O'Sullivan leads star cast

The day began with light comedy. Ronnie O'Sullivan and his girlfriend Jo miss their flight to Dublin from Stansted Airport and security, apparently, won't allow O'Sullivan on the next flight as he has no identification (his passport has been sent to the Chinese embassy to get a visa for next week's event there). Arguably the most visible face in the game, the World and UK champion finds himself, oddly, snookered.

Four hours later, O'Sullivan walks into the banquet room, flashes a jack-the-lad smile and everything is as it should be at Citywest Hotel in Dublin, venue for the 25th Irish Masters championship. Ireland's Fergal O'Brien takes a breather from the rounds of interviews. Relief has arrived.

Once again the competition has attracted the best players in the world from O'Sullivan and the world number one Mark Williams to Jimmy White at 11 and wild-card O'Brien. Joe Swail, the 10th-ranked player, and Ken Doherty, at four, make up the Irish triumvirate. The top 11 players in the world will be on show.

O'Sullivan is also the Irish Masters title holder following victory last year over Stephen Hendry in the final. Having already won the UK final this season with an impressive win over Doherty, O'Sullivan will play the winner of the first-round match between Matthew Stevens and White, in Dublin for his 20th consecutive event.

With a prize fund of €251,000, O'Sullivan, along with Williams, Doherty and John Higgins, all of whom enter the competition at the quarter-final stage, is guaranteed at least a minimum purse of €10,000 just for turning up.

"Looking at the list of players, the standard is frightening," said O'Sullivan. "And with Ken and Fergal and Joe there they'll also have the home support. This is an event the players always look forward to playing in."

The tournament will run from March 19th to 24th with the winner receiving €100,000 and runner up €38,000. There is a €5,000 prize for the highest break in the competition.

O'Brien plays Hendry in the evening session of the second day's play while Swail opens on the first evening against England's Peter Ebdon. "To be playing in a venue which is just up the road from where I live against a seven- times world champion is just great," said O'Brien. "But you never really feel you are involved in a tournament unless you get the first match out of the way."

RTÉ will televise the entire event with the 19-frame final at 2 p.m. on Sunday 24th. The second session will begin at 8 p.m.