World is at O’Hara’s feet after Darts glory

By Thomas Conway

Nenagh teenager Aidan O’Hara set off for South Korea last week as an ambitious young man looking to make a name for himself in the adrenaline-fuelled world of elite international darts.

He returned from Seoul a World Cup champion in doubles, and a silver medallist in the singles following an extraordinary few days of action in the South Korean capital.

The 17 year-old sharpshooter and his partner Jack Courtney (16) landed World Cup doubles gold following a pulsating final in which the Irish pair defeated Turkish duo Kerem Calikiran and Toprak Aras by 5 legs to 4.

It was a game which very nearly spun out of their control. O’Hara and Courtney fell 2-0 down and almost surrendered the third leg as well but quickly recovered to make it 2-2. The Turks then shot into a 4-3 lead and seemed on course for victory. Cue a remarkable finale in which the Irish pair blazed to World Cup glory, taking the final two legs in just 37 darts.

O’Hara then returned to action in the singles final the following day but suffered defeat to Canadian Peyton Hammond.

Speaking on his return to Dublin Airport on Tuesday morning, an elated O’Hara expressed his delight at his exploits over the course of the past week.

“I am absolutely over the moon with what I have achieved this past week,” he said.

“I was in good form leading into it so I was feeling confident but I didn’t think I’d get a gold and silver medal in my last Irish cap with the under-18s, so I’m thrilled.”

The entire adventure was special for him, but it was a memorable experience for his father - who travelled out with him - and the rest of his family back home. It will, O’Hara says, earn him name recognition in the darts world and help to further advance his career.

“On a personal level it’s amazing for me and my family,” Aidan added.

“My dad travelled over with me and got to watch it live but my Mam and brother and all my family and friends were back home watching it. It must have been a great feeling for them. It also progresses my career further because I might get other opportunities and sponsorships out of it.”

Looking ahead, the Nenagh youngster has set definite goals and objectives for the medium-term. The next step, he says, is to secure a place on the Irish Men’s senior team.

After that, the possibilities are limitless. Acquiring a professional tour card is no easy feat, but O’Hara is confident that it’s something he can achieve in the years ahead.

“I’m going well in Men’s darts at the moment and so hope to make the team one day. My end goal is to get a tour card with the PDC like so many Irish have done in the past,” he said.

North Tipperary has, in recent years, grown into a hotbed for darts. O’Hara is following in the footsteps of trailblazing Borrisokane professional Dylan Slevin, who competes on the PDC professional tour and has become a household name amongst Irish darts fans.

Another Nenagh man, Stephen Rosney, currently sits atop the Irish rankings and has his sights on going professional at the beginning of next year.