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Tom Kirby (darts player)

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Tom Kirby
Personal information
Full nameThomas Kirby
Nickname"The Irish Rover"[1]
Born21 January 1947
Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland
Died1 December 2008(2008-12-01) (aged 61)
Blanchardstown, Ireland
Home townKildare, County Kildare, Ireland
Darts information
Playing darts since1967
Darts19 gram Tungsten
LateralityRight-handed
Walk-on music"The Irish Rover" by The Pogues and The Dubliners
Organisation (see split in darts)
PDC1993–1996, 2002–2007
WDF major events – best performances
World MastersLast 64: 1987
PDC premier events – best performances
World Ch'shipQuarter Final: 1994
World MatchplayLast 16: 1995
World Grand PrixLast 32: 2005
UK OpenLast 64: 2004, 2006
Other tournament wins
TournamentYears
Malta Open
Torremolinos Open
Northern Ireland Open
Kent Masters
O'Shea Cup Men's Singles
1987
1991
2002
2004
2006
Updated on 1 January 2019.

Thomas Kirby (21 January 1947 – 1 December 2008) was an Irish professional darts player who competed in the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) in the 1990s and 2000s.

Career

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Kirby was the first Irishman man to join the Professional Darts Corporation (then known as the World Darts Council) and entered its inaugural World Championship in 1994, where he won Group 7 by set difference ahead of John Lowe to reach the quarter finals, losing to eventual winner Dennis Priestley. Kirby also reached the quarter finals of the 1994 WDC UK Matchplay, beating Cliff Lazarenko in the first round before losing to Jamie Harvey.

Kirby made two more appearances at the World Championship in 1995 and 1996 but lost out in the group stages. He also played in three World Matchplays, losing in the first round in 1994 and 1996 to Phil Taylor. Kirby won his first round match in 1995 against Sean Downs before losing in the second round to John Lowe.

Kirby then quietly disappeared from the sport but resurfaced in 2002, entering UK Open regionals. He then played in the 2003 UK Open, but lost in the preliminary round. In 2004, Kirby reached the quarter finals of the Irish Masters where he lost to Peter Manley. Kirby then returned to the UK Open the same year, reaching the third round where he lost to Colin Lloyd. He also reached the quarter finals of the Northern Ireland Open, a WDF ranked event.

Kirby qualified for the 2005 World Grand Prix in Dublin. Despite a brave effort, he lost in the first round to then-reigning champion Lloyd. Good performances in the regional finals of the 2006 UK Open earned him a spot in the third round proper but lost to Andy Callaby.

Kirby left the PDC in January 2007.

Death and legacy

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Kirby died in Blanchardstown from pancreatic cancer aged 61. A PDC tournament, the Irish Matchplay, was renamed the Tom Kirby Memorial Trophy in his honour.[2] The winner of the event qualifies for the PDC World Darts Championship.

World Championship results

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PDC

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References

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  1. ^ "FORGOTTEN DARTERS: Tom Kirby who was the first Irishman to join the PDC". 18 August 2021.
  2. ^ Obituary: Tom Kirby
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