Double delight for Welsh darts at Irish Open

Keith Falkiner

There was double delight for Welsh darts as two of the country’s top players won world ranking titles at the Killarney Darts Festival in Ireland last weekend (7 – 9 November).

Ladies player Rhian O’Sullivan and Welsh men’s international David Davies both claimed Irish Open crowns after fending off top-class competition at the INEC Arena in Kerry.

Swansea player O’Sullivan had a weekend to remember by winning two World Darts Federation ranking events, claiming the WDF Irish Open on Sunday night, to add to the Killarney Open she won two nights previously.

With these victories she has now earned a golden ticket to the 2026 WDF World Championships at Lakeside.

She claimed her Irish Open crown by defeating the number one seed, veteran English pro Deta Hedman, 5-3 in the final.

It came after she had also beaten Ireland’s World Cup winning captain Robyn Byrne in the final of the Killarney Open.

Speaking afterwards, O’Sullivan said: “I’m absolutely delighted to have won two competitions this weekend as it is so tough to come through all those games.

“It’s a bonus now to have qualified for the world championships next year also and I look forward to competing at that and trying to win it.”

In the men’s competition Wales World Cup winner David Davies, from Denbigh, kept up his recent good form by winning the Irish Open.

He has also now claimed a golden ticket to Lakeside in 2026, just a week after he qualified to play at the PDC World Championships in Alexandria Palace next month.

Davies secured his Irish Open win after coming from 3-1 down to defeat Scotland’s Ross Montgomery 5-3.