Dundalk and District Darts League to return next Thursday night

The Dundalk and District Darts League will make its return next Thursday night.

This year the league has seen the registration of 26 teams coming from all across the district, making the league more prosperous and exciting than ever before.

Over the course of the 2015/16 season the teams will battle it out Thursday nights in hopes of winning the gold of their respective divisions. Aside from the weekly league format, the teams will also participate in divisional cups as well an open free-for-all shield to be contested with all 26 teams.

It’s not just the teams that make this brilliant league work, a big part of making the darting magic happen is down to the venues in which the teams play as these local bars and pubs continue to support the league each and every year.

Once again the Dundalk and District Darts League is sponsored by Tuborg, whose continual support has seen the league grow and prosper in previous years. This year though the league has seen many individual sponsors coming together to support their chosen teams. These businesses come from in and around the local area such as Rock Cabs, Sevens Taxis, Mullen’s Takeaway and CX+ Sports and also as far afield as The Pain Factory Ink in Drogheda.

With the wide distribution of teams in the league there is bound to be a venue near all darts fans that will no doubt be home to a display of tungsten mastery and contest, where fans can expect all the norms of professional darts such as colourful characters, an electric atmosphere and of course the finely tunes athletes.

The Dundalk and District Darts League is set to start on the Thursday October 15^th. For information on fixtures and venues please check out the DDDL Facebook Page, Dundalk Darts and also the soon to be live website, www.dundalkdarts.com

Blackrock teen part of successful Irish darts team

Mark (third from left) and his family: mother Debbie, brother Robert and father Dermot and his trophy haul from the European Youth Darts competition recently

Blackrock teenager Mark Connolly was celebrating last weekend after securing a coveted European darts title as part of a four man Irish team.

The 15-year-old, who competes in both the Dundalk and District Darts League and Newry and District Darts League, travelled to Vingsted in Denmark with the Irish Youth team to compete in the European Youth Darts competition. He was joined by Conor Heneghan (Mayo), Ronan McDonagh (Sligo) and Dean Finn (Waterford) in a quartet of some of the most gifted darts throwers in the country.

Mark Connolly in action in Denmark

Mark was full of confidence going into the event after beating some very strong local talent in the Premier Singles in the Dundalk and District Darts League recently. He also was throwing well with Trainor’s Bar in Camlough and has done very well in the INDO ranking competitions this year.

The first day of competition saw Mark and Conor team up and play in the Pairs competition. They defeated teams from Gibraltar, England, The Netherlands and Sweden before they made their way to the quarter-finals to play a very talented doubles partnership from Turkey.

This win would guarantee the winners bronze medal positions and a semi final against England. The Fighting Irish came out on top with a 3-0 win. The semi final was a tense affair with the English team going one up before the Mayo man in this duo finished the next leg to restore parity. Mark finished under pressure to take the lead in the third game against the throw. This was right to the wire in the end before the Irish pair crossed the line first to guarantee a place in the final and a guaranteed silver medal.

The singles competition saw Connolly playing a German player first, which he won 3-1 before going on to face a young Swede who seemed to have lady luck on his side when it came to doubles. Mark was unlucky in this competition but he still had plenty of competition to focus on.

After a good night’s sleep, Mark and his team mates returned to the arena where they played Sweden in the first team game and in a format of the best of 17 Games each of the four players got at least four games in this Round Robin format and it was pushed all the way with Ireland taking a 9-8 win.

The high hopes were dented in the group stage with a 9-5 loss to Germany but the lads came back with a 9-4 win against Turkey that secured a quarter final against host nation Denmark.

A fantastic performance by Ireland saw them take a 9-3 win which confirmed a place on finals.

The draw saw them play against England in the semi-final.

Finals day was a day of mixed fortune for the Young Louth man as he firstly played in the boys team semi final against England and he was in superb form. The days events were being viewed by spectators all around the world but this didnt phase the Irish lads as they destroyed England 9-3.

The doubles final was next where the Irish lads played a Dutch pairing who were well known in Holland and who are tipped to follow the Van Gerwen and Van Barneveld route to success. They proved too strong for the Irish pair, who were content with silver medals after a valiant effort in the final.

The top two teams of the competition were the Netherlands and the Irish but the title of champion could only go to one team in the team event and It was the Irish who went off at a blistering pace in the final before the Dutch lads woke up and started to play catch up. In a race to nine games the Irish were 7-3 ahead at one stage before the Dutch kicked into gear. They fought back to 8-7 before the Irish captain Dean Finn took out double seven to crown Ireland as European Champions.

