Down Club Hurling & Football

[amallon]

Very disappointing day at the office for us yesterday.  We battled gamely right to the end but the 2 slack goals killed us along with some poor decision making at vital times in the game.  The loss of Pluggy was another hammer blow, he is the man that sets up so many of our best phases of play.  Kilcoo's work rate was very impressive they swarmed us at times and forced us into a lot of very lateral play.  Lavery was unmarkable once our sweeper was gone.  Most Bridge supporters were of the view that the best team won but that we did ourselves no favors.

We meet Kilcoo again on Friday night in the league semi final in Clonduff, a game the Bridge could do without after Sunday.  The run out will do Kilcoo no harm in their preparations for their Ulster Club game against Ballybay the following Sunday.  Thats a game I'd be very surprised to see them loose.  After that probably St. Gall's which will be a stiffer test.  Kilcoo will be hard beat but the muckfest that is the Ulster Club won't suit their forwards. 

A lot of very annoyed supporters in Newry over the price of kids admission to the stand.  Something the co board need to rethink surely.

Best of luck to Kilcoo in Ulster.

[RadioGAAGAA]

Although no one ever goes on the field to play bad or make mistakes the error made by the Bridge keeper cost them. It wasn't a great ball he was given for the 1st goal though he still should have dealt with it while he also failed to deal with the 2nd.

I think your being a bit harsh on the goalie, the pass really wasn't good at all. Looking back, I'm sure the centre-half is wishing he put 60 yards on it when he had the chance.

For the 2nd goal, the goalie is always at a disadvantage with a standing jump vs. a big man running in.


Also, congratulations to the fellas - a good reward for a helluva lot of work.

[5 Sams]

Has anyone heard the Down u21 club football groups? First game is in the next 2 weeks & still no word of the fixtures.

Sunday Oct 28th

U-21 Round-Robin Championship (2PM)

Group A

Castlewellan  v   Lower Mourne         

Tullylish        v     Mayobridge 

Clonduff      BYE                     

Group B

Rostrevor      v        St Patricks   

St Johns    v      St Colmans 

Shamrocks    BYE                                 

Group C

Attical       v    Glenn 

Burren         v     Clann Na Derg             

Drumclone   BYE

Group D 

Drumcross   v    Kilcoo         
Bryansford   v    St Brigids (time tbc)

[outinfront]

A fair few amalgamations there.  Who are st Brigids, lower mourne etc?

[thebar]

Although no one ever goes on the field to play bad or make mistakes the error made by the Bridge keeper cost them. It wasn't a great ball he was given for the 1st goal though he still should have dealt with it while he also failed to deal with the 2nd.

I think your being a bit harsh on the goalie, the pass really wasn't good at all. Looking back, I'm sure the centre-half is wishing he put 60 yards on it when he had the chance.

For the 2nd goal, the goalie is always at a disadvantage with a standing jump vs. a big man running in.


Also, congratulations to the fellas - a good reward for a helluva lot of work.

Perhaps I am being harsh -  the pass for the 1st goal wasn't great but in all honesty he should have took her while for the 2nd goal you make a fair enough point and the advantage was with the attacker - overall though Kilcoo were the better team on the day and were deserving winners irrespective of the goals

[Mid Down Gael]

What a few days its been. Absolutely delighted that we r county champions for the second time in 4 years. Thanks to the well wishers and comisserations to mayobridge, they will come again and have been a fabulous side over the past 15 years. It's remarkable that we where without 6 starters from the 2009 team for different reasons and roger Morgan who went back to England this season and where able to cope and win the frank OHare cup. Hard work pays off. Role on ballybay.

[Lecale2]

Jim McCorry has done a great job.

[5 Sams]

What a few days its been. Absolutely delighted that we r county champions for the second time in 4 years. Thanks to the well wishers and comisserations to mayobridge, they will come again and have been a fabulous side over the past 15 years. It's remarkable that we where without 6 starters from the 2009 team for different reasons and roger Morgan who went back to England this season and where able to cope and win the frank OHare cup. Hard work pays off. Role on ballybay.

Great stuff MDG. Best team in Down again...however the grammar police will be around to see you soon.
;)Well done.

