18/08/2021

FORGOTTEN DARTERS: Tom Kirby who was the first Irishman to join the PDC

In this column, we regularly reminisce about forgotten darters from the past. Today is the turn of Irishman, Tom Kirby who became the first player from the Emerald Isle to join the PDC reaching the Quarter-Finals on his World Championship debut.

Born in Maynooth, Ireland in 1947, Kirby was initially active in the British Darts Organization (BDO) early in his career. In 1987, he made his appearance at the Winmau World Masters, where he reached the last 64.

FORGOTTEN DARTERS: Marshall James who reached the final at 1997 BDO World Championship on debut

Debut at PDC World Cup

In 1993 he was the first Irishman to transfer to the PDC and a year later he was allowed to participate in the first World Cup of this darts association. The World Cup was then played in eight groups of three players each, with the group winners qualified for the quarter-finals. Kirby, to everyone's surprise, survived a group with John Lowe and Larry Butler. In the quarterfinals he eventually lost 4-2 to the later world champion Dennis Priestley.

Kirby also played i the World Matchplay later that year. After winning the opening round against Cliff Lazarenko, he lost to Jamie Harvey in the second round. In 1995 Kirby was again in the PDC World Championship, but this time he was stuck in the group stage after beating Dennis Smith and Alan Warriner-Little. Also in 1996 he did not get past the group stage and in 1997, immediately his last appearance at a World Championship, he lost in the preliminary round to Paul Lim.

The Irishman then disappeared from the foreground only to return in 2003. He qualified for the UK Open but did not make it past the preliminary round. In 2004 and 2006 he reached the last 64. In 2005 he also participated in the World Grand Prix, where he went down in the opening round against Colin Lloyd.

Tom Kirby Memorial Trophy

Kirby left the PDC in 2007. A year later, at just 61, 'The Irish Rover' died of pancreatic cancer. The Irish Matchplay, an annual PDC tournament where the winner qualifies for the World Championship, was later renamed the Tom Kirby Memorial Trophy. His name continues to live on in the darts world.