Down Club Hurling & Football

[Mourne Rover]

Ifdown2, I'm just a face in the crowd, but I thought St Mary's looked a very capable u16 team, with big strong players down the middle, when I saw them. It must be great for the Dromara players to go from a club which has difficulty fielding at underage level to one which should get a decent run in the East Down league. However, as I think Leitrim had four players in the last Down squad to reach a senior Ulster final in 2003, it is not a good sign for the rest of us if they are short of bodies. Is it correct that Leitrim hurlers have now joined with Castlewellan for u16s ?

[Lecale2]

Bredagh's Div 3 game with Glenn is postponed due to the death of Patsy Owens father
of Bredagh Senior player Conor.RIP

Patsy Owens R.I.P - a Senior Championship winner with Bryansford in 1962 also won several league medals in that era.

Patsy Owens RIP. Patsy also won 2 Junior Hurling championships with Kilkeel in the early 1960s. He was still playing in goals for Bredagh hurlers in the 1980s when he was over 50 years of age.

[lfdown2]

Ifdown2, I'm just a face in the crowd, but I thought St Mary's looked a very capable u16 team, with big strong players down the middle, when I saw them. It must be great for the Dromara players to go from a club which has difficulty fielding at underage level to one which should get a decent run in the East Down league. However, as I think Leitrim had four players in the last Down squad to reach a senior Ulster final in 2003, it is not a good sign for the rest of us if they are short of bodies. Is it correct that Leitrim hurlers have now joined with Castlewellan for u16s ?

Aye thats right I think although worrying that we are struggling to get full teams or squads at underage the fact that castlewellan need or even are able to amalgamate is much more worrying what are all the children in 'the town' at?! Its seems its becoming a worrying trend with more and more st ... Teams in the leagues!

[amallon]

The Bridge Minors won fairly well in the end last night.  They were 1-1 to no score down after 5ish minutes but pulled back to lead by a point at the break.  They dominated the second half.  Any other results from the minor championship last night?

One car load of Bridge players were at Dromara soccer club with the gear and all out of the car before the noticed it was a soccer ground. 

[Lecale2]

Any other results from the minor championship last night?

Bredagh beat a fancied Carryduff team in Cherryvale by 3 points. 1-11 to 1-08. A good game of football played in front of a large crowd.

[Fíor Gael]

Drumgath beat Castlewellan by 2 goals.

[5 Sams]

Cill Darach (Darragh Cross/Killyleagh amalgam) didnt field V the Harps

[Johnnie99]

Anyone got the score from Bright/Ballykinlar in ACFL 4, think this was played on Monday night??

[No1]

Clonduff beat Kilclief by 6 or 7.

[T O Hare]

lads i found these artilces on the hoganstand website.. some good reading

Eamonn Burns
Down's midfield maestro

by Brian McAvoy

Down's supporters have many happy memories of their team's magnificent All-lreland victory over Meath and each individual will no doubt have their own special moment from the game to savour. One of those moments might well have been witnessed in the twentieth minute of the game when towering Down midfielder Eamonn Burns took a great pass from Greg Blaney and cut incisively through the Meath rearguard to shoot the Mourne County into a 0~5 to 0~4 lead. It was the first time that Down led in the game and it was a lead they were never to lose. Another such moment came thirteen minutes from time when the heroic Meath fightback was on in earnest but Down broke out of defence and moved upfield to score a splendid point. The scorer was Eamonn Burns.

The Bryansford clubman had not scored in the Championship prior to the All-lreland Final but he kept the best wine until the last and turned in his best performance on the day when it really mattered. his display in Croke Park against the highly rated Meath midfield pairing of Liam Hayes and Gerry McEntee proved that on his day Eamonn Burns is a player capable of competing at the highest level. He is an expert at the overhead catch but unlike many other players his talents do not end there. This unselfish player gets through a lot of spade work in every game he plays and often fails to get the credit which his overall contribution to the game merits. He is an excellent distributor of the ball and as he showed in the All-lreland Final he is capable of scoring the odd point or two.

