Denbigh’s David Davies continues to ride the crest of a darting wave, adding the WDF Irish Open title to his growing list of 2025 accolades after a cracking weekend on the Emerald Isle.
Every year, hundreds of hopefuls descend on Killarney – not for the scenery or the famous Ring of Kerry, but to focus on a rather different ring altogether. Forget sightseeing; this was all about finding the treble twenty and perfecting the outer one.
After a long slog of tungsten warfare, it wasn’t an Irish name etched on the trophy but a Welsh one, as Davies overcame Ross “The Boss” Montgomery 6–4 in the final. The recent Red Dragon Champion of Champions winner powered through a quality field featuring reigning Lakeside champ Shane McGuirk, Joe Croft, and the ever-improving Jenson Walker, before toppling The Boss to claim the crown.
O’Sullivan Topples the Queen
In the women’s event, it was Wales again on top as Rhian O’Sullivan got the better of Deta Hedman in a final that went perfectly to the seeding script. The top two ladies battled it out in front of a packed house, and in a classy affair, O’Sullivan edged the legendary Queen of Darts 5–3 to secure the title.
The Wee Sox Strikes Again & Paige Writes A Hatrick Chapter
The Youth Open title went to Mitchell Lawrie, who was nothing short of sensational in his 4–2 win over the highly rated Kaya Baysal. The recently turned 15-year old averaged over 103 – not bad for a lad who’s still too young to buy his own celebratory pint.
In the Girls’ event, teenage sensation Paige Pauling made it three titles on the spin with a stylish 4–2 victory over Ireland’s Rebecca Eleanor-Allen. Cool, confident, clinical – she’s becoming a real force in the youth game.
Lawrie Doubles Up in the Irish Classic
Because one trophy clearly wasn’t enough, Lawrie went and cleaned up again in the Irish Classic, the Silver-ranked sister event. Over 500 players took part, but “Wee Sox” breezed through them all to take the Irish Classic Open title – dropping only four legs the entire event. Half of those, incidentally, were against none other than Irish Open champion David Davies.
The final was one-way traffic as Lawrie cruised past Ronan McDonagh 5–1. And for good measure, he nicked the Classic Open Youth title too – once again beating Baysal, this time 4–1, just to make sure Kaya’s weekend was truly one to forget.
Paige Pauling Pulls Off the Perfect Treble
Not to be outdone, Paige Pauling went full copycat mode, matching Lawrie’s feat by bagging both the Ladies and Girls crowns in Killarney.
First, she took down Scotland’s Lorraine Hyde 5–3 in a quality Ladies final, showing maturity and finishing beyond her years. Then, in a neat bit of déjà vu, she faced Rebecca Eleanor-Allen once again in the Girls final – and didn’t mess about, producing a ruthless whitewash to complete her own title hat-trick.
Plenty More Action – And Pints
As if that wasn’t enough, the weekend also featured the Killarney Open and a set of fiercely contested Pairs Events.
In the Open Men’s Singles, Michael Flynn emerged victorious, beating fellow Irishman Dylan Quinn 5–3.
The Ladies’ crown once again went the way of the unstoppable Rhian O’Sullivan, who defeated Dublin’s Robyn Byrne 5–2 to seal her second win of the weekend.
Hailing from across the pond, North American pairing David Fatum and Garrett French took home the Open Pairs title, edging Irish duo Jake Reenstierna and Liam Tobin.
Meanwhile, Scotland’s Lorraine Hyde found some consolation, teaming up with Denise Cassidy to win the Ladies Pairs in a last-leg thriller against Byrne and Katie Sheldon.
The Aftermath in Kerry
The Killarney weekend remains one of the busiest and most beloved fixtures on the (now) WDF calendar – and given the sheer volume of beer, banter, and bullseyes, it’s probably just as well it’s only held once a year.
Frankly, the local bars and restaurants will need the next twelve months just to restock.
—–ENDS—–
