Enter - - - - -  Louis Donohoe

 

During the 60´s and early 70´s the sport of darts in Ireland was growing at a rapid rate with new leagues sprouting up all over the country. Existing leagues were going from strength to strength.

One such league was the North City Darts League in Dublin which was organised by the late Louis Donohoe and a dedicated committee of hard-working individuals.

 

The Headquarters of the N.C.D.L. was Louis´ "shop", The King´s Inn, on Bolton Street in the heart of the North City and it was here that Louis laid his plans to bring Irish darts onto the International stage.   He was a great speaker with a strong Dublin accent and also a prolific letter-writer.

 

He bombarded Fleet Street with phone calls and letters with one aim in mind - to get Ireland into the News of the World Championship.

 

His perseverance paid off in 1973 when he received the invitation from Ron Bacchus, Organiser of the ´News of the World´, to organise a competition in the Republic of Ireland with the winner to go forward to play in the 1974 Grand Finals in Alexandra Palace. Thus the Eire Division was born!

 

Louis´ next task was to tour around the country in his reliable ´ole banger´ speaking to darts organisers and publicans before he set up a network of secretaries to organise the competition at ground level.

 

The majority of these secretaries were to stay involved with Louis during his fifteen years as Divisional Secretary and they bonded into one big happy ´family´ with Louis as the ´father figure´.

People like Tommy O´Sullivan (Cork), Mick Gaffney (Waterford), Pat Mulrooney (Kilkenny), Sean Walsh (Mayo), John Davidson (Dublin), Pat McHugh (Galway), Mick McDonnell (Laois), Matt Fitzgerald (Limerick), plus many many more, too numerous too mention, did trojan work each year to ensure the smooth running of the competition.

 

Eight Areas:   

Louis then divided the country into eight Areas and each Area Champion was invited to travel to Dublin to compete in the first Divisional Finals at the R.D.S. Complex in Ballsbridge in 1974.

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