Rebels make Roscommon pay dearly.
Cork are the Irish National Darts Organisation's (I.N.D.O's) Senior Mens and Ladies Inter-county Darts Champions for 2009, after a 7-4 final win over Mayo in the mens event, and a 4-0 win over Wexford in the ladies event.
When word filtered through Roscommon's darting circles on Sunday evening that Cork had won the mens championship, there was a massive sense of dissappointment of what might have been for Roscommon. Roscommon's under par start in Sunday mornings 7-4 quarter final defeat to the eventual champions brought to an end to Roscommon's ambitions in the Championships - at the same stage that Roscommon went out at last year. The fact Roscommon have made the last eight for two years in a row is further proof the county is heading in the right direction. But in 2009 all efforts ran just short.
Held in The Breaffy House Hotel in Castlebar on Saturday and Sunday last, twenty-four counties took part in the mens event - with Roscommon topping a group consisting of Carlow, Meath and Clare. The progress made on last years efforts in this years Championships by the mens county team has been yet again down to the massive effort put in by manager Tommy Beirne and all players from different areas of the county who over the past year have been dedicated to improving the standard within the county. Tommy Beirne wishes to thank all the Roscommon players and supporters for all their time and effort before and during the Intercounty season.
Group Results
Round 1: Meath 7 Carlow 5;Roscommon 9 Clare 3.
Round 2: Roscommon 6 Meath 6;Clare 7 Carlow 5.
Round 3: Roscommon 7 Carlow 5;Meath 8 Clare 4.
Group Standings: Roscommon 22;Meath 21;Clare 14;Carlow 14.

Saturday's Group games reports
Roscommon 9 Clare 3.
Roscommon have had the better of recent clashes with Clare. That continued as Roscommon took a convincing 9-3 win. Wins from Sean Finan, Mick Kilroe and Mick Egan put Roscommon 3-0 up. Thomas Concannon was beaten in game four before Sean Fleming made it 4-1. Clare pulled it back to 4-3 as Padraig Kearney and David Concannon suffered defeats. But five straight wins from Francis Hussey, Mark Finneran, Patrick Tansey, Martin Fleming and Jimmy Reilly sealed the win the put Roscommon in pole position in the group.
Scores:-(S.Finan 2 T.Fay 0;M.Kilroe 2 A.Fahy 0;M.Egan 2 M.Daly 1;T.Concannon 0 R.Fitzgerald 2;S.Fleming 2 M.Mullins 0;D.Concannon 1 A.Hanrahan 2;P.Kearney 1 N.Keane 2;F.Hussey 2 S.Lahiff 1;M.Finneran 2 P.McCarthy 0;P.Tansey 2 J.Fagan 0;M.Fleming 2 J.Fennel 1;J.Reilly 2 J.Dickenson 0).
Roscommon 6 Meath 6.
Meath, the recent winners of The Leinster Darts Championships, had their hopes of topping the group damaged slightly as they failed to build on a 5-1 lead. Roscommon beat Meath 7-5 in last years Intercounties but on this occasion Roscommon were very happy to settle for this hard fought draw. Francis Hussey and Sean Fleming took two of the first eight games followed by four successive wins from Padraig Kearney, Mark Finneran, Thomas Concannon and Martin Fleming.
Scores:-(S.Finan 1 R.Walsh 2;M.Kilroe 0 P.O'Rourke 2;F.Hussey 2 D.Gerahy 0;P.Tansey 0 M.Farrelly 2;M.Egan 0 D.McGuire 2;D.Concannon 0 A.Doherty 2; S.Fleming 2 C.O.Brien 0;M.Hynes 0 S.McDonald 2;P.Kearney 2 D.O.Connor 0;M.Finneran 2 S.Reid 1;T.Concannon 2 M.Murtagh 0;M.Fleming 2 J.Muldowney 1).
Roscommon 7 Carlow 5.
Carlow proved to be very stiff opposition despite not being in realistic contention to qualify having lost 7-5 to both Meath and Clare. A disasterous start seen Roscommon go 3-1 behind but three wins from Mick Egan, David Concannon, and Mark Finneran gained the lead. Patrick Tansey and Paul Carton were defeated in games eight and ten but Thomas Concannon, Padraig Kearney, Martin Fleming each won to secure the quarter final spot.
Scores:-(S.Fleming 0 A.Cox 2;F.Hussey 2 C.Brennan 1;S.Finan 0 H.Skefton 2;J.Finn 1 R.Abbot 2;M.Egan 2 J.Quinn 0;D.Concannon 2 N.Bowes 0;M.Finneran 2 B.Kelly 0;P.Tansey 0 S.Doran 2;T.Concannon 2 P.Cullen 0;P.Carton 0 P.Murtagh 2;P.Kearney 2 J.Brennan 0;M.Fleming 2 G.Byrne 1).
Sunday's quarter final report
Roscommon 4 Cork 7 (13-15 on legs).
Lessons will be learnt from Sunday's Quarter-Final with Cork. For the third time in the weekend Roscommon conceeded a considerable early lead- this time 4-0. But there was to be no recovery despite the effort. Five of the seven lost games were deciding legs. Mick Kilroe's win made it 4-1 but that could not be bettered until Padraig Kearney produced an outstanding performance to beat Peter Quinn 2-0 to make it 6-2. That win inspired Patrick Tansey and David Concannon to their wins as they made it 6-4. Martin Murphy's efforts deserved more and he had opportunities to win but Cork's J.P. Dowdall got there first, bringing Roscommon's involvement to an end.
Scores:-(S.Finan 1 J.O.Shea 2;S.Fleming 1 P.O.Donovan 2;T.Concannon 0 D.O.Driscoll 2;M.Egan 1 J.Kavanagh 2;M.Kilroe 2 S.O.Connor 0;M.Finneran 1 D.Hodgson 2;M.Hynes 0 J.Collins 2;P.Kearney 2 P.Quinn 0;P.Tansey 2 J.Harte 1;D.Concannon 2 S.Coveney 0;M.Murphy 1 J.P.Dowdall 2).
Roscommon Panel:
Manager Tommy Beirne, Captain Sean Finan (Creaton's), Mick Egan, Jimmy Reilly, Paul Carton (Claypipe). Patrick Tansey, Frank Duffy, Sean Fleming, Martin Fleming, Denis Coffey, Jimmy Finn (Spell's). Thomas Concannon, David Concannon, Mark Finneran (McDermott's). Mick Kilroe (Church Street Station). Matthew Hynes, Martin Murphy (Murray's). Padraig Kearney, Francis Hussey (Flanagan's).

Mens quarter finals:
Meath bt Kilkenny
Cork bt Roscommon
Donegal bt Sligo
Mayo bt Westmeath

Mens semi-finals
Mayo bt Meath
Cork bt Donegal

Mens Final
Cork bt Mayo (7-4)