Jacko Barry delighted his home fans with a final-leg thriller against Steve Beaton to reach the quarter-finals of the Skybet World Grand Prix on Thursday.
Barry, who lives only 35 miles from the Citywest Hotel in Stamullen, won through to his first televised quarter-final in a dramatic contest, which saw Beaton come from behind to lead 2-1 only to let the advantage slip.
Barry, a truck driver by trade, will now meet five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld in the last eight on Friday night in front of a sell-out 3,000 crowd at the Citywest Hotel IECC.
'It's a dream come true. I'm absolutely delighted and I'm speechless, but I did it,' said Barry afterwards.
'I've beaten a World Champion in Steve and I get to play another now. I joined the PDC to play the likes of Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld, and to get to Ray in front of my home crowd is extra special.'
Van Barneveld also secured his place in the last eight in dramatic circumstances, defeating Wes Newton in a sudden-death leg.
Newton hit four ton-plus finishes and out-scored the five-time World Champion, whose composure in the final set took him to victory.
English pair Andy Hamilton and Kevin Painter will clash in the last eight following their victories over Mervyn King and Dennis Priestley.
Hamilton produced the most impressive showing of the night in a 3-0 win over King, dropping only two legs against last year's semi-finalist.
Painter, meanwhile, came from a set down a 2-1 behind in the second to win eight successive legs against two-time World Champion Priestley.
Friday's quarter-finals will also feature room-mates Terry Jenkins and Andy Smith, as well as the all-Stoke battle between defending champion Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis.
