Darts in Ireland is currently gaining on its already huge popularity. It’s always been popular in the pubs, but the tournaments themselves as a spectator sport are also becoming more and more popular with thousands in Ireland using Irish bookmakers to wager on these tournaments. Today, we’re going to look at some of the biggest and most popular Irish darts competitions, from the big Irish open to the smaller regional events.
Let’s get started.
- Irish Open
Undoubtedly the single greatest Irish darts competition is the Irish Open. It was first established in 2008, and is a WDF tournament which is held annually in Killarney. Usually held in November, it coincides with another big annual darts event, the Irish Classic.
The prize fund is generally around €24,000, and has been won by an international cast of talent over the years. The current men’s champion is the Dutch player Jelle Klaasen, and the women’s champion England’s Beau Greaves.
If there was one darts event in Ireland that you were going to see, make it this one.
- Irish Classic
As I said, the Irish Classic is held in the same weekend as the Irish Open. It is another international tournament for darts talent, and is played in both best of 7 and best of 9 legs. It too is held in Killarney, and the current reigning champion is Scotland’s Shaun McDonald. It’s more of a casual event than the Open, but no doubt is still a serious game for those involved.
- INDO Irish National Singles Weekend
The Irish National Darts Organisation holds a huge number of darts tournaments throughout the year. One of the biggest of these is the Irish National Singles Weekend. It is generally held in September, in Trim in County Meath. This is not the professional event of the Open or the Classic, but this is no doubt one of the places Irish talent gets its start.
- Irish Masters Weekend
Held earlier in the year, in August, the INDO also run the Irish Masters Weekend Darts tournament. This is generally held in County Clare, and is an open event to come and view. This tournament is one of the more competitive that the INDO hold, and so it’s a great one of their events to get to if you can only get to one or two.
- INDO Youths Inter-Counties Championships
Finally, INDO also hold an annual inter-county championship for the youth players. Held in the Talbot Hotel in County Carlow, the competition is usually played in March. It’s a great way for young up-and-comers to get involved in the sport and find their talent and passion at a young age.
So, as you can see, there is no shortage of darts events and competitions in Ireland. Whether you want to get involved yourself or just want a steady supply of exciting darts competitions to watch, these events will have you covered. The Irish Open is plainly the biggest international Irish darts event, but there are countless more regional events for you to sink your teeth into.