By Niall Gartland

RELEGATION from Division 1B and a six-point defeat in the Ulster Senior Championship to Antrim doesn’t tell the full story of Down’s 2026 campaign to date, according to manager Domhnall Nugent.

While positive results haven’t been forthcoming with a couple of exceptions, including a stunning league win over Dublin, it’s certainly not for a lack of effort and they’ll be hopeful of making their mark in this year’s All-Ireland Intermediate Championship.

There’s a new format this year – whatever happens in their three upcoming group stage matches, Down will take their place in the quarter-finals, but that doesn’t mean that Nugent isn’t fussed about the outcome of their round-robin clashes, commencing with a big trip to Kerry this Sunday.

These lengthy journeys by their very nature take time, organisation and money. The girls will head down to Dublin airport before boarding a flight to Kerry, and it really is a significant undertaking for all involved. With that in mind, Nugent would love their championship campaign to be a happy one.

“We’re flying from Dublin to Kerry and then flying back that evening. It probably works out financially better than the last couple of away trips we had during the league. They’re going to fly down on Sunday morning and we’ll drive the gear down on Saturday evening. That’s the craic basically.

“I’m looking forward to it, to be honest. We’re probably a wee bit further down the line than we were last year in terms of what we’re trying to do. They just deserve a break or two, and that’s literally it. From the management, the players, all the background staff, everyone in Down camogie – they’ve all bought into what we’re trying to do and it is a really good environment.”

Down faced a demanding schedule during the league and despite their best efforts couldn’t quite hold onto their Division 1B status. They picked up a win in Armagh in Ulster but fell short on provincial final day against a high-flying Antrim side, whom they’ll meet again in a few weeks’ time. Nugent took many positives from their 2-11 to 0-11 defeat to the Saffrons.

“Last year we lost by a point to Antrim so you’re thinking, ‘Where are we really at?’

“Having said that, Antrim have some unbelievable players, some of the best camogs in Ireland, and the fact we were able to compete is really, really good. But at the same time, it’s still disappointing to lose. We’re a senior inter-county team too and we’re trying to create a winning environment.

“We also had a number of injuries to contend with going into the Antrim game but it gave less experienced girls a chance to play in an Ulster final, so it was good in that respect.”

New format

The All-Ireland Intermediate Championship’s new format is fairly forgiving as every team will qualify for the knock-out rounds, but Nugent adds that momentum could be key when the knock-out rounds come calling.

“It’s seeded into near enough two tiers, so we’re guaranteed a quarter-final regardless. The structures are a wee bit funny. We’re away to Kerry, then we have Derry and Antrim. If you don’t win a game, you’re still in a quarter-final.

“We’d be looking to get straight into a semi-final. We were in the quarter-final last year but the structure was different.

“At the end of the day, you want to be winning and building momentum. From experience of both playing and managing at this stage, it is important to get good performances.”