Liberty Sport

Punters thirsty for points

John Paul Gilbourne visits the darts scene to find the truth behind the myth of the pub game

It was at pub-cum-darts-mecca, The Dean Swift, Francis Street, that the Liberty caught up with South Inner City advocates of the sharp-pointed sport and found the stereotype of the sport challenged.

Here, two of the pub’s loyal patrons and darts team heroes, Christy Burke and Nicko "Farrelli" Cahill, set about dismantling the sport’s beer guzzling image.

The lads admitted that the pint was an essential piece of darts equipment, but only for "loosening up" the elbow.

Anyway, as they explained, darts is too serious a business to be used as an excuse for a drinking session.

Just how seriously the sport is taken became clear when the Liberty visited the darts room at the back of the pub. A bulletin board of league tables, cup fixtures and updated results chronicles the progress of The Dean Swift’s darts team, of which Burke and Cahill are long-time members.

The eight-man team currently competes in the Nagle League, along with 14 other teams. They also compete in the Nagle League Cup, a competition in which they have an impressive record, with their most recent victory being in 1995.

Currently lying fourth place in the league, the team is hopeful of promotion to the higher John Player league and but for a "post-Christmas slip-up", would still be strong contenders.

Yet, does anyone really play? Surely darts is just a pub-game. Not so, says team treasurer and former Dublin county player, Colm Fallon. He told the Liberty of the flourishing Dublin darts scene. "In the south of the city alone, there are seven leagues, each comprising 12 teams which, in turn, are made up of 10 players."

It also seems darts is no longer an exclusively male sport. Pat Loughran, who is charged with selecting The Dean Swift’s team spoke highly of the women’s game and admitted that, "you certainly wouldn’t demean the way women play". Indeed, he said, many of the women were just as good if not better than their male counterparts.

While this respect was shared by all present, there were a few who expressed the opinion that there would be greater interest in the ladies game if they indulged in darts of the topless variety. The women that is, not the men.