KERRY darts star Dale McCarthy says a new found confidence in his game is helping him achieve greater things following a stunning weekend of success for him at the INDO Grand Prix.
The Killarney tungsten thrower made it to two ranking finals over the course of the weekend to install himself as Ireland's new number one in the INDO rankings list.
McCarthy showed incredible consistency over the course of the weekend at the Fairways Hotel in Dundalk, Co Louth, winning 12 of his 13 games against the best darts players in the country.
He was the winner of the INDO Men's Irish Ranking event on Saturday evening, taking some notable scalps along the way.
His run started with a first round win over former Ireland international Michael McNeaney of Monaghan, before McCarthy also then defeated top Dublin county player Alan Richards in his last 64 clash.
Next up McCarthy accounted for reigning INDO Inter Counties B champion Derek Gallagher of Donegal and then advancing to the quarter finals with a win over WDF World Cup bound Ireland star Dean Finn of Waterford.
The Kerry man wasn't finished there, as he beat Meath's Neilie Brouder in the last eight and then kept his nerve to take down reigning WDF World Champion, Shane McGuirk of Monaghan, in his semi-final.
That set up a clash with Mark Cullen of Carlow in the final, with McCarthy coming out the winner on a 6-3 scoreline.
He returned on Sunday for another brilliant run all the way to the final of the INDO Grand Prix, beating current Ireland internationals Paddy Quinn of Waterford and Gerard McGlynn of Donegal along the way.
However he just fell short in the final, going down 6-3 to current Ireland captain Stephen Rosney of Offaly.
The 18 ranking points picked up by McCarthy now sees him in top spot in the INDO's new ranking season, six clear of Shane McGuirk in second place.
Speaking afterwards, McCarthy said it was particularly pleasing to be top of the rankings table, having just missed on the Ireland team that will compete at the WDF Six Nations in Wales this upcoming weekend by one place.
He told Darts In Ireland: "I finished sixth in the rankings in the last season, with the top five players selected for the Ireland team, so it was frustrating to be so close and just miss out.
"But I'm using that as motivation for this year as I'm determined to make it into that top five and it's great to be number one right now.
"A lot of it just comes down to confidence. I don't fear playing any of these top players now. If anything I hope that they are now fearing playing me."
McCarthy says his success shows how darts in Kerry is getting stronger all the time.
He added: "The game is in a good place in the county now, with most areas having strong leagues and more players coming to play at these big tournaments, which will just push us all on.
"I've been part of the Kerry five man team that has finished runner up in the All Ireland team event at the last two Killarney Darts Festivals, so hopefully we will go one better this year and win it."
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