Throughout the competition the games won by every team in all competitions were totalled and the overall winner of the Europe Cup was to be decided For the first time ever it was a dead heat and the Irish and the Dutch share the title.

Mark Connolly is a strong member of the Dundalk darts scene with the Stag’s Head and Louth Darts as part of the Louth team who were narrowly pipped in the All Ireland Shield. He can now add Irish Darts to that as he has a European title to his name.

Mark would like to thank all who helped and supported him including his Irish teammates, INDO officials, his team manager Dave Tansey (Dublin), his parents Dermot and Debbie and his practice partner and twin brother Robert. A good week ended but its just the beginning for Mark Connolly.

Successful end to a great year of darts in Dundalk

The Fintan Callan’s and Punters Tigers teams who competed in a great final in Division Three

The door has closed on another year of fantastic darts and even better debate in the Tuborg sponsored Dundalk and District Darts League.

The league competitions had all but been decided going into the final week but that didn’t stop all teams from continuing to throw some very competitive darts in order to try boost their team’s final positions. In fairness to all teams, they ensured that all outstanding fixtures were completed and that league tables were played out to the end.

The league committee would also like to thank the publicans who accommodated teams that found themselves homeless after their home venues ceased trading. This was of course the teams from McEntegarts and from Brady’s Bar, who had to find new homes in the Crowe’s Nest and the Emerald Bar.

The Divisional League champions and runners up read as follows:

• Premier Division: Champions – Avenue Eagles. Runners Up – The Stags
• First Division: Champions – Punters Sharks. Runners Up – The Fane
• Second Division: Champions – The Stags White; Runners Up – Ferguson’s
• Third Division: Champions – Windmill Warriors; Runners Up – Punters Tigers

In the last number of weeks all the remaining competitions within the league have been ran off with the Divisional Cup finals taking place in various venues throughout the town.

The Premier Division Cup saw the Stags beat a resilient Commercial team in a close final which was held in the Crowe’s Nest. A 4-3 result on the night saw the league runners up claim the crown as Premier Division Cup winners.

The First Division Cup was held on a re-fixed night and it was an example of why cup competition is all about what happens on the night. The top team in the league played a team in the bottom half but it was Kehoe’s who came out on top on this occasion against league champions Punters Sharks. They started strongly taking the first two games and they held this lead all the way to the finish line.

Paddy Kearney winning the Premier Cup for The Stags

The Second Division was also another great game but Johnny Mason’s couldn’t overcome the Mighty White from the Stag’s Head. The darts on the night were fantastic with Brendan Carroll finishing a game in 15 darts to keep the dream alive for Johnny Mason’s. This game went to the last game and it was the team captain Paul McCourt who took it home to give the Stags White a league and cup double.

The Third Division Cup Final saw the new team in the league get just reward for a great year of darts. Fintan Callan’s team played in the league for the first time this year and they pushed the top two teams in the division all the way until the end. They played the second placed team in the league but this time they finished on top and took home the Third Division cup title.

The league took a break from the team competition and it was time for the Divisional Doubles competitions. The players who attended in all divisions would agree that the standard was very high and that only for missed doubles the results would have read slightly differently.

Premier Division :
Ray Campbell & Seamus Rice beat John Lawlor & Mickey McMahon 5-4

1st Division:
Mickey Kelly & Bob Morgan beat Gavin Branigan & Damian Smith 5-4

2nd Division:
Jim Mc Kevitt & Jason Finnegan beat Paul Grimes & Mark Flynn 3-2

3rd Division:
O Kenna & T Flynn beat R Rooney & R Kealy 3-1

The Andrew Mc Alester Shield semi final and final was the last team competition to be finished out for the year and it has the distinction of being the only “Open Draw” event within the league.
The teams that qualified for the finals were The Stags, Commercial 1896, McEntegarts and The Avenue Eagles.

These four teams had already filled the top four positions in the Premier Division of the league and so a great night of darts was forecast. In the semi-finals Avenue Eagles played McEntegarts whilst The Stags played host club Commercial 1896.

The Avenue Eagles started off well with Graham Unwin winning but then Johnny Lawlor came from behind in the next game against Owen Caffrey to level the scores.

The Eagles won the next two games to leave them within touching distance of victory but Mark Murtagh and Mickey McMahon had other ideas and the game was now 3-3 going into the decider.

It pitted Steve McDonnell of the Eagles against Raymond O’Brien of McEntegarts. Both players had chances to win this game but it was Steve who finally got the better of Raymond in a nail-biting finish.

