Six-time World Champion Steve Davis will cue up for a one-off at the Snooker Legends Irish Masters in Goffs next year.
Davis, 60, retired a couple of seasons ago and waved goodbye to a packed crowd of fans at the Crucible parading the World Championship trophy at the venue he won six times.
He replaces the seven-times Legend Stephen Hendry who has had to pull out due to contractual obligations in China.
Davis said in a PR sheet: "I don't want anyone to read anything into this with regards to any sort of comeback. This is a one-off appearance to help out and for the Irish fans a chance to wave goodbye.
Crucible Goodbye
The Nugget, as he has been so nicknamed, has won 8 Irish Masters titles in the past, and won his first in 1983 when he beat Ray Reardon in the final.
Davis's last hurrah in the event was in 1993 when he came up against Scotland's Alan McManus, still a tour regular and also now an ITV4 commentator, recently appearing in the Shanghai Masters this week.
He added: "Goffs is a great venue and it will be great to play there one final time."
Hendry Gutted
Ronnie O'Sullivan, currently competing in the Shanghai Masters in the semi-finals against John Higgins, has won the Irish Masters four times, with Scot John Higgins picking up the trophy twice.
Hendry, who had to pull out of the Legends event, has won it three times.
Said the seven-times and youngest ever World Champion at 21, now 48: "I'm gutted to have to pull out of Goffs, but I know Steve will be a great replacement."
Hendry played Irishman Ken Doherty, Welshman Darren Morgan and Stephen Lee in the finals he won.
He also played the Hurricane Alex Higgins in 1989 and said it was the craziest atmosphere he had played in.
Earlier this year, Snooker Legends hosted the UK Seniors Championship down in Redhill, Surrey, where four qualifiers had the chance to play a handful of Legends and the final was won by snooker's People's Champion Legend Jimmy White, who beat the well-liked Irishman and 1997 World Champion Ken Doherty in a thrilling final.
The Irish Masters also holds qualifying rounds where another handful of amateurs over 40 get their chance to pit their wits with some of snookers greatest and they were played in Carlow and Cookstown.
The event is a spin-off of the World Snooker event which ran from 75 - 2009 and was last won by Ronnie O'Sullivan when he beat Barry Hawkins.
The Hurricane Higgins won it twice with the very first edition going to John Spencer.
It runs next year in the beginning of Jan from the 6th to the 7th, and tickets can be obtained via the Snooker Legends website.
