Roscommon pool player sets his sights on the professional ranks

A County Roscommon pool player is following his dream by competing in the professional ranks of the sport he loves.

Former St. Michael’s footballer, Niall Sweeney, has ensured he will play at professional level after securing promotion from the Challenger Circuit of Ultimate Pool.

Ultimate Pool, after only being founded in 2020, is the main organisation for professional 8-ball pool, focusing on high-paced games. After three years on the Challenger Circuit, Sweeney will now compete in the Ultimate Pool Pro Series this year following a strong 2025.

His breakthrough moment came last April when he won the Challenger Series Tier One title in Wigan. The Irish international believes that it was a pivotal moment in his career, and one that was a reward for years of hard work.

“To be honest, both 2025 and 2024 were big for me. I’ve had a great couple of years since 2022 really but, in 2025, winning that ultimate event was massive. They are near impossible to win. There are 256 (players) at each event, so it takes a bit of doing to win one.

“I started playing Ultimate three seasons ago. The first year I finished 63rd in the rankings out of over 400 players. In the second year, I was 45th and then last year I managed to get up pro. Three seasons isn’t too long to get up pro,” he explained.

The Cootehall native is keenly aware of the financial challenges that come with playing in the professional ranks.

Sweeney, who also works as a sales representative with Flogas, is currently searching for sponsors as he is set to play in roughly twice the number of events this year than he did in 2025.

“It is very hard. You have to do really well in pro level to make a living just off it. The only thing is that Ultimate Pool came into existence a few years ago and it is really transforming pool. It is getting bigger, but it probably needs a few years to keep growing too,” he acknowledged.

Since first picking up a cue at the age of four, the 36-year-old is keen to ensure that his time in the professional ranks isn’t a brief one.

Sweeney states that his primary objective is to ensure he retains his pro card and provides himself with a foundation to build for the future, hoping to follow in the footsteps of Cavan’s Stephen (Stevie) Dempsey and carve a name for himself at the top level.

“With this being my first year professional, it is going to take time to adapt. The first aim has to be to retain my pro card and try to gradually build into it. The aim then, for the future, is to win more events. That is the bottom line.

“If I do retain my pro card, the aim is to get into the top 32 in the rankings. There are 96 players in the professional rankings so it will be tough, but I am looking forward to it,” he concluded.

For enquiries in relation to sponsoring Niall, please contact him on 083 8965138 or e-mail niallcsweeney@gmail.com.