DARTS IN CORK - NEWS

September - October

October 2011

Cork Players Perform Well at Players’ Championships

Sharon O’Brien and Kay O’Carroll

Kay O’Carroll and Damien O’Driscoll were Cork’s best players at Round One of the 2012 Ireland Players Championships at the Abbey Court Hotel in Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, on Sunday, October 23rd.

For the second weekend in succession Kay O’Carroll was beaten in the final of a major competition.

In Nenagh she was beaten 4 – 3 by the reigning champion, Sharon O’Brien {Kildare} in the final of the Ladies’ Championship after she defeated Carlow’s Maeve O’Connor 3 – 0 in the semis.

Glenn Spearing and Damien O’Driscoll

The 2011 Men’s Champion, Damien O’Driscoll, was looking good to start his campaign with a win after he defeated the Northern Ireland International, Darren Clifford, 6 – 2 in the semi-finals but he was beaten 6 – 2 in the final by an in-form Glenn Spearing {Dublin} in the final.

Kevin McDonnell was the next best Cork player – he reached the last sixteen and is now well-placed to reach the Grand Finals if he repeats that performance in the future rounds.

John Paul Dowdall, John Kidney and Peter Daly all played well on the day and picked up two points apiece for their efforts.

October 2011.

Cork Players Excel in Killarney.

Best Irish Player in Masters – Kevin McDonnell with Robbie Kelly {Sponsor}

Kay O’Carroll {Runner-up}, Crissy Manley {Winner} with Marie McEvoy {Sponsor}

 

Hundreds of Cork darts players and supporters mingled with the world’s top professionals

and the best of the Irish players at the annual Killarney Darts Festival in the Convention Centre

at the Gleneagle Hotel.

The main event at the Festival was the world-ranked John McEvoy Gold Dart Classic on

the Sunday which featured almost ninety of the PDC pros in what turned out to be a super

competition before a packed attendance.

156 Irish players competed in a pre-qualifying event on the Friday night and a number

of Cork players won through to compete in the competition proper on Sunday.  

Mark Hurley from Cobh was one of the qualifiers and he won two matches in the Pro Tour

before losing to Mark Hylton, who went on to reach the semi-finals.

John Paul Dowdall also qualified and was in the prize money on Sunday before losing to

another pro, Wayne Jones.

Jason Kavanagh and Stephen Holland also kept the Cork flag flying with impressive performances.

Cork players were the main focus of attention in all of the events over the weekend with young

Jack O’Hea from Bantry reaching the semi-finals of the Bronze Dart Youths’ Singles and Kay

O’Carroll reaching the final of the Silver Dart Ladies’ Singles for the second year in a row.

Kay was unlucky to come up against England International, Crissy Manley, in the decider where

she lost by four legs to two.

Ryan Maher from Dublin retained the Youths’ title with a 3 – 1 win over Damien Kelly {Limerick}

A record entry of 345 players competed in the Ladbrokes.com Irish Masters on the Saturday and

once again the ‘Rebels’ were making the headlines.

Darrell Hodgson defeated Nick Fulwell 4 – 2 and former world champion Jelle Klaasen 4 – 0 before

going out to Scotland’s Robert Thornton on a 2 – 4 scoreline

Jason Kavanagh lost in the semi-final of his board to Irish Matchplay runner-up, Shane O’Connor,

while Stephen Holland lost at the same stage to the eventual winner, Mark Walsh.

Peter Quinn defeated Simon Whitlock 4 – 3 in their board final before losing to John Henderson in

the last 32 and he continued his good run on Sunday with some more notable victories.

Kevin McDonnell defeated PDC players, Barrie Bates and Mark Stephenson, before losing 2 – 4 to

Steve Beaton and he captured the award for Best Irish Player in the Masters by defeating Peter

Quinn in a play-off.

This was the fifth year of the Killarney Darts Festival and it was by far the most exciting and entertaining of all the events.    Hopefully, it will continue for many years to come. 

September 2011

Kay Stars Again in Tramore

Kay O’Carroll receiving her ‘Player of the Year’ Award from Mary Bourke (O’Shea’s Hotel)

 

Stephen Holland (Runner-up Men’s Singles) with Mary Bourke (O’Shea’s Hotel)

Mixed Pairs Champions – Kay O’Carroll and John Magowan

As usual a large contingent of Cork players travelled to the Sunny Southeast last weekend

to compete in the Autumn Darts Festival at O’Shea’s Hotel in Tramore  and they were very

prominent in all competitions.

