International darts players 'master' event at Cork's Marquee

Live at the Marquee has this year hosted two darts nights titled ‘The Marquee Masters’ – and I can already tell that the format will return in the future.

For most eyeballs, the best known TV event featuring darts is the three-week long Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) World Darts Championship at London’s Alexandra Palace – affectionately known as ‘The Ally Pally’ – in a venue full of tables, but with people mostly standing throughout.

The audience capacity of that space is 5,000 people, which is approximately the same as the Marquee.

For the stars who took part in Masters at the Marquee, it was no step down from the premier circuit, but it did offer ‘the biggest stage of their lives’ to several Cork darts players who played a leg (one round each, first to get from 501 to zero wins).

The stand-out local hero was probably 15-year-old Zac, who took on Simon ‘The Wizard’ Whitlock. The youngster was close to a perfect finish himself but the Australian, who is nearly four times older than him and has been playing in the Professional Darts Corporation since 2002, used his considerable experience to steal the leg.

Simon had already had his traditional walkout to the music of Land Down Under by Men At Work and played a full game against fellow pro and two-time PDC World Champion, Adrian ‘Jackpot’ Lewis, who had strolled out to Perfecto Allstarz’s Reach Up (Pig Bag).

Of course the music and sing-song element of these huge darts events ran through the whole evening, with classic songs like Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline and Gala’s Free From Desire belted out in the tent, one of the hottest and liveliest occasions witnessed there.

Rocking all over the World

I remember seeing Status Quo play Live at the Marquee in 2015, and I honestly think the reaction and singing along to Rockin’ all over the World on Saturday as ‘Big John’ Henderson came to the stage was equally raucous, if not more.

The 2024 World Seniors Darts Championship winner was pitted against Luke ‘Cool Hand’ Humphries, who won the PDC World Championship in the same year, and the latter snuck an entertaining 3-2 win.

The crowd – made up of so many fancy dress costumes from Shrek to Mario to doctors, and notably five jockeys and a friend in a horse costume – were in fine voice and great energy throughout the night.

Perhaps the biggest reaction went to Fallon ‘The Queen of the Palace’ Sherrock, when she made her walkout to Katy Perry’s Last Friday Night (TGIF).

Famously, she was the first female to win a match in a PDC World Darts Championship.

You could particularly see the girls and women in the audience giving her a lot of support to show their respect and admiration. Sherrock took on Robert ‘The Thorn’ Thornton, and in a tight game, including a 170 finish by Thornton, Sherrock took a 3-1 win.

As the event finished, the music chosen to play over the tannoy was Grace, which might just become another standard in a darts DJ’s set, as they will definitely be returning to Cork judging by this week’s reception over the two nights.