LIKE most young lads in Kilcoo, Eoin Rooney grew up dreaming of wearing the black and white jersey that has been become synonymous with success at Down, Ulster and All-Ireland level during the past decade and more.
Eldest brother Miceal has already achieved legendary status after the dramatic interception that denied Craig Dias a killer goal for Kilmacud Crokes, and propelled the Magpies towards the Andy Merrigan Cup in 2022.
Chrissy, the middle boy, is making his presence felt after an injury-hit few years, forcing his way into Karl Lacey’s starting 15 last year and providing glimpses of a bright future to come.
Eoin is already minor goalkeeper and, with established number one Niall Kane now 31, is a leading contender to fill those gloves when the time eventually comes.
At the minute, though, Rooney’s hands are also being put to the test elsewhere as he bids to hit the bullseye in another sporting arena.
Although still a few weeks out from his 16th birthday, he has stormed the Castlewellan and District Darts League since joining just over a year ago, and will travel to England next month to compete in the PDC Development Tour for the first time.
Given Eoin’s enthusiasm for the arrows from the earliest of days, his swift progress came as no surprise to dad Jimmy, a long-standing member of the same Mooney’s Bar team.
“When Eoin started throwing darts, we had the board out in the back hall,” he recalled.
“Pretty soon you had a child in a nappy with a dummy crying wanting to play darts, so we had to get a wee board on the stairs to get him out of the road so we could throw.”
Miceal and Chrissy played plenty but, when their focus switched firmly to football, Eoin used the lockdown months to hone his skills – and the improvement inside a relatively short space of time was significant enough to get people talking.
“After a while it just became normal to be playing all the time, but I never really thought about playing league darts or anything, or that I’d get that good,” he says.
“A lot of people wanted me to come and play after lockdown, so I went to the league with my dad. That’s when I really got into it.”
Brian McAlinden, secretary of the Castlewellan and District Darts League, is Eoin’s cousin.
He has seen plenty of potential talents come and go through the years, but none who made that kind of impact at such a young age.
“Not that I can remember anyway.
“Emmanuel Croskery has been to the PDC Q school - that’s how Darryl Gurney qualified. Emmanuel got enough points and went to a few events. Ray Campbell got a PDC card.
“Hopefully Eoin can do well, but he knows it’s a big step up. He went up to the INF in Warrenpoint at Christrmas and won a tournament with 58 people in it, and it’s great doing that, but when you go to events run by the PDC, you need to learn very quickly.
“But Eoin has been hitting good averages in the league, beating boys 20, 30 years older... already people want to beat him, which is a good sign, and he’s managing it all well.”
Those averages have been “around the low to mid-90s”, to the point Eoin, at 15, soon emerged as the man to beat on the local scene. That’s when conversations about joining the Development Tour first cropped up.
With football his first love, however, there was always going to be plenty to consider.
“It was in October myself and [league chairman] Eamon Clarke spoke about pushing him on,” said McAlinden.
“It probably takes somebody outside the family to do that, especially when there’s such a love for Gaelic in Kilcoo, so I went out and had a word with Jimmy and said it has to happen now before it’s too late.
“In fairness to Chrissy and Miceal, they told him these opportunities only come along once in a lifetime – Kilcoo will always be here for you.”
“I’ve always wanted to play with my two brothers on the senior team eventually, but for now I’d like to push for something with the U18s this year because we were close last year,” adds Eoin.
“Even with the Development Tour, I’ll be there for the Kilcoo matches and the training so it won’t be an issue.”
Rooney’s first event is at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes from February 23-25, with others to follow in Wigan and then back to Milton Keynes.
Following the stunning rise of fellow teenager Luke Littler - who reached the World Championship final months after competing in the PDC Development Tour - the sport’s profile received a serious boost over the Christmas period.
But it is Rooney’s rise, added to the Littler effect, that has seen a sudden surge of interest around Castlewellan
“Eoin has made a bit of an impact in terms of younger people looking to get involved,” said McAlinden.
“There was a New Years Day competition in Mooney’s Bar, 108 entrants, with a serious amount of young fellas looking to play darts.”
As well as following in the first team footsteps of his two big brothers, Eoin is also looking enviously towards the likes of Littler.
With the competitive spirit emblematic of the community he represents, it would be no surprise to see Rooney push on and share the same stage as his heroes at the oche. Indeed, the important stuff is already halfway there.
As a walk-in tune, he looked no further than ‘Ruby’ by the Kaiser Chiefs. The moniker, though, hasn’t been quite so straightforward.
Willie O’Connor is already known as ‘The Magpie’ so, for now, Rooney is having to make do with his actual nickname – Simon – until a final decision is made.
“Alvin and the Chipmunks,” laughs the St Malachy’s, Castlewellan student, “I had wee glasses when I was younger. Miceal and Chrissy started that one.”
However, those are dreams for another day. With plenty on his plate between school, football and darts, Eoin is taking it one step at a time – though walking out in Milton Keynes is a moment he is already relishing.
“I’m excited for it – I’ll just go over and give it a crack, try and play my darts.
“I’ve had good performances for a good while now, so hopefully this can help me get better. If I play the way I know I can, I’d say I’ll be grand over there.
“If I can ease into it, I’ll be shooting high.”