Eamonn also plays midfield for his club and although not a prolific score-getter he was not to surprised about finding the target twice against Meath. 'I score regularly for Bryansford but the chances just didn't come my way while playing for the county this year. In the All-lreland Final I was able to go further forward than what I have been doing all season and when the chances came my way I was delighted to take them", he said.
In a recent newspaper article Liam Hayes described Eamonn Burns as an "awkward" player to play against. "Journalists are paid to write said Eamonn who confesses to not having read the article in question. Liam Hayes had played against Eamonn Burns on several occasions previously, most significantly in the 1990 National Football League Final which the Royal County won by two points. While one might argue as to how appropriate the choice of word used by Hayes was, the Meath player was clearly stating that Burns had a style of play which was difficult to counteract and that any player marking him would find it well neigh impossible to really assert their authority on the game. Indeed in any game, be it club or county it is very rare that Eamonn Burns plays second fiddle to anyone.

Eamonn Burns has been playing Gaelic Football from about the age of thirteen. His very first manager at juvenile level was Willie Kane himself a former county star and one of the greatest club players ever to grace the football fields of Down. An East Down U14 League medal was one of the rare honours to have come the way of the young Bryansford lad but he had slightly more success at schools level when he won a County Down U 14 Vocational Schools medal with St. Malachy's High School, Castlewellan. While at school in Castlewellan Eamonn came under the influence of PJ McGee, the present Down minor football team manager, and Des Farley who trained the All-lreland winning Down team of 1968.

By the age of seventeen, Eamonn was representing Bryansford at adult level and at that stage he was one of three brothers playing for the club. His older brothers Malachy and Colm won All-lreland U-21 medals with Down in 1979 and soon afterwards were to represent the county at senior level. Uncharacteristicly they were not destined to achieve the success that was to come the way of younger brother, though Eamonn still regards them as having the biggest influence on his career.

Never selected to play for down at minor level, Eamonn did make it onto the under 21 team in 1983 but hopes of an Ulster medal vanished with a first round championship defeat by Cavan. It was three years later that Eamonn made his debut on the Down senior team. Manager Sean Smith called him into the panel for the Ulster Championship campaign and he was thrown right in at the deep end by making his first appearance in a Down jersey in an Ulster Senior Championship first round tie. The game was played at Eamonn's home ground of St. Patricks Park, Newcastle and although Down won through on a 2-8 to 1-10 scoreline, it was sadness for Eamonn as a serious injury sustained during the course of the game was to rule him out for the rest of the season.

By the time Eamonn Burns lined out for Down again two years later he had qualified as a teacher and had won a Ryan Cup medal with St. Josephs College, Belfast. Today he is a teacher of Design and Technology at St. Patricks High School, Omagh but his talents are not confined to the classroom as he also coaches the school's under 14 football team.

PJ McGee taught and coached Eamonn Burns at St. Malachys High School, Castlewellan and also coached the Bryansford team which lost to Burren in the 1987 Down Senior Football Championship Final. He better than most could verify that Eamonn Burns is a wonderful ambassador for the game of gaelic football. "On and off the field he is a true gentleman," said PJ. "He is a strong footballer and a very skilful one. He has brilliant skills and I think that this can be allied to the fact that he played a lot of basketball in his earlier days. For one so tall, he is very mobile and you can always be assured that he will give nothing but his best on every occasion."

Two weeks ago, Eamonn Burns achieved what every footballer dreams of but what only the privileged few achieve - he won an All-Ireland senior football medal. The previous day his club Bryansford had won the Kilmacud Crokes All-Ireland Sevens to make it a memorable weekend for Down. When Bryansford last won these renowned sevens in 1984, Eamonn Burns was a playing member of the team. Indeed his tremendous mobility around the pitch is often attributed to the fact that he plays sevens football quite regularly.

He missed out on a sevens medal this time around of course, but that doesn't even cost him a thought. "I'll settle for the medal that I got in its place. It feels fantastic to have won an All-Ireland medal and the enormity of what it means is only beginning to sink in. I feel very honoured and proud to have played a part in helping the Sam Maguire Cup return to the County Down," he stated. Like every other Down person he is no doubt hoping that that same Sam Maguire will be a regular visitor to Down in the years ahead.

