ADC is changing the landscape and opportunities for Irish darts

TALK to any darts players now and they will tell you that the emergence of ADC Ireland is transforming the game for the better in this country.

It's why ADC Ireland vaults are popping up in counties right across the island now, giving players the opportunities and exposure they previously couldn't have dreamed of.

That much has been apparent in the last two weeks alone as players such as Offaly's Ronan McDonagh and Mayo's Ultan McDyer have shined on the Modus Super Series, having qualified for that through ADC Ireland events.

It's staggering how quickly the ADC events have grown since its regional director in Ireland, James Mulvaney, first started playing in them in Larne, Co Antrim, just two years ago.

Speaking to Darts In Ireland, James explained: "The first ADC vault being held on the island was in Larne, and I used to travel three-and-a-half hours to go up and play in that.

"A few weeks later one got going in Carlow and it has taken off in Ireland since then. 

"There are ADC vaults starting in new counties all the time now, and we have added Louth, Kilkenny and Roscommon this time around.

"It's a great system for players to get plenty of competitive games in as it starts with a round robin group system. When you play in your local league you might only get to play two to three legs a week, but in the ADC vaults you can end up playing up to 19 legs in a night. It's really helping to bring a lot of players on."

It helps, too, that the most successful players at the ADC Ireland vaults are being offered some incredible playing opportunities and experiences, with the chance to win some handsome financial rewards too.

Just this weekend, the details of this year's ADC Global Championship have been revealed, with an amazing £60,000 winners cheque up for grabs for the overall winner.

Here in Ireland, players can now look forward to the ADC's Winmau Championship Tour, with big events for that being held in Dublin, Tipperary and Leitrim, where players will get the chance to qualify for the Modus Super Series, while the overall top two will qualify for the ADC Global Championship in December.

There is little doubt from all of this that ADC Ireland is now a big player in the Irish darting calendar.

James said it is particularly pleasing to see how many players are seizing the opportunities being afforded to them.

Over the past year, the likes of Leitrim's Ray Mulvey, Carlow's Niall Culleton, Dublin's Killian McCormack, Kerry's John McCarthy, Waterford's Dean Finn, as well as McDonagh and McDyer have all had the chance to play at Modus by qualifying through ADC Ireland.

However, James said it not all just about the winners, with every player really enjoying the experience.

He added: "The ADC vaults are a great way for players to test out how good they are when they have eyes on them.

"We have young players getting involved now who might never have previously played outside of their bedrooms, and it is bringing their game on.

"It's possible for anybody to put together a good run over a seven to ten week period of a vault and find themselves in the finals events.

"Those that do come through and actually qualify for the Modus Super Series here in Ireland are getting exposure they would never have gotten before.

"It's just getting bigger and better all the time."

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