Darts in Ireland

League Treasurer, Declan McGettigan, presenting the

League Cup to the Ringfort captain, Declan Cunningham.

The Ringfort Bar (Bruckless) recorded a Cup and League Double in the South West Donegal League with two great comeback performances.

In the Knock-out Cup Final, played at the Salmon Leap Bar, they were up against last year’s winners, Slibh Liag, who were fancied to retain the title. The team from Carrick were looking good to repeat their 2004 success when they raced into an early 3-1 but the Ringfort clawed their way back into the match with three wins on the trot for a 4-3 victory.

There was more drama in the League Final with the Ringfort taking on the hot favourites, Kilcar House, in John Joe’s Bar. Kilcar won two of the three doubles games and went 3-1 up after winning the first of the singles.

The teams were level when Declan Cunningham and Brendan White won the next two singles games but Kilcar House went ahead again when Michael McShane beat John Quigley at number seven. Paul McGeegan put the match back into the melting pot when he made it 4-4 and it was left to anchor-man, Emmett Quigley, to complete the double when he defeated Terence Cunningham in the final game.

Results of Paddy Byrne Cup

Winner - Irwin Muirhead (Hollybush) Runner-up - James Byrne (Sliabh Liag)

S/finalists - Kenneth Kennedy (Kilcar House) and John Gallagher (Sliabh Liag)

Q/finalists - Gerry McBrearty, Raymond Hegerty, Niall Gallagher and Richie

More than one hundred players competed in the 5th. Annual Leo Molloy Memorial Tournament in Kilcar on February 5th., 2005, and in all-Donegal men´s final Martin McCloskey from Letterkenny defeated Amir Quiambao (Stranolar) 4-1. John Ward from Sligo lost out in the semi-finals as did Charlie Grant from Quigley´s Point

The ladies´ competition was won by Angela Deward who defeated Geraldine Harkin in a great final while the beaten semi-finalists were Majella Cunningham and Kathy Burke.

On the following day the top 32 South West Donegal players organised their own tournament in O´Gara´s and the winner was Raymond Hegerty who defeated Andrew Gillespi 3-2 in the final.

James Byrne presenting the Cup to Charlie Grant with Conor McShane on the right.

Charlie Grant Wins Con Sean Cup

The Salmon Leap in Carrick was the venue for the annual Con Sean Perpetual Cup on January 23rd., 2005, with 68 players competing.

Charlie Grant was another new name on the trophy when he defeated Declan Cunningham in a great final by four games to one.

In seven years of this competition nobody has won the Cup on more than one occasion.

The beaten sem-finalists were John Con McGinley and Martin Cread and Declan Cunningham had some consolation when he took the prize for the Highest Check-out. He recorded the best finish of 123 in the tournament.

Once again James Byrne did a great job in organising the event.

Donegal players were to the fore at the 2004 INDO Irish Masters Weekend in Roscommon on the last weekend in June with Ger Porter and Angela Deward winning their respective competitions in the Singles events.

Angela won her title with an impressive victory over the current Irish no.1, Maureen Kelly (Carlow), having defeated Kilkenny players, Gemma Keogh and Louise Kenny, in the previous two rounds. Ger Porter defeated Martin McCloskey (Donegal], Kieran Lennon (Waterford) and Owen Caffrey (Louth) en route to the final where he defeated Luke Nolan from Kilkenny.

Angela Deward and Marian McDermott reached the semi-finals of the Ladies´ Doubles on the same weekend before losing out to the eventual winners, Nicola O´Donovan (Cork) and Nicola McKenna (Dublin).

The Slieve League Bar were crowned champions of the South West Donegal Darts League when they defeated their arch-rivals, The Hollybush, 5-4 in an exciting final.

The format was 6-a-side, three doubles and six singles, and the large attendance on the night were treated to a great contest between two evenly matched teams.

Slieve League went 2-1 up after the doubles games and when Raymond Hegerty won the first singles to go 3-1 ahead it looked like the Carrick team would coast to an easy win.

The Hollybush hit back to level the tie with Philip Gallagher and Alan McBrearty winning their singles matches to make it 3-3 and the next two games were then shared leaving the match nicely poised at 4-4.

The Killybegs ´fleet´ were looking good when Bernie Murren took the first leg in the deciding game but Gabriel O´Neill kept the Carrick lads in the match when he won the second and he went on to hit three ´tons´ in the third leg to give him an unassailable lead. He finished on double 10 to capture the League Cup for the Slieve League for the first time.

Congratulations to the two teams on a very sporting contest.

Sandra Hegerty presenting the Conal Hegerty

Memorial Cup to Player of the Year, Philip

Gallagher (Hollybush).

R.Hegerty and A.Hamilton v I.Muirhead and A.McBrearty 2 - 0

J.Byrne and G.O´Neill v P.Gallagher and D.Gallagher 1 - 2

A.Gillespie and A.Byrne v G.McBrearty and C.Doherty 2 - 0

The following players were honoured at the SWDDL Presentation Night:

Highest Check-out: Andrew Gillespie (Slieve League) 170 v Glenhead

Knock-out Success for Slieve League Bar

Photo: The Slieve League Team.

Back row - Gabriel O´Neill, Andrew Gillespie, John Gallagher and Adrian Hamilton. Front row - Adrian Hegerty, Adrian Byrne and James Byrne.

The Slieve League Bar from Carrick won the 2004 Knock-out Cup in the South West Donegal League for the first time when they defeated the Hollybush Bar on a 4-3 scoreline in the final. This was a great contest which went all the way down to the wire.

After the first four games the sides were level at 2-2 with wins for Raymond Hegerty and Andrew Gillespie for Slieve League and Irwin Muirhead and Philip Gallagher replying for the Hollybush.

Gerry McBrearty put the Hollybush ahead for the first time when he defeated John Gallagher 3-1 at number five but the sides were level again when Adrian Byrne defeated David Gallagher in the 6th. game.

The final game was a cliff-hanger with James Byrne winning the first two legs for the Carrick side but the match was back in the melting pot when Bernie Mullen hit back to tie-up the game at 2-2. James stuck to his task and he hit the vital double 16 to ensure a long overdue win for Slieve League.

These two teams will come face to face again on March 20th. in the final of the South West Donegal League. .......................... We await the outcome!

Hat-trick for Donegal Men

The Donegal players celebrating their 3-in-a-row.

The Donegal men´s team equalled Dublin´s 3-in-a-row record of Irish Inter Counties Championships when they defeated a gallant Cork team in the final of the 2004 event at the South Court Hotel, Limerick.

Donegal qualified for the quarter-finals by topping their group on Day One and they easily defeated Galway 7-1 to advance to meet Kilkenny in the semis. This was a very tight match before the men from Tir Conaill eventually won by seven games to four.

In the final Donegal raced into an early 4-1 lead but the Rebel County fought back to level at 4-4. The next two games were divided before Paul Giles and Paddy Boyce clinched the hat-trick for Donegal with two hard-fought wins.

Hopes of a Donegal double were quashed by the Cork ladies´ team who won their third Irish title in four years with a 4-1 win over the Donegal girls in the final.

Results of Leo Molloy Memorial Cup Played in Kilcar House on Sunday, December 14th., 2003.

Winner - Brendan Dolan Runner-up - Declan Cunningham

Q/finalists - Martin McCloskey, Con McGinley, Barry Doherty and Adrian Byrne.