[T O Hare]

Carr, Ross

Ross Carr
26 July 1991


Four stretcher-bearers carried Down's towering fullback Conor Deegan from the field with what appeared to be a serious injury. The game was in added time so what remained was at the discretion of the referee. Derry were one point in front. Another championship exit for Down was on the cards. The occasion was the Ulster semi-final in Armagh on June 30th. Giving it one last shot however, Down surged forward. Barry Breen was fouled and Down were awarded a free some forty-eight metres out and to the right of the Derry goal. The crowd held its breath as Down's right-half forward Ross Carr stepped up to take the kick. He had missed an easier one minutes earlier but this time he held his nerve and made no mistake. The men in Red and Black had lived to fight another day.


That vital score was one of seven points which Ross scored in the drawn semi-final and in the replay two weeks later at the same venue he notched up an impressive personal tally of nine points (six from frees) as Down defeated Derry by 0-14 to 0-9 to book a place in the Ulster decider at St. Tiernach's Park Clones. For his scoring ability and overall contribution to the game Ross Carr was voted "Ulster G.A.A. writers Man of the Match in that replay.

SURPRISE
It was a surprise to many when Ross Carr was selected to play in the forward line for Down's opening championship game against Armagh. Better known as defender it was felt by the Down management that his physical strength would be an asset to the Down attack. That he was handed the role of free-taker came as an even bigger surprise. Things did not go well for Ross from placed kicks that day but the management held firm and he and Gary Mason were appointed as the designated free-takers for the semi-final. In both the drawn and replayed semi-finals he did not let the management down. The painstaking hours at practic was certainly paying off.

When asked about his role as a free-taker Ross stated "When playing for Clonduff at juvenile level and in my early years at senior level, I took frees on a regular basis, but for the past seven or eight years I have played in defence and didn't fancy making the journey upfield to hit them. In fact there was no need, as my club has quite a reliable free-taker." He admitted to initially finding it strange playing in attack: "In the Armagh game l was thinking more as a defender but now I have got used to playing up front. The supply of ball from defence has been excellent and with the forwards, and Mickey Linden in particular, creating plenty of room I have been able to feed off them. I'm now actually enjoying it," quipped the twenty-six year old Carnlough-based accountant.

As a sprightly fifteen year, old Ross Carr made it into the Clonduff senior panel in late 1980 and by the following year he was commanding a regular spot on the team. A Down reserve football championship medal is the only accolade he has won with his club at adult level to date, though he has played for Clonduff in two Down Senior Football Championship finals, losing in 1982 and 1983 to Castlewellan and Burren respectively.

Having represented the county at Minor and U-21 level, Ross made his inter-county debut at senior level against Galway in the 1984-85 National Football League. A knee injury ruled him out at football for a while but since making his re-appearance against Armagh in October, 1985 he has been more or less a permanent fixture on the Down team. This game in fact marked the debut of county colleague Barry Breen in a Down senior team jersey. At inter-county level Ross has won Dr. McKenna Cup medals in 1987 and 1989 and indeed captained the team to victory on the latter occasion.

HEARTBREAK
Ross Carr knows all too well the heartbreak of an Ulster Final defeat. He played at left-half-back on the Down side which lost by 1-11 to 0-10 to Tyrone on the occasion of Down's last appearance in an Ulster Final, in 1986. Eight of that team are currently on the Down panel and the then Down manager, Sean Smith, and his parents are viewed by Ross as those who influenced him most in Gaelic football.

Ross in fact grew up living next door to Patsy O'Hagan who won two All-lreland medals with Down but even had that not have been the case, Ross Carr would still have played Gaelic football as the name Carr is synonymous with the game in County Down. His uncle Gerry captained the first Down team to win an All-lreland title with the Junior football team of 1946. Aidan Carr, the father of Ross, was a substitute on that team while his uncles Hughie and Barney also wore the county jersey with distinction. It was that same Barney Carr who managed the Down teams which brought the Sam Maguire Cup across the border in those glorious years of 1960 and 1961. His cousin Seamus won an All-lreland Minor football medal with Down in 1979 while on the maternal side of his family, his uncle Charlie Bradley won a Down Senior football championship medal with Clonduff in 1944.



