Barry hits the bull
AFTER playing in front of thousands at Alexandra Palace and millions more on Sky TV, the packed function room in the Westcourt Hotel held no fears for Duleek darts star Keane ‘Dynamite’ Barry on Saturday.
If anyone in the room didn’t already know the 17-year-old - the third youngest ever to play in the PDC World Championship - they certainly do now, and not just because he walked gingerly to the stage on crutches!
Keane, who had an operation on an ingrowing toenail just two days before, was voted Young Sport Star of the Year at the annual awards. And even with two world youth titles to his name over the past 12 months, he insisted that it meant a great deal to get such great support at local level.
‘It’s amazing to get the recognition from everyone, and looking at the names here tonight, every one deserved the nomination they got,’ he said afterwards.
‘To win the Young Sport Star is brilliant and it’s nice to get something out of what you put into it.’
Keane got a wee taste of how he is held in such high esteem recently when he made a return visit to his old school - Duleek Boys NS - and he came away hoping that he’d left an indelible mark.
‘I thought the kids wouldn’t know who I was, but they were making posters and even head banners and when I walked in the door they were cheering and shouting my name. It was amazing to be back, to throw a few darts and to get the reception I got, and to be back with the old teachers. Even my old principal came up.
‘Hopefully they do what they love when they grow up, just as I love playing darts. Whether they love football or chess or whatever, I encourage them to do what they want to do.’
Keane started throwing at the age of four and achieved his first ‘180’ just 12 months later and in those days the sport hadn’t got a great reputation. However, as he moves up to the adult ranks - he is now too old to defeat his BDO World Masters Youth and Junior World Championship titles - he sees darts in a different light.
‘The game is changing massively,’ he said. ‘Years ago it used to be known as a pub game or a drinking game, but now there’s a seriousness about it and it’s a job more than anything else for a lot of people.
‘The bad reputation has nearly gone out of it and the young generation coming up is definitely changing the way the game is going.’
While he still has a bit of work to do to make it to the professional ranks - he narrowly missed out on securing a full Tour card at Q School recently - Keane said he has plenty of time to realise that goal.
In the meantime he can