In the other semi-final the lads from the Stag’s were up against John O’Brien’s Commercial 1896. The Stag’s went 1-0 up courtesy of Ray Campbell in a great game against an in-form Gerry Rice.

In the next game John O’Brien went 1-0 up but Paddy Kearney had to dig deep to secure victory and needed to hit a 177 and a 134 to gain a victory. He also hit a 13 dart finish in a match that could have gone either way.

Martin Carvill was up next and it was missed doubles that didn’t help Alan McMahon as MC got the victory. Ollie Thompson sealed the Stags team’s place in the final with a 2-0 win against Alan Rogan.

Both finalists had already won silverware this year in the Dundalk and District Darts League, with the Eagles winning the Premier Division League and The Stags winning the Premier Division Cup.

And so came the eagerly awaited final.

Martin Carvill was first up for The Stags and ground out a hard fought 2-0 win against Pat Nulty.

Ollie Thompson, despite winning the first leg against Jimmy Reenan, lost 2-1.

Next up was Paddy Kearney against Danny Maguire and with their game tied at 1-1 Danny started off the decider with a 180 and also hit a 100 but Paddy had to pull out all the stops and hit double 1 while Danny waited in the aisles. 2-1 to the Stags now, the next game saw Ray Campbell and Steve McDonnell lock horns.

Ray hit a bullseye to take out an 88 checkout but Steve held his nerve and another game went to a decider.

With Ray trailing, Steve busted a 140 finish and this allowed Ray back in the game. Both players missed doubles but Ray eventually hit the winning double as part of an 18 dart game to leave it 3-1 to The Stags.

Next up saw Sean McMurray and Joe Finnegan battle it out. Both players have had a great season of darts and this was a game that could have went either way.

Despite Joe hitting consistent good scores, Sean kept plugging away and he hit double 20 to take out an 82 checkout much against the run of play in this match.

The next leg was a much tighter affair with both players peppering the board with high scores.

With Sean left on 135 he hit 110 to leave himself on 25, Joe had a chance to level this game up but unfortunately for him and his team he fell just short.

Sean returned and hit double 8 to jubilant scenes from his team-mates.

In what is generally regarded as one of the bigger events in the Dundalk and District Darts League calendar of events the night was a huge success and that was down to all the dart throwers who gave their all on the night.

Credit too must also go to the Commercial Club who hosted this event and supplied refreshments before the final game.

All in All it was a great night for the local darts scene.

The final competition to be played out was the title of Divisional Singles champion. All four divisions were hosted by the Avenue Inn, who had a wonderful setup for a night of darts with six boards available on the night.

All divisions showed some exceptional darts on the night but the Premier Division was the most eye catching because it was won by a current Irish international. Mark Connolly may have respect for his elders but not on a darts board as he beat all before him to win a very tough field of players in the last eight. Mark, who recently was paraded in his Irish Youth international jersey by the Independent, has shown that his practice has been paying off. He held his nerve to beat a seasoned semi professional in Ray Campbell to claim the title.

In the First Division final Conor McArdle played Bob Morgan and it was always going to be a high scoring game. Bob is used to winning trophies from his time with the Castle Bar team but so is Conor and his experience with the Glyde and District League saw him winning silverware there as well this year. The game was a close affair but it was Conor who hit the winning double in a well contested match.

The Mighty White continued to show dominance in all competitions in the Second Division with Tom Byrne securing the title of Singles Champion in a game against Ferguson’s Jim McKevitt. There are many who would have fancied Jim to take this but Tom fought hard in a game that could have went either way and as a result Tom took more silverware home to the Stag’s Head.
Rodney McLoughlin has been the team captain of the Fintan Callan’s team all year and he obviously thrived from winning the Divisional Cup as he pushed on and won the Divisional Singles as well.

The darts that were thrown on the night were far superior to the standing of players in the lowest division of the league and it’s great to see that Third Division players are improving all the time. Rodney was under pressure from the first dart in the final as Johnny Knobloch from the Punters tried to spoil the party.

The year has been a success for Dundalk Darts. There were new teams, the first all female team, Irish internationals and another great year with Tuborg as sponsor.

The Committee would like to thank all players and publicans for the help they have given throughout the year and would invite them all to keep Saturday July 11th free for the annual presentation night.

The AGM date has also been set for Thursday August 6th at 7pm in the Redeemer Hall in order to allow the new committee to prep for the upcoming year.

