Bullseye! Offaly darts player following in Luke Littler's footsteps

YOUNG Offaly man Ronan McDonagh could be set for a spectacular career in darts after reaching the final of a tournament in England previously won by teen sensation Luke Littler.

Earlier this month McDonagh, 23, qualified for the finals of the prestigious Modus Super Series which was held in Portsmouth.

The Ferbane native, who now lives in Cloghan, made it through to the tournament in the south of England by seeing off a series of challengers in Ireland's ADC (Amateur Darts Circuit).

He then took part in a gruelling six-day long sequence of matches against top-class opponents, including a Czech competitor who he defeated in the semi-final.

Winning the final against Sam Spivey proved a bridge too far as the Offaly man went down 4-1 but he had already made a name for himself by following in the footsteps of the reigning world champion Littler.

Littler won the Modus Super Series twice in 2023 and by reaching the decider this year McDonagh has made the darts world sit up and notice.

What is most remarkable about the McDonagh story is that he only began playing darts seriously about 11 months ago after a lay-off because of “dartitis”, a condition also known as “the yips” which affects darts players.

“I threw a few years ago but I got dartitis for seven years where I couldn't release the dart. Some people can never get rid of it and some people like me [can] and I was the lucky one,” said McDonagh.

“I wasn't throwing in any tournaments for about five years. I gave them up and then I was going to a tournament here and there and then I wouldn't go for a few more years. I got back into them in about the end of March and I've been doing pretty well since.”

Even former world champions like Eric Bristow have revealed that they've been hit by dartitis but when McDonagh shrugged it off he found his throwing rhythm once again.

“I went on and I won the all Ireland singles in March and really everything kicked off from there. I was doing a lot of practising and I had the confidence to go back.”

There were a couple of hundred players at that tournament in Killarney and though it was “tough”, McDonagh prevailed.

Having worked in construction and stage and marquee assembly he has now given up the day job. “I gave it up just before Christmas. I want to go ahead with the dream and the only way to do it is to put full concentration into that. I have sponsors and they help me a lot as well.”

Sponsorship helps McDonagh travel from tournament to tournament in a sport whose popularity is exploding in Ireland, partly because of the young Englishman Littler, but also because of the success of a Monaghan man, 29-year-old Shane McGuirk.

“It's after getting a lot bigger, especially since Luke Littler came around and now Shane McGuirk is after winning the BDO (now known as WDF) world championships as well,” McDonagh observed.

“That's after getting a lot of young lads around Ireland into it as well.”

McDonagh is now hoping to be invited to other big tournaments in the UK. “I have to do a few challenge tours as well so that's going to be tough. I play in the all Ireland at the end of the month and then I have to fly to Milton Keynes for the challenge tour, that's to get a pro card. If I finish in the top three in that I turn professional.”