SOMETHING SPEClAL
Being a realist, Ross Carr knows that Down will have to produce something special if they are to defeat Donegal on Sunday. "Donegal are an excellent team and are playing in their third consecutive Ulster Final. They appear to have no weaknesses and they have a shrewd observer of the game in team manager Brian McEniff. Having got to Croke Park last year he has his heart set on returning there and achieving greater things this year. We will have to play out of our skins if we are to stand any chance at winning." stated Carr.

Ross has worked as an accountant with John McMahon & Co., Chartered Accountants, 112, Camlough Road, Newry, Co. Down since March 1989. He recently had exam success which helped to contribute to a successful July and will be working hard in the winter to complete his qualification next year.

A daunting task therefore awaits Down but like all teams from the Mourne County they will no doubt give it their best shot. Donegal will start as firm favourites, and rightly so, but Ulster football is so unpredictable that anything could happen. And to borrow a phrase which was used about another team in another code

[T O Hare]

Doherty, Paddy

Paddy Doherty in action
10 April 2001


Ballykinlar! The name conjures up contrasting connotations. A bleak Prisoner of War camp in which many Irish patriots spent years of frustration and oppression or the place that produced the legendary Down footballer Paddy 'Mo' Doherty. With our ingrained penchant for leaning towards more pleasant images, there is little doubt that most of us will associate Ballykinlar with Doherty and his magical left foot.
The Down team of the early 1960's certainly caught the imagination of the public with their bright and breezy style and their arrival on the All-Ireland scene provided the Association with a massive boost as huge crowds flocked to their games. Down teams had given their supporters little cause for celebration throughout the first 75 years of the Association's history but they marked that 75th Anniversary by winning the Ulster championship for the first time. Many of the game's afficionados still regard Down's arrival as the biggest, and most welcome, development in the last half-century.

Despite the lack of a successful tradition in the county, football was still the main game and, in Ballykinlar, the Doherty name was synonymous with the local club. Ballykinlar is one of Down's seaside parishes and prior to the formation of the GAA club, cricket was the most popular game with soccer also widely played. Both of these sports declined considerably following the formation of the football team and in 1936, Ballykinlar won the Junior championship.



Paddy was one of the second generation Dohertys to play with Ballykinlar and his talents, even as a teenager were soon the talk of the East Down football fraternity. He was on the county minor team for two years playing in the Ulster final of 1952 in which Down lost to Cavan. He was selected on the Junior team in 1953 and made his debut for the seniors in a Dr McKenna Cup match against Tyrone in 1954.

But Paddy was also a gifted soccer player and having impressed local scouts, soon came to the attention some clubs in the Irish League as well as some from England. Eventually he signed for Lincoln City but only stayed for two months because of homesickness. On his return home he signed for Ballyclare Comrades and scored over 30 goals in just half a season with the Irish League side.
For his troubles Paddy was suspended from the GAA for a year which was subsequently reduced to six months. On the expiry of his ban, he returned to football action, a decision which was to have an enormous impact on the future of Down football.

He was a substitute on the Ulster team that won the Railway Cup in 1955...Down's slight improvement was highlighted by the fact that they had two players on the starting fifteen, Kevin Mussen and Kieran Denvir. George Lavery was also on the panel.

The County Board embarked on a new, progressive method of team management, and with the realisation that there was unprecented talent available in the county, no stone was left unturned in the efforts to make the provincial championship breakthrough.

In 1958, the Mournemen qualified for an Ulster final clash with Derry, thanks to a comprehensive semi-final win over defending champions Tyrone (Paddy scored the game's only goal). It was only the third occasion on which they appeared on the province's big day...they were beaten by Cavan in the 1940 and '42 deciders, and hopes were high that the Anglo-Celt Cup would make it's way to the county for the first time. Adding to the excitement of the occasion was the fact that Derry were also attempting to win the title for the first time.

There is a remarkable anecdote concerning the game which is scarcely believable in the context of preparations and arrangements for modern 'big match' occasions. Star corner-back George Lavery was missing when the Down team arrived in the dressing room...inexplicably, he had been not been collected and was unable to get to Clones!

