Westmeath darts side land All-Ireland Shield title
The Westmeath ‘B’ darts team enjoyed a memorable weekend at the All-Ireland Darts Championship, bringing home the Shield title after a tremendous run of performances in Killarney.
Despite a tough start to the championship with defeats to Donegal and Sligo in the main event on Saturday, the Westmeath team regrouped impressively for the Shield competition on Sunday. Showing great character and resilience, they produced a series of fine displays, defeating Clare 7-5, Cavan 7-6, Carlow 7-5, and Louth 7-4 to claim the title.
It was a particularly dramatic final against Cavan, with Westmeath staging a superb comeback from 6-3 down to win 7-6. The turnaround summed up the spirit and determination that was evident throughout the weekend and ensured that the Shield would be heading back to Westmeath.
The achievement is another fine addition to Westmeath’s recent successes at the All-Ireland series and is a testament to the work being put in by players and management alike.
Great credit is due to joint managers Loughlin McHugh and Tom Duck, who guided the team superbly through a challenging weekend. Their leadership and encouragement played a key role in Westmeath’s success.
Loughlin McHugh praised all players involved and his colleague Tom Duck, who, like the Raharney man, has been involved in the sport for many years and is part of the Western Gem darts team.
"It's great for the players and there were some fine darts played over the weekend. They had to perform especially in the final and they found their form when it mattered to turn it around. Overall, everyone had a memorable weekend and it was a nice occasion for darts," he said.
Panel: Johnny Broughton, Damien Kelly, Harmon Hannon, Willie Moran, Johnny Daly, Alan McManus, Stuart Hayes, Greame Corcoran, Darragh Mullen, Charlie O’Toole, Daniel Beegan, Jason Matthews, Gerry Forde, Dave Hamilton, Paddy Early, Steven O’Farrell, Charlie Guinan, Brian Farrelly, Paddy Powell.
Darts now moves on to the final stage of the season and the league shield final is on May 10 in the Wagon Wheel, with the cup final in Springfield on May 17. The league singles are in Raharney on Sunday May 11, while the league final, Shamrocks vs Maypole Bar, is yet to be finalised.