Flashback: Narcis Nedelcu Crowned Champion in Record-Breaking 2026 Irish Open Main Event

For a week back in April, the halls of the Royal Dublin Society were been filled to the brim with poker players from around the world. The annual Irish Open, one of the longest-running tournaments in the world, once again cemented its status as one of the premier stops on the yearly calendar, attracting a record-breaking field of 5,003 entries, hailing from 60 different countries, for its prestigious €1,150 Main Event.

After an exciting final day, Romanian regular Narcis Nedelcu was awarded the prestigious Irish Open trophy when he defeated start-of-day chipleader Danilo Donnini in a short heads up battle.

"I feel amazing. It's something so, so special," Nedelcu shared with PokerNews after his victory. "I just can't describe it right now. I'm now fifth on the Romanian all-time money list, I think. And also fourth online, so yeah, I'm okay," he proudly stated regarding his recent success.

2026 Irish Open Main Event Final Table Results

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Narcis Nedelcu	Romania	€336,798*
2	Danilo Donnini	Italy	€257,662*
3	Vasyl Palandiuk	Italy	€255,188*
4	Daryl McAleenan	Ireland	€250,493*
5	Oliver Gayko	Germany	€285,379*
6	Francesco Gisolfi	Italy	€105,070
7	Isaac Barker	United Kingdom	€80,800
8	Matthew Twomey	Ireland	€62,170
9	Edward Dunphy	Ireland	€47,800