By Shaun Casey VERY few managers come away from a league campaign that saw their team relegated with more positives than negatives, but that’s the position Conor Laverty found himself in. Having just beaten league leaders Monaghan by the minimum of margins, Down still suffered the drop back to Division Three due to their head-to-head […]
Rory Mason reflects on Loughinisland’s rather unconventional Ulster Intermediate final win in 2015 By Shaun Casey SCORING a single point in 60 minutes of action wouldn’t win too many championship titles but for Loughinisland, it only needed to happen once. That fateful day came in 2015 when they created history for the club. It’s worth mentioning […]
By Shaun Casey A HOUDINI act in Clones on the final day of the National League has a familiar ring to it but this year is slightly different as it’s Conor Laverty’s Down who are trying to pull off the round seven heroics. On plenty of occasions in the last decade, Monaghan have secured their […]
By Daragh Ó Conchúir THURSDAY is her first day back at work after taking a week and a half off to get married but Niamh Mallon is agreeable to a quick chat from a Galway coffee shop beforehand to discuss a range of endeavours, personal and professional. There aren’t too many vacancies in the Mallon […]
By Niall Gartland DOWN u-20s will feel they have no reason to fear defending All-Ireland champions Tyrone when they cross paths in next Wednesday’s group stage opener at Páirc Esler. They met in similar circumstances two years ago – albeit before the introduction of the group stages – and they claimed a stunning upset over […]
By Niall Gartland A THIRD Ulster and All-Ireland title in four years is the ultimate ambition for the Tyrone u-20s, but manager Paul Devlin always has one eye on the long-term prospects of talented young players coming through the ranks at the Red Hand County. Tyrone can call upon a sizeable number of last year’s […]
By Shaun Casey WITH promotion to Division 1B secured for next year and a league final to look forward to, Down could be excused for taking their foot off the gas ahead of their final round clash with Meath, but Caolan Taggart insists that won’t be the case. Having stormed through the Division 2A league, […]
By Shaun Casey WHEN Down players and supporters leave the Páirc Esler ground on Saturday evening, they’ll have a clearer picture of where their survival hopes sit. A defeat to Westmeath could send them spinning back to Division Three after just one season in the second tier. It wouldn’t be confirmed there and then, but […]
By Shaun Casey WITH Division One hurling at their fingertips, there will be a pleasant mix of nerves and excitement in the Down changing room this weekend, but there’s a difference in pressure and anticipation says boss Ronan Sheehan. Like all the other weekends the Mourne men have played in so far this season, they’re only […]
By Shaun Casey SATURDAY’S trip to Kingspan Breffni is a hugely important one for Down and their target of staying in Division Two, says former full-forward John Clarke. As things stand, Down currently sit in one of the two relegation spots. The Mourne men earned promotion from Division Three last season and are determined to […]