Once again it was Kay O’Carroll who was Cork’s star performer at the Festival and she rounded off a great year of darts with the ‘Player of the Year’ Award.

On Saturday Kay was partnered by Northern Ireland International John Magowan in the Mixed

Pairs Championship and they were in unbeatable form as they captured the title with a 5 – 3 victory over the formidable pairing of Noel and Ann Redmond from Wexford.

Ciara Haugh and Chris Curran from Mallow reached the quarter-finals of this event before bowing out to the beaten finalists.

In the semi-finals of the Ladies’ Open Singles on the Sunday Kay O’Carroll reached the semi-finals where she lost out to Berni McDonald (Carlow).

The winning of the Ladies’ ‘Player of the Year’ Award was a fitting climax to the Festival season in Tramore for Kay who had captured both of the Ladies’ Singles titles at the Winter Gala and Spring Festival earlier in the year.

In the Men’s Doubles competition Chris Curran and Alan Reilly were the best of the Cork players reaching the quarter-finals while Bronagh Mallon and Ciara Haugh were beaten in the semi-finals of the Ladies’ Doubles.

Stephen Holland from East Cork was the surprise packet in the Men’s Open Singles and he took many scalps en route to the final where he lost out to Benny Grace from Kilkenny.

Stephen won his board with an exciting 4 – 3 victory over the 2011 Ireland Players’ Champion, Damien O’Driscoll, and he followed on with victories over two Northern Ireland Internationals,

Roy Bailie and Colin Maxwell, while other Cork players, Peter Quinn, Chris Curran and Alan Reilly, were also in the prize money.

CDPA Players Heading to Killarney

Timmy Ryan – first maximum of the season.

Four CDPA members qualified to compete in the Irish Masters and John McEvoy ‘Gold Dart’ Classic Pro Tour at the Killarney Darts Festival at the Killarney Convention Centre on the weekend of October 14^th. to 16^th.

The qualifying competition was held at Redmond’s GAA Club on Monday, September 12^th., and the Victorious players were Martin McGregor (Abbey), Mark Willis (Evergreen), Timmy Ryan (Rock) and Mark Towler (Tory Top)

The CDPA 180 Club for the season 2011/12 commenced on the night of the qualifiers and Timmy Ryan was the first man on the list with the opening maximum. 

Huntsman Pair Capture Autumn Doubles

John Kidney and Adrian Wright

The annual CDPA Autumn Doubles Championship attracted a record entry of 54 pairs to the Deanrock Darts Arena in Togher on Monday, September 19^th.

The reigning champions, Jim and Gary Condron (Abbey Tavern), got off to a winning start but they lost out to Noel O’Neill and Mick Maguire (Evergreen) and this pairing went on to win through on Board (7) for the quarter-finals.

Des McKinney and Colm O’Brien (Ferry Arms) were victorious on Board (1) but they were beaten by Eric Dunlea and Mossie O’Donovan (Evergreen) in the last eight.

The Forde’s pair of Brendan McKeown and Ciaran Murphy won their board before bowing out to Mark Towler and John Donnellan (Tory Top) in the quarter-finals.

Adrian Wright and John Kidney (Huntsman) were ‘flying’ on Board (6) and they continued their good run with a victory over Mark Willis and Dave O’Leary (Evergreen) in a great encounter.

On Board (8) Keith Lynch and Philip Murray (Redmond’s) were the surprise packets of the competition and they advanced out of this group with a brilliant victory over Mick Ryan and Greg Kenneally (Arches Bar). Their journey ended in the quarter-finals when they lost to O’Neill and Maguire.

In the semi-finals Eric Dunlea and Mossie O’Donovan defeated Mark Towler by three legs to nil in the first of the semi-finals but there was no stopping Adrian Wright and John Kidney who defeated Noel O’Neill and Mick Maguire 3 – 1 and the Huntsman pair went on to capture the title with a 3 – 1 victory over Dunlea and O’Donovan in an excellent final.

There was some consolation for Eric Dunlea as he won the prize for the highest check-out with a finish from 120 and he went to the top of the leader board in the Mahers Sports 180 Club when he hit three 180’s on the night.