Galway Winter Festival – Final Day Wrap
The romance of the Galway skyline may have been dulled by persistent rain, but inside the four walls of the Eglinton Casino a far bigger storm was brewing. As the IPT season edges toward its conclusion, there is always a different energy in the air. Sharper focus, louder voices, and stakes that feel just that bit heavier. This weekend was no exception.
It has been a long year for the players, and you could sense it throughout the room. Leaderboard pressure,and the familiar buzz that only appears at the business end of the season combined to create a fitting backdrop for a dramatic final Galway stop.
Hyper Flight Drama
As the Hyper flight wrapped up early on the final day, attention naturally shifted to second and third in the IPT title race. Killian Farrell and Shane Keary (yes, them again) found themselves seated side by side deep into Level 9, and the banter flowed freely as only it can when everything is on the line.
Adding to the atmosphere was news from Prague, where Conor “Hammer” O’Driscoll had just finished sixth in the EPT Prague Main Event for an outstanding €200,000 — the biggest score of his career to date. The room followed along live from “the Eggy” amid the Hyper madness, and a huge congratulations goes out to Conor on a landmark achievement.
Main Event Final
Attention then turned to the showpiece event of the weekend. The Galway Winter Festival Main Event attracted 124 entries, creating a €25,625 prize pool, with €6,700 announced for first place.
Heading into the final, Ali Abdallah topped the charts with 449,000 chips, closely followed by John J. Ward on 445,000. Ward continued his strong recent form following a deep run at the Dublin Winter Festival. Among the leaderboard contenders were Shane Keary (291,000), Matthew Blayney (176,000), and local favourite Barry O’Sullivan, who returned with 151,000.
With 15 players remaining (Level 18 – 6,000/12,000, ante 12,000), Abdallah had extended his advantage:
- Ali Abdallah – 780,000
- David Cleary – 694,000
- Francis Dervan – 399,000
- John J. Ward – 380,000
- Elizabeth Kelly – 330,000
The final table was soon set, with John J. Ward leading the way on 1,124,000 chips, followed by Ali Abdallah and Mark “Leo” Leonard.
As play progressed, David Cleary surged into the chip lead with five players remaining, holding 1,280,000, narrowly ahead of Abdallah on 1,250,000. Francis Dervan remained very much in contention on 990,000, with Digory Dixon and John J. Ward completing the line-up as the tournament reached its decisive stages.
After a tightly contested final table, the event concluded with a four-way deal. David Cleary and Francis Dervan shared the top prizes, each collecting €4,200. Cleary was officially recorded as the winner, earning 800 leaderboard points, while Dervan secured 640 points for second place.
Ali Abdallah capped off another excellent series performance with €3,400 and 520 points in third, while Digory Dixon banked €3,000 and 440 points in fourth. John J. Ward rounded out the top five, taking home €1,350 and 400 points.
Monsterstack Madness
The €150 Monsterstack drew 35 entries, as always delivering plenty of noise, needle, and end-of-festival banter. Much of it, unsurprisingly, involved Farrell and Keary once again. The event generated a €4,200 prize pool and provided over six hours of lively Sunday afternoon action.
Wayne O’Byrne emerged victorious, lifting the trophy along with €1,560 and 300 leaderboard points after navigating a competitive final table. Vincent “LongLad” O’Toole finished runner-up for €1,040 and 250 points, while Killian Farrell completed the podium, earning €760 and 200 points.
Further points were collected by the ever-consistent John J. Ward in fourth, with Vincent McNeela rounding out the top five. A well-deserved win for O’Byrne — proof that nice guys don’t always finish last.
PLO 7-Max Fireworks
The €100 PLO 7-Max proved a popular Sunday night addition, attracting 42 entries and building a €3,225 prize pool over five and a half hours of action.
This event had been the talk of the room all day due to its major leaderboard implications. Could the title race be wrapped up before the tour moved on to Portlaoise? We waited with bated breath and the PLO delivered.
After plenty of swings and sizeable pots, it was Vitalie Birladeanu who came out on top, claiming €1,200 and the maximum 300 leaderboard points. Jaunius Kavalciukas finished second for €775, while Patrick McGinley secured €500 in third. Brian Carr and Ian Hamrock also picked up valuable cashes and points, rounding out another fiercely competitive field.
Christmas Note
What a truly remarkable year it has been for Irish poker — and for the growth of Live Poker Updates. In our relatively short history, it is hard to remember a year quite like 2025.
The growth of the tour over the past three years has been nothing short of extraordinary, and it would not be possible without the tireless work done behind the scenes. A heartfelt thank you and Merry Christmas to all the staff and crew at the Irish Poker Tour and LPU. Your dedication and hard work do not go unnoticed.
Most importantly, thank you to the players. Many of you have played in excess of 100 tournaments this year, travelling the length and breadth of the country in 2025. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for making this year what it was — a time of groundbreaking work and real evolution for both the IPT and LPU.
We wish you and your families health, happiness, and peace this Christmas.
We’ll see you in Portlaoise on December 27th, The Green Isle, Dublin on January 1st, and then for the big one — the Galway Poker Festival 2026, which promises to be another record-breaker.
“A National Tour with Global Ambition.”
Happy Christmas, poker fans. The dream gets bigger and better in 2026.
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