Rodgers happy with Castlewellan’s story of progress

By Michael McMullan

CASTLEWELLAN are finalising their preparations for Saturday’s Ulster Junior Hurling showdown with Swatragh.

They will go in as underdogs against the Derry side but a look under the Castlewellan bonnet reveals a story of progress.

After over a quarter of a century, they won the Down Junior Championship in 2025 and have backed it up this season. Then in the provincial stage, wins over Omagh and Truagh take them into this weekend’s final.

Manager Aidan Rodgers is hurling to the core. When he isn’t with Castlewellan, he is spreading the gospel in St Colman’s Newry.

He also looks after an Newry Schools amalgamation team alongside Down senior manager Ronan Sheehan. It’s all about hurling, it’s all about Down and it’s all about progress.

“We are really looking forward to it,” Rodgers said, looking ahead to this weekend’s game.

In Down, the Intermediate Championship is divided into two groups of four with the top two teams making it to the final. Below that, the teams enter the junior race.

“We won the Junior Championship last year but we got caught against Clonduff in the first match (in 2026) and that left us looking at Junior,” Rodgers outlined of their season.

It was a game played within 16 hours of the club lining out in the football championship. While not ideal preparation, in Rodgers’ book, the fixture clash was a blip in a county whichi is working well to make both sports co-exist. Within the club, both codes also work well to make sure everything ticks along.

“We had 21 wides, so we could’ve won it,” he added of their 11-point defeat. “We regrouped and won away to East Belfast and then against Ballela.”

IThat set up a semi-final against Kilclief, Castlewellan’s passport to a final they dug out against Warrenpoint.

Away from the senior team, the hurling heart of Castlewellan is beating strongly.

A sustained underage effort has morphed into county A titles at both Féile and U16 level.

Of those teams, Rian Walsh and Finn McCann have played a part in their path to this weekend’s Ulster final.

“There’s a lot of good work going on currently and there’s good teams coming,” Rodgers added.

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The average is in the low twenties. There are a few old hands on the other side of 30 but it’s a group that are coming into their prime.

They won the Down title without U20 county player Luke McCabe but his place has been taken by Jason Croskrey, a club stalwart who missed last year’s championship success before returning from New York.

Castlewellan have also been without midfielder Dara Rodgers who was controversially sent off in the Ulster win over Omagh.

Getting their underage structures in place has been important. Getting a hurl in the kids’ hands from early on has been the focus.

Another factor in their success has been getting Down player Pearse Óg McCrickard on board, a man who knows the inner workings of the Ulster Club with his club Liatroim.

“He gets on very well with the boys and he is really clued in,” Rodgers said.

“Last year, we won a junior for the first time in 26 years but ended up drawing the short straw.

“We played Burt and we had just won the Down title. Burt then went on and won it.

“This year we felt we could made inroads in Ulster and we have done that.”

You don’t need to be talking to Rodgers long before you get an appreciation of his hurling knowledge. Names, games and moments drop off the tongue naturally. He knows full well what Swatragh will bring this weekend.

“They were very close to Kevin Lynch’s who were very close to Sleacht Néill,” he said.

“We had had an extended period and have got a bit of work done with our lads.

“That’s been brilliant and the boys have really bought into that. It’s brilliant that you get to have that extra little time.

“The boys enjoyed the whole dynamic of a game on a Saturday. It brings them closer together. A couple of pints on Saturday and then back at it again.

“The whole dynamic has been really good. We are getting people behind us, a great support around the parish.

“There are a lot of men putting their shoulder to the wheel, doing good work, right down to U6. It’s a work in progress.”