Tributes paid to Roscommon darts legend

Anyone involved with or interested in playing or watching darts back in the 1970s, ’80s, ’90s or early 2000s would have known or heard of the Donlon brothers from Ballyleague.

Pete, Tom, and Joe were as well-known at darts as Christy Ring was at hurling. The three sharp shooters played inter-county darts for Roscommon and Longford, and won numerous titles across the country.

Sadly the last of the brothers, Joe, passed away on October 2nd after a short Illness.

Born in 1934, Joe came from a large family. He started working at an early age. He was a van driver for years delivering bread in Leitrim. When a family called Dee moved into Ballyleague, Joe met up with Esther Dee. When the family moved on to Littleton, County Tipperary, Esther was not going to leave her sweetheart Joe, so she stayed and the couple married.

They reared nine sons and two daughters, some of them being good dart throwers, and all of them good decent people.

Esther was also an inter-county darts player with Roscommon and won lots of titles.

When Pete passed away, the family donated a memorial cup and every year top players from around Ireland gathered in the Sliabh Ban Hotel to play for the Pete Donlon Cup. Eventually the tournament was changed to an annual team challenge between Roscommon and Longford, but Covid put an end to the tournament.

In 1996 Ireland hosted the Europe Cup in the Astoria Convention Centre in Bundoran.

Joe was invited as stage manager and marked the games. This was one of his proudest moments in darts, meeting up with all his heroes. He was in good company but every player in Bundoran was equally in as good a company with Joe.

When Joe organised a competition and he announced a starting time, you were either there on time or you would miss out and you would not be late the next time.

Joe Donlon was a great family man, a hard worker, a great neighbour and a pure darts man. To Patsy, Joe, John, Noel, Stephen, Thomas, Peter, Mary Geraldine, Maurice, David and Goretti Roscommon Darts extends its deepest sympathy. All members have their own memories of Joe and all were very lucky that Joe Donlon passed this way.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.