paddypowerpoker.com has announced the full Side Event schedule for the Irish Open 2008. The weeklong festival of poker surrounding the €3 Million Guaranteed Main Event will feature Hold’em and Omaha tournaments as well as the first ever Irish Open Ladies event.

The festival begins on 19 March with the Super Satellite to the Main Event, with the Main Event itself starting the following day. Good Friday will then see the cards being dealt at the inaugural Irish Open Ladies event, a €330 no limit hold’em freezeout.

Nikki Newman, Head of Poker at paddypowerpoker.com, is delighted to be introducing the new event. “I am very excited about it. I have always felt something of a personal compunction to help bring more women into the game. Colette Doherty, Irene Tier and Jenny Hegarty, showed us just how much power there is in the Irish ladies game. So what better backdrop could there be for a ladies poker event than the Irish Open itself!”

The schedule is rounded out by the €1,500 No Limit Hold’em Freezeout, the €400 Pot Limit Omaha Rebuy and finishes with another new event, the No Limit Holdem Double Chance Scalp (€270+€30+€30), which takes place on Easter Monday and promises to be a real crowd pleaser.

Irish Open 2008 Schedule:

19 March: Main Event Super Satellite, €300 + €30
20 March: Irish Open Main Event Day 1A, €4,200 + €300
21 March: Irish Open Main Event Day 1B, €4,200 + €300
21 March: Irish Open Ladies NLH Freezeout, €300 + €30
22 March: €1,500 NLH Freezeout (2 day event,) €1,500 + €150
23 March: PL Omaha Rebuy, €400 + €40
24 March: NLH Double Chance Scalp, €270 + €30

The Irish Open 2008 will take place in Citywest Hotel, Dublin, from the 19 to 24 March 2008 and registration for the event is already underway. Players wishing to register and pay online for any of the Irish Open events can do so now at www.irishpokeropen.com

Online qualification for the Main Event is also in full swing at paddypowerpoker.com with a packed schedule of daily feeders leading to Sunday Grand Final Satellites.