[dundrumite]

What a few days its been. Absolutely delighted that we r county champions for the second time in 4 years. Thanks to the well wishers and comisserations to mayobridge, they will come again and have been a fabulous side over the past 15 years. It's remarkable that we where without 6 starters from the 2009 team for different reasons and roger Morgan who went back to England this season and where able to cope and win the frank OHare cup. Hard work pays off. Role on ballybay.

Great stuff MDG. Best team in Down again...however the grammar police will be around to see you soon.
;)Well done.

As long as they haven't got their breathalyzer with them 

[Leo]

Has anyone heard the Down u21 club football groups? First game is in the next 2 weeks & still no word of the fixtures.

Sunday Oct 28th

U-21 Round-Robin Championship (2PM)

Group A

Castlewellan  v   Lower Mourne         

Tullylish        v     Mayobridge 

Clonduff      BYE                     

Group B

Rostrevor      v        St Patricks   

St Johns    v      St Colmans 

Shamrocks    BYE                                 

Group C

Attical       v    Glenn 

Burren         v     Clann Na Derg             

Drumclone   BYE

Group D 

Drumcross   v    Kilcoo         
Bryansford   v    St Brigids (time tbc)

Drumclone, Clann na Derg !!! - what a load of toss.
St Patricks, St Brigids - who the hell are they?

These sort of nonesense amalgam names do nothing to promote GAA either within the amalgamated clubs or indeed beyond.

Why can we not just acknowledge a united tyeam called Drumgath-Annaclone, for instance where both identites are preserved?

If it works for permanent clubs in other counties (Donagahmore-Ashbourne in Meath, Abbey-Duniry in Galway to name just two), why does "the Down way" !! have to be so bloody contrived?

Next up will be Attistone or Darraghleagh or some such rubbish.

[DaisyCutter]

How about these leo? Castle-Ford or even Burren-Bridge! Could ya imagine those amalgamations?
Who would be the teams to look out for in this years competition?

On another note, I see the County Board are making Mayobridge and Kilcoo play there league semi final this Friday night. Would this be due to the pressure coming from the Burren camp to get it read up? To me it's showing the CB are being abit disrespectful to our new County Champions as they are to play a week later in Ulster.

Not a peep about the Bridge and the Magpies having to wait 8+ weeks last season on Burren due to their Ulster campaign.... Leaves a bad taste when you think about what goes on in this County.

[whitegoodman]

Burren refused to play the league semi last year because kevin mckernan was in Oz with the international rules, nothing to do with the ulster championship.  They ended up making a fool of themselves in the semi final anyway so were probably wrong not to play it sooner but it had nothing to do with the county board being in cahoots with Burren.

Same happened with Bridge a few years ago when Benny was in Oz.

Talk about not letting the truth get in the road of a good story!!!

[johnneycool]

As an ex Cross and Passion pupil and hurler I had mixed feelings about the An Dun win, but it's good for Down hurling and it would be great if they could go on and beat St Mary's in the final. That would be some achievement on top of the Down minors winning the Ulster championship. It's just a pity that Lorcan McMullan and Chris Egan weren't able to play on this team. With them on board I'd bet my house on an An Dun victory

Is this an amalgamation of St Columba's, Portaferry and St Pats, Knock?

We've a good few lads involved, but I wouldn't be sure what school some of them go to.

I presume McMullan and Egan miss out due to the academic year being different to the calendar year.

[Square Ball]

all the best to the Bredagh hurlers in the Ulster JHC final this sunday in casement. Pity i cant be there as i will be with our u16s who will also be representing the county in the mcgirr cup.

[thewobbler]

I do love the theories about the County Board that emanate on here. A bystander could only form an opinion that their Raison D'Etre is to ruin football and hurling.

I'd have this opinion:

• It's in the county board's interests to wrap up leagues as early as possible. At this stage, every week they hang on adds a greater chance of the weather or the Ulster Club Championships forcing postponements and wreaking havoc. If they see an opportunity to clear a round of fixtures they have to take it.
• Both Burren and Mayobridge made things difficult for the County Board in recent years with their International Rules get-out clauses. As the Ulster Council will move Championship games to facilitate players on duty, it sets a precedent for our CB to follow. Someone will emotively object to whichever side of the fence they come down to in these circumstances. The CB wisely went with the more prudent option. Nothing to do with bowing down to bigger clubs.

One thing I did learn from my year on the County Board is that all too many Gaels don't want to ever hear both sides of a story in decisions like this. They just want it their way, or they'll stick the boot into the Board. It's bloody unfair.