The TF Royal Hotel in Castlebar Co. Mayo once again held another major successful World Professional Darts Tournament in there superb venue which was officially world ranked by the PDC and a good number of the World’s top players along with players throughout Ireland in the West of Ireland town for the 2006 annual event.

Down the years this prestigious event always produces great champions in its roll of honour list with the likes of Roland Scholten, John Part, Mark Dudbridge and the great man himself Mr Phil “The Power” Taylor who was twice champion for the last two years all adding there names to this event but it was a Irish man who stole the show this year when he was crowned the 2006 champion adding his name to the prestigious trophy for the first time in the history of the event.

Mick Magowan who hails from Balbriggan in Dublin played and produced a unbelievable run of form playing outstanding darts all over the weekend to be crowned the 2006 Elverys Irish Open Champion.

It all started on Saturday evening at 6-pm when the tournament was only limited to 32 groups of four (128 players) played in a round robin format with each and every player playing each other in there own group.

Mick was drawn in group 23 along with Steve Beaton who was the groups top seed with Mark Summerville (Tyrone) and Martin Carvill (Down) making up the remaining players of the group. The Balbriggan player toped the group with victories over Steve Beaton (4-2), Mark Summerville (4-0), and Martin Carvill (4-0) to progress into the last-64 of the competition.

In the last-64 Mick kept his great run of form going when he ran out a 5-1 winner over Willy Mc Donald followed that up with a 5-2 victory over the former world champion Steve Beaton this time on a 5-2 score-line in the last-32.

By this time Mick was playing outstanding darts producing big scores high finishes recording another great 5-1 victory over the in form Terry Jenkins in the last-16 and then taking out Lionel Sams 6-1 in the ¼-finals.

The semi-finals seen once again another vintage display by the Balbriggan player to defeat James Wade who is regarded by many to be a future world champion but the repetition didn’t stop Mick when he ran out a 6-3 winner on this occasion over this top class player to secure a place in the final of the 2006 Elverys Irish Open Classic Darts Tournament.

In the final Mick came up against Kevin Painter who was moving through the field also putting in great performances from the last-64 defeating a host of great players on route in the likes of Owen Caffrey, Alex Roy, Andrew Hamilton, Darren Johnson, and Wayne Mardle in the semi-finals but it was the Irish darter who was crowned the 2006 Elverys Irish Open Classic becoming the first Irish man to do so with amazing result and a unbelievable performance to whitewash Kevin Painter 7-0 in a packed arena which was covered on Setanta Sports TV.

 In the final of the Irish Open Individual John Magowan defeated Felix Mc Breaty in a great final 5-3 which also took place on stage and shown on Setanta Sports TV with the Bridge End Bar from Donegal winning the Setanta Pub Team Championship challenge and young Adam Philbin rounding of the weekend winning the junior event.