Glory for the Avenue Inn, Punters’, Stag’s Head and the Windmill in darts league

The Dundalk and District Darts League, sponsored by Tuborg, has seen a steady growth in its numbers over the last few years and this year saw four divisions in the league competitions.

These competitions have been extremely exciting throughout the year and have shown how the work of the current committee has been progressing the sport in the town and surrounding areas.

This week saw the title of League Champions decided in all four divisions and the runners up title has been decided in three of the four.

The Premier League title has been retained by the team from the Avenue Inn. “The Eagles” took the win as they beat Harry’s Bar in what was a very entertaining game. They have been topping the table throughout  the year and they have proven to be the best Dundalk has to offer in the darting stakes.

The Stags from Linenhall Street have been the bridesmaid once again but are still looking to retain their cup title in the next few weeks. They will play Commercial 1896 on the 4th of June in what looks to be a good game and they will meet again on the 11th of June in the Open Shield Semi Final.

The First Division has seen the Punters Sharks ahead by two points and they know that even if they lose their last game they cannot be caught by the chasing Fane team. Mickey Kelly and his team mates have played very steady darts throughout the year and with the experience of Hubert Smith and players like former Derry City and Dundalk footballer Paul Curran their success does not surprise so many. The Fane secured the runners-up spot by beating a determined Avenue Celtic team, who had a great run of results going before they met a team determined to get some silverware this year even if it was second place.

The First Division is so tight this year that the top two teams could end up on equal points and having game difference to decide it. The cup competition in this division will be held in the Commercial Club and it’s Kehoe’s vs Punters Sharks. This ensures a wide spread of trophies throughout the division but also means that the Punters could possibly do a double.

The Second Division has seen the mighty Stags White go unbeaten so far this year and they are sitting comfortably at the top of the table and they have the potential to do a double and win the cup and league. Ferguson’s from Gyles Quay are only in the darts league for the last two years and to reach runners up in a very competitive division is a great achievement.  Johnny Mason’s are in the cup final and are a team that are well capable of spoiling the party on the Stags White. They were league champions last year but the determination of the Stags has got them to top spot this year .

The Third Division title of league champion is going to the Windmill, where Paddy Shields’ team took control and played well to hold the Punters Tigers at  bay. There are two teams locked up in a fierce battle for second. The Punters Tigers and Fintan Callans have won most encounters but one slip could cost either team the runners-up spot.

All divisions are being played until the very last double is hit and the excitement will continue into the cup competitions

Congrats once again to the Avenue Eagles, Punters’ Sharks , The Stags’ White and to the Windmill in what was a great year of darts.

Dundalk and District Darts League set up for a grandstand finish

Ken Rogan of Commercial 1896 who finished a wonderful 154 shot out in his game this week

Dundalk darts is nearing the end of another great year.

The league tables are tight at the top, the last eight in each of the Divisional Singles is known, the Cup finalists are waiting to do battle and the Open Shield semi finalists are ready to fight for a finals spot. The league Doubles competition is to be played and that shows there are still plenty of darts to be played and even more silverware to be battled for.

The Premier Division sees the form horses from last year leading the line but the Avenue Eagles have shown that they are vulnerable this year with draws against the Commercial and a loss to the The Stags but they are still holding their own in the league and Open Shield. Daniel Dunn is their only representative in the last eight of the Divisional Singles but he is well capable of taking the title this year.

The Stags are closely chasing the Eagles but can’t seem to get that one result that jumps them into the lead. They are performing well as a team all year and have four players out of the last eight in the Singles with Sean McMurray, Mark Connolly, Ray Campbell and Neil Barry are all capable of taking the title.

The remaining three players are from the chasing pack with Gerry Rice finding form at the right time and John Lawlor returning to the Louth Squad, which has helped his darts. The last place has been taken by a very under rated player but a man who can take on the best on his day, Paul Dicky Callan. Paul has performed brilliantly this year and his nonchalant style has won him many matches and even more fans.

The league tables show that each division is very tight at the top and will go to the last few games to decide who gets the silverware but it looks like the only decision in the Premier is the positioning of one and two as they are both well ahead.
The First Division has been the closer division for the last few years in the Dundalk and District Darts League and it continues to be that way this year. The Punters Sharks have led the way but they have been chased by a high standard of darts by The Fane, Avenue Celtic and Jackies Army.

The important results throughout the league have been the head to head games between these teams and they have had a large bearing on the league tables. The last eight Single players is a mix of the top teams with Carl Thomas v Bob Morgan, Dessie McGuinnness v Conor McArdle, Aidan Thompson v Stephen Smith and Paddy Taaffe v Sean Kavanagh. This shows that talent is well spread throughout the division.

