characters joined famous snooker players and celebrities ..
Pearse managed to scoop the script from that show, a brilliant memory!
Those were the days! A world title when Coalisland was snooker loopy....