Old Mill darts team win shield title for their late captain Mick

THE Old Mill Darts Team won the Tallaght Darts League shield last week – on the first anniversary of the passing of their late captain, Ballycragh man Mick Caswell.

The club’s match against the darts team from the Speaker Conolly in Firhouse was held in Molloy’s in Tallaght Village on Wednesday, February 23 – which saw the Old Mill team being crowned the winners.

The final of the Tallaght Darts League had been a long time coming, as it had been postponed numerous times as a result of the pandemic.

The Old Mill Darts Team had been captained to the final by Mick Caswell, who sadly didn’t get to see his team’s success at the final as he passed away unexpectedly on February 23, 2021, aged 69.

The final coincidentally took place on the first anniversary of Mr Caswell’s passing. The teams and spectators held a moment of silence in his memory at last week’s final.

Darren Guthrie from the Old Mill Darts Team told The Echo: “It was special. One of the lads from the team pointed out the final was on Mick’s anniversary, so we had a moment of silence in Molloy’s in his memory.

“He would’ve been well known in darts circles, and he was a great player in his own day.

“He used to try and bring young lads into the team, because they’re the future of the team, and he’d teach them darts – and he always gave plenty of time to teach them.

“Everything we have in the darts team is because of Mick – the jerseys and this and that. All the darts teams in Tallaght knew him.

“He was a good aul skin, a real man of the community.”

The darts teams from the Old Mill and the Speaker Conolly put on a strong front against each other, with the Old Mill team being crowned the victors after winning five games to three games against their Firhouse rivals.

The Old Mill Darts Team are now the winners of this year’s Tallaghts Darts League. They retained Mick Caswell as their captain for the final, in recognition of his impact on the team and his skillful captaining that led them to the final.

Mr Guthrie added: “The lads from the Speaker were a really good side, so we were happy to win.

“The atmosphere was wild. It was great craic. Mick would’ve been over the moon about us winning.

“We kept him as captain of the team for the final, as a mark of respect to him.”

The team will be selecting a new captain in the coming weeks, but they won’t forget the indelible mark Mick left on the Old Mill Darts Team, and his passion for the sport.

“The team meant a lot to him, and he did everything he could for us – nothing was ever too much trouble,” explained Mr Guthrie.

Commenting on how Mr Caswell’s family, including his beloved wife Doreen, reacted to the news of the Old Mill Darts Team’s win, Mr Guthrie said: “They were delighted.

“It’s a great thing for Mick’s family, because he loved darts and played darts all his life.”