The Second Division is another division that has had a very close run in and it sees some well know players throwing well in all competitions. The last eight singles players in this division are well capable of holding their own in higher divisions but allegiances have kept them with their teams. The line-up here is Jim McKevitt v Paul Grimes, Cian McCormack v Paddy Lyttle, Ken Durnin v Trevor Doyle and Tom Byrne v Willie O’Connor. These are all proving to be mouth watering ties and this shows that the league table is very competitive on a week in, week out basis.

The Third Division has been a mixed affair what with recent closures of venues upsetting a number of fixtures but the Windmill Warriors have held onto the league top spot despite a number of battles wit the Punters Tigers amongst others.

The singles in this division will be as interesting as all other divisions with good players from all teams showing their ability. The line-up is Eugene Traynor v Emmett Corbett, Rodney McLoughlin v Paddy Shields, Johnny Knoblock v Sean McCourt and Shane Smith v Gabriel Kenna

The race to the finish line in all competition’s proves to be interesting for all involved and for neutral supporters of Dundalk and District Darts.

The tables as things stand

Fine darts thrown in Dundalk despite distraction in Dublin

Frankie O’Hagan, Dundalk’s oldest competitor

With the stars of the Professional Darts Corporation gracing the stage in the 3 Arena in Dublin last week, the local darts teams had to do some personnel changes as players went up to see the world’s best in action.

The players who didn’t travel ensured that there was plenty of tension throughout the league venues with some great games being played in all divisions.

The Premier Division saw Harry’s Bar take on Stag’s Green and this was a game which was a victim of the PDC fever but still turned out to be a great game. The game started with Frankie O’Hagan, who recently turned 73, playing for Harry’s against Stephen Kells. Stephen won the first game for the Stags but that was as good as it got for the visiting team asHarry’s went on to record a good win.

In the First Division the Punter’s Sharks had a bye and this gave the chasing pack a chance to catch up with the league leaders . The Fane Bar have been in hot pursuit since the league began and they were facing the division’s draw specialists in Courtney’s. Once again the result ended honours even though as this result was Courtney’s eighth draw in league games so far this year.

The Avenue Celtic team was another team who postponed their match against Jackies’ Army in order to go see Phil “The Power” Taylor in Dublin in the hope of picking up some pointers for next week’s games. Also in the First Division, the Stag’s Blue team and Kehoe’s kept in the hunt for silverware by sharing the points in their game in the Stag’s Head.

Johnny Mason’s had a troublesome start to the season but last year’s divisional winners have started to find form and kept on the winning trail by beating the Malthouse Misfits in the Malthouse.

The re-signing of Martin “The Pup” McCartney for Johnny Mason’s has been a masterstroke and he has started to show some of the quality that had him such a successful player in the Old Dundalk and District Darts League in the late ‘Nineties.

The Commercial Hawks travelled out to Ferguson’s in Gyles Quay and with team captain Aaron Callan only off our screens from his “Don’t Tell The Bride ” appearance the team thought they would be travelling in a bin Lorry. There was no rubbish darts on the night but the Hawks were beaten by a Ferguson’s team who are still chasing the Stag’s White for top spot in the divisional tables.

Ferguson’s won 4-2 but the Stag’s White were determined to go one better and got a 5-1 result against the Punter’s Dragons. Tom Byrne was man of the match for the Stag’s team and he thoroughly deserved it with a very steady game.

The third Division has the Windmill Warriors on top of the table and they travelled to Brady’s of Clanbrassil street to play the ladies team, who have not managed to get their first win. The ladies have been steadily improving week after week and they are robbing legs and games from some of the other teams in the division. The Warriors took no prisoners and won the game 5-1 with Kate McKenna winning for Brady’s B.

The other team from Brady’s travelled to Fintan Callan’s and were unlucky to come up against a team who seem to be finding their form. Rodney McLoughlin was the star of the show for the team from the Castleblayney Road venue with a great show of scoring ability including hitting a maximum 180 on the night. He was pushed all the way by John Flynn who is another player who is returning to the game after a few years’ break.

The Tuborg Dundalk and District Darts League is growing every year and with teams from Gyles Quay and as far out as Fintan Callans it’s obvious that the good work of the committee is paying dividends.

The next week of fixtures sees the start of the Andrew McAlester Open Shield, with teams from different divisions meeting for the first time this year. It is always a competition that throws up a few shocks and the results will be watched patiently by all.

