Waterford County Darts enjoyed a hugely successful weekend at the 2026 Munster Darts Championships, hosted by Clare in Treacy’s West County Hotel, Ennis, from Friday 30th January to Sunday 1st February.
Friday Night – Open Singles Success
Friday night featured a highly competitive Open Singles tournament, with strong performances across both A and B men’s divisions. Many Waterford players reached the last 32. Patrick Quinn and Dean Finn advanced to the last 16.
In the ladies’ competition, Waterford players once again impressed. Jade Lonergan claimed the Ladies Singles title with a superb 4–2 victory over Scotland’s Karen Laurie in the final. Beth Gardner and Jennie Doyle both reached the semi-finals, continuing Waterford’s strong tradition in the women’s game.
Saturday – Men’s Inter-County Competition
After four tough matches, the Men’s B Team bowed out in the Shield semi-final. They were narrowly beaten 7–6 by Tipperary B. Plenty of positives emerged, including excellent averages and strong individual performances.
Men’s B Team:
Tommy McGrath, Jayden Fitzgerald, Brian Farrell, Alan Morrissey, Billy McDonald, Mark Hartigan, Johnny O’Donnell, Dean Whelan, Conor Coughlan, Mark Kett, Vinny O’Brien, Anthony Troy, Darragh Hayes, Cian Walsh Gahan
Managers: Dean Finn & Eric Power
Reaching the final of the Munster Cup, the Men’s A Team delivered a strong showing. Cork A edged them out 7–4 in a thrilling contest. Several legs went right down to the wire. The performance leaves Waterford well placed for the (A) All-Ireland Championships in Killarney on the weekend of 27th February.
Men’s A Team:
Patrick Quinn, Kian Fuller, Steven Hartigan, Eric Power, Michael Fraher, Jack Lenihan, Eric Cleary, Gavin Crotty, Dave Greene, Billy O’Mahony, Chris Connery, Alan Kennedy, Dean Finn, Mark Fehily
Managers: Tommy McGrath & Dean Hoare
Sunday – Youths & Ladies Take Centre Stage
All Waterford youth teams progressed from their groups.
In the Cup quarter-finals, Waterford Youths A lost to Cork A.
Meanwhile, Waterford Youths B were beaten by Kerry A.
In the Shield, Waterford Youths C exited after defeats to Clare A and Clare B.
The standout story of the weekend came from the Waterford Ladies Team. They defeated Kerry B and Clare A before producing a remarkable comeback from 3–1 down against Cork A to win 4–3 in the semi-final. In the final, Waterford overcame Kerry with a dominant 4–1 victory to claim the Munster title.
Munster Champion Ladies Team:
Beth Gardner (Captain), Madeline Josey, Triona Walsh, Maggie Earl, Bronagh O’Shea, Gillian Higgins, Jenny Doyle, and newly crowned Munster Singles Champion Jade Lonergan
Managers: Vinny O’Brien & Regina Hartigan
Overall, it was a hugely positive weekend for Waterford County Darts. Silverware was secured, finals were reached, and strong performances were delivered across all age groups — a strong platform to build on for the rest of the season.