Open Shield First round
Home Team	vs	Away team
Fergusons	vs	Jackies Army
Bradys A	vs	Punters Sharks
Stags Blue	vs	Avenue Eagles
Kehoes	vs	Johnny Masons
Commercial 1896	vs	Avenue Celtic
Stags Green	vs	Fintan Callan’s
Punters Dragons	vs	The Stags
Punters Tigers	vs	Courtneys

The format for the competition is as follows

1. Team to consist of 7 players
2. Teams are picked out of a gat
3. Format is best of three
4. First player on each team Bulls up for the darts
5. Team that wins the bull gets darts in 1, 3, 5, 7
6. Winning team is responsible for the scorecard

All normal league rulings still apply.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dundalk and District Darts League AGM

The AGM of the Dundalk and District Darts League is always a well attended event and this years meeting was no different with the Commercial Club Dundalk being the venue once again.

The meeting was started with the outgoing chairman Brendan O’Rourke thanking all players and sponsors for all there help and commitment through out the year. He thanked the committee he worked with and hoped that the league would go from strength to strength.

League secretary Niamh Brady stated that she had learned alot in her position and agreed that the previous year had been a major success and the introduction of Tuborg as the league’s main sponsor was a major success.

The treasurer’s report showed that for the first time in many years the league was in a healthy position and, if maintained, would only continue to grow.

The committee and the attendance were happy to make changes to the constitution of the league which ensured maximum representation from the players of each division and prevented unfair advatage to anyone venue on the league committee.

The floor was opened and numerous questions were answered before the committee stood down and the election of new officier’s was undertaken.

The new committee was made up as follows:

Chairman: Brendan O’Rourke
Vice Chairman: James Callan
Secretary: Niamh Brady
Treasurer: Peter Neary
PRO: John O Brien
Committee Working Members: Shane McArdle, Patrick Taaffe, John Grant and Niall McKevitt

A number of proposals were put forward in relation to the running of the league and some where successful and some where not. the most notable changes for the league are the following :

Premier Division format is now 6 players who will play a game of the best of five x 501, This increase is from the best of three but it will not effect any other competition or division which will all stay best of three.

An additional change is that the restriction on County Players has been further clarified in that only players who have represented their county in All Ireland events or the Northern Irish equivalent will be classified as County Players. Those who did not play in such events will be known as county panelists and will be unrestricted in DDDL.

The passion for the game and the proper running of the league was very evident on the night as many debates were listened to and fought to a conclusion.

The newly elected committee would ask all players to have a look at www.louthdarts.weebly.com in the next few darts for a full update on the AGM.

The chairman closed the meeting and wished all a safe journey home and thanked them for there attendance.

The Eagles soar in Andrew McAlester Open Shield

The Avenue Eagles team

The Avenue Inn was the venue for the last night of competition in this season’s Tuborg Dundalk and District Darts League where it was finals night in the Andrew McAlester Open Shield.

Four good teams arrived to do battle and it was the Avenue Eagles who proved they were not going to take any prisoners on the night.  They faced the Commercial 1896 team, who themselves have a number of county standard throwers on their team.

The first game drawn from the hat was Graham Unwin of the Eagles to play the Commercial’s Ray Harte. Graham started very well by hitting three consecutive 100 scores and took the first leg after Ray missed doubles to steal the lead.  The second leg was a closer game until Graham pulled out a moment of magic with a “Shanghai” finish of 120 (T20 S20 D20).

This left the Commercial chasing and with Ian Rooney in next against John Donnelly. This was a meeting of two Louth county team mates and it was evenly matched throughout the game with Donnelly hitting the winning double after both players had missed chances to take the lead. The next leg was much better from Donnelly and he secured the win with a great 105 checkout.

It was to continue in this vein throughout the game as Daniel Dunn overcame Alan McMahon 2-0 and yet again it was superior marksmanship on doubles that won the game. Owen Caffrey was next in to seal the victory and despite a poor first leg he gave Brian Fitzpatrick very little chance in the second as he went on to claim the win with a 16 dart leg.  The Avenue were in the final and they were in flying form.

The other semi final which was running simultaneously had the McEnteggart’s team versus The Stags and it had no shortage of high scores with Garry Hilliard throwing very well but he was unfotunate to meet Sean McMurray in better form. The man from across the border was finishing well and took out 72 to win the game for the Stags.

Martin Carville was next in for the Stags and he was being pushed all the way by Wayne Fry. Wayne was very impressive and narrowly missed a number of big finishes before Martin hit the winning double.

The next game was to be a battle of the captains with Kieran Grimes taking on Paddy Kearney. “Sunny” took the first game with a cooly executed 86 finish and this seemed to wake Paddy who came back to take the next two legs to win the game. The Stags were looking quite comfortable at 3-0 up and it was between Mickey McMahon and Seamus Rice to decide the next leg and despite Mickey hitting some good scores it was Seamus who came out on top and ensured the Stags held the title of shield holders at least for one more match.

The top two teams in the league this year met in a final that had all the build up of a classic. Each team was finishing well and each team had high scorers. The first game in the final saw Danny Maguire throwing fantastic darts to beat Neal Barry.  This victory was quickly followed by Owen Caffrey, who continued his strong performance from the last match by beating Sean McMurray.

Ray Campbell the current Dundalk and District Darts League’s singles champion was next for the Stags and he secured the first win for his team by beating Pat Nulty 2-1. Paddy Kearney was in next and he had an uphill struggle to draw parity as he faced the in-form John Donnelly. This game went to 1-1 before John Donnelly took the win with great darts in the third leg.

Martin Carville has a wealth of experience and it seemed he was the ideal man to face Daniel Dunn in the next game as the Stags were looking to come back and force their way back into the match.  This game, like the one previous, went to a draw match with each man taking a leg each. The third leg started at a blistering pace and high scores were exchanged before Daniel hit the winning double and the Avenue Eagles were crowned Andrew McAlester Shield winners for 2013/14.

The committee of the Tuborg DDDL would like to thank the Avenue Inn for a great setup on the finals night and would also like to publicly thank all the publicans who have supported the league throughout the year.  They would also like to thank all players who made the league as competitive as possible and would encourage them all to participate in the upcoming Louth Trials.

The committee would also like all throwers to support the Stags Head Open which is being held at the Linenhall Street venue on Saturday.

The Stags

McEnteggart’s

The Commercial Club

Tense few weeks for local darts players as league and cup competitions are decided

The Avenue Eagles team who won the Premier Division title

The Tuborg Dundalk and District Darts League has had a busy final few weeks in both league and cup competitions, which showed off not only the skill of some players but also proved the old adage that “pressure is for tyres”.

The last three weeks have seen the final two games in the league competition and the cup finals night played in between. The league games saw results put the cat amongst the pigeons and added to the tension going into the last week.

The Avenue Eagles were on top of the Premier and needed a win to secure the league title but it took Joe Finnegan to take out a 121 to secure them a draw against Commercial 1896 and it left things set up for a great final week.

The First Division went to the very last week as well, with Harry’s Bar praying that the Green machine of the Stags would slip up and in the Second Division it was also down to the last week as three teams were chasing the title.

The Cup Finals night was held in three different neutral venues and a high standard of darts was on show in all three. The Premier Division saw an all Stags Head final with “The Stags” securing the cup with a hard fought win over the Stags Black.  This would put them in great form going into the final round of the league.

The First Division Cup was a tense battle with Harry’s Bar facing the Courtney’s team, who were out to claim some silverware. Andrew Neary for Harry’s threw a man of the match display to claim the cup for Harry’s and break the hearts of the Courtney’s entourage.

The Second Division saw league leaders Johnny Mason’s take on the Stags White and drama and tension filled the Commercial Club as this game went all the way to the very last leg in the very last game. Doubles were missed on both sides before Jim Conroy hit the winning double for the “Mighty White”.
The first winners of the year were known and once the celebrations abated the focus was once again onto the league.

The Premier Division saw the top two teams meeting in the same venue but playing with different opponents. The games were played at a frantic pace and each match was being watched with great interest. The Avenue Eagles rose above the The Stags to top the table in the end.

The First Division saw a change of fortune as The Stag’s Head took the title by beating the Avenue Celtic team. Harry’s Bar fought to the very end and their win on the night showed that they never stopped trying.

In the Decond Division Johnny Masons held their darting destiny in their own hands and they ensured that they were going to finish in style and secured the title of league champions. This was a most welcome potion after losing the cup the week before.

The 2014 season is still not complete as the league divisional singles takes place this Thursday in three different venues. The singles competition will be played down to the last eight and then a finals night will be played closer to the end of the league. The venues are as follows:

• Premier Singles – Oriel Active
• First Division – Commercial Club
• Second Division  The Stags Head
• Last Eight – Finals night Kehoe’s bar

The Andrew McAlester Open Shield is the final team competition of the league and it is a prize that a lot of teams want to take home.

The league would like to thank all venues who have supported these competitions throughout the season.

The Johnny Mason’s team

The Stags Black team

The Stags White team

The Stags

Stags bounce back in style in Dundalk and District Darts League

The Harry’s Bar team

There’s a saying that “there is no more dangerous animal than a wounded animal” and in the Tuborg Dundalk and District Darts League last week that animal was ” The Stags” who came back from a hard loss the previous week to the Avenue Eagles to inflict a comprehensive win on their most recent opponents, Stags Red.

The final score was 6-0 in a game which saw the very first leg of darts finished in 14 darts by Ray Campbell. This was the way things were to continue and with Martin Carvill also taking out a game in 14 darts. The Stags Red were having no joy despite throwing some exceptional darts.  Simon Wykes was in great from for the “Red team” but lady luck didn’t seem to be sitting in his corner on the night.

The Commercial 1896 team were at home this week and after dropping a point last week they are looking for number of other results to go their way if they have any chance of picking up the runners-up spot in the league.

They played a McEnteggart’s team who some would say have underachieved in the league.  The Vinegarman’s team has some very strong players with Mickey McMahon and Damian Smith being the most consistent throughout the league.

The game of the night saw Gerry Rice return after a week’s break and he faced Wayne Fry, a player who has taken some big scalps this year. The game was a festival of fine scores with at least one treble 20 being hit with every three darts. Rice was the winner on the night but he had to fight back after “The Fry man” took out the first leg in great style.

First Division

“No quarter given and no quarter gained” is the phrase that best describes the First Division title race. The Stags Green put a big dent in the Punters Sharks title hopes in a game that was rescheduled for Tuesday night because of the amount of players attending the PDC darts in the O2 in Dublin. It was a great game of darts but the green machine kept rolling and even though Hubert Smith threw some fantastic darts under pressure it was Mick Doyle who came out on top.

Paul Curran got a game back for the Sharks but this Stags team are in a great vein of form and with this 5-1 win they have maintained the pressure on Harry’s Bar, who had to host the Punters Dragons and try to keep in touch with the league leaders.

Harry’s had the advantage of knowing what they had to do to maintain the race. They have matched the Stags all the way, so much so that they equalled the Stags’ result this week with a 5-1 win over the Punters Dragon’s. Andrew Matthews has had a great season for the Dragons this year and he was the player who got the consolation game for the visiting team.

Second Division

The “Green Machine” is running well in the first division and the “Mighty White” are getting a great run going in the second division. Stags White played the Commercial Hawks and successfully clipped the wings of the hawks but it was a game where having “the darts” was not necessarily a help with every game going against the throw.

This game went right down to the last game of the night and it was the Chris McMahon who took the victory for the Stags White in a game that could have easily been a draw.

New website

This week Dundalk and District Darts League have launched their new website. This is another method for the league to publicise the achievements of its teams and players in a manner that may reach those who do not participate in the social media forums.

The website will include interviews with league captains and vice captains and will have a Hall of Fame to honour some of the players of the past.

The address for the site is www.dundalkandditrictdarts.weebly.com and all are encouraged to check it out.

The fixtures and results for the league are as follows:

PREMIER DIVISION

Week 18 27th-March-2014
Stags Black	v	BYE
Commercial 1896	5 v 1	Mc Entaggart’s
The Stags	6 v 0	Stags Red
Avenue Eagles	4 v 2	Jackie’s Army
Week 19 3rd-April-2014
Jackie’s Army	v	The Stags
Stags Black	v	Avenue Eagles
Mc Entaggart’s	v	Stags Red
BYE	v	Commercial 1896

FIRST DIVISION

Week 18 27th-March-2014
Courtney’s	3 v 3	Oriel Active
Stags Green	5 v 1	Punters Sharks
Harry’s Bar	5 v 1	Punters Dragon
Kehoe’s	P v P	Avenue Celtic
Week 19 3rd-April-2014
Avenue Celtic	v	Harry’s Bar
Courtney’s	v	Kehoe’s
Punters Sharks	v	Punters Dragon’s
Oriel Active	v	Stags Green

SECOND DIVISION

Week 18 27th-March-2014
Punters Tiger’s	v	BYE
Castle Knights	4 v 2	Malthouse Misfits
Johnny Mason’s	3 v 3	Ferguson’s
Stags White	4 v 2	Commercial Hawks
Week 19 3rd-April-2014
Commercial Hawks	v	Johnny Mason’s
Punters Tiger’s	v	Stags White
Malthouse Misfits	v	Ferguson’s
BYE	v	Castle Knights

The Premier Division table

The First Division table

The Second Division table