The incident forced a re-shuffle in defence and the team failed to recover. Despite Paddy scoring a goal from a penalty, Derry went on to win by four points.

While supporters and players may have been deeply disappointed, the team management remained optimistic...they were ahead of schedule in their overall plan and were confident that the breakthrough was imminent. An interesting statistic...the 1958 final was the first of 12 consecutive Ulster final appearances for Down!

Another encouraging aspect emerged from the Clones curtain-raiser in which the county minors won the provincial title for the first time. At centre-field on the winning team was a certain Sean O Neill, whose display hinted at an upsurge in the county's fortunes.

In 1959, a late point from Paddy against Derry secured a place in the Wembley Tournament against Galway, a game which many observers believe to have been the turning point for Down. They played superbly and won by 3-9 to 4-4 with Paddy 'Mo' accounting for 0-7.

The Wembley victory gave the team an enormous boost and they went into the Ulster Championship surrounded by an unprecedented degree of optimism. Victory over Derry and Monaghan in the McKenna Cup helped to maintain the momentum...it was only the second ever McKenna Cup success for the county.

Championship victories over Antrim and Tyrone followed and the scene was set for a second successive Ulster final appearance...this time the opposition would be provided by Cavan...a team with 33 titles to their credit against a team aiming for their first.

With Huge Down support urging them on, the team was well on it's way to victory by half-time when they led by 1-10 to 0-2. Paddy 'Mo' had created the goal opportunity for Brian Morgan and had also accounted for four points. Incredibly, Down had fifteen points to spare at the final whistle, 2-16 to 0-7.
There were wild celebrations across the county but the voyage came to a disappointing end when Galway's greater experience was the decisive factor in the All-Ireland semi-final.

Kerry emerged as All-Ireland champions in 1959 and when Down registered a memorable victory over the champions in the 1960 National League semi-final, all doubts about the team's potential were removed. A crowd of 50,000 turned up for the final which was the first ever all-Ulster decider, and saw the Mournemen take the title for the first time with victory over Cavan.

The path to the most historic of All-Ireland victories began with a win over Antrim and continued with another against Monaghan. Both were of the 'easy' variety and, once again, Cavan were waiting in the provincial final. The Breffnimen were not lacking in motivation following their humiliation in '59 but Paddy Doherty was similarly dealt them a mortal blow after only forty seconds when he buried the ball in the net. And it was the Ballykinlar genius who finished off a subsequent Cavan rally when he scored his second goal at the three quarter stage.

Offaly had emerged from Leinster for the first time and the All-Ireland semi-final clash was the most novel of pairings. In a tough as teak encounter Offaly looked to be on the path to victory when they led by 2-4 to 0-3 at half-time but the second half saw Paddy at his best and there's little doubt that he was the inspiration behind Down's magnificent comeback that saw them snatch a deserved draw.

Apart from his excellent point-taking both from play and placed balls, he was the executor-in-chief when Down were awarded a controversial penalty. They were trailing by three points at the time and the tension was unbelievable. Doherty rifled it past Willie Nolan and Down were back in contention.
The replay was also a close affair with the Ulster champions coming out on top by two points.

The scene was set for the final showdown...Down v Kerry...Down seeking their first title and Kerry seeking their 20th. There was an amazing atmosphere all over the county as the players prepared for the big day. But they were well prepared and were not over-awed by the great occasion. They led by 0-9 to 0-5 at the interval but Kerry were still in contention until Doherty forced his marker to bring him down in the 'square'. Cool as ever, he stepped up to blast the penalty to the net.

Although Kerry subsequently battled bravely, it was always going to be Down's day after Paddy's goal. In the end, it was a double scores victory, 2-10 to 0-8, and the Sam Maguire Cup was on it's way across the border for the first time.

The breakthrough had been made and a new force had arrived on the scene. Down's victory was arguably the most significant in the GAA's history and their achievement was to be a great example to other teams in future years.

Kevin Mussen was the first captain from the Six Counties to be presented with the Sam Maguire Cup and he was captain again when the Mournemen set out to defend their title in 1961. The Ulster title was retained but Kevin lost his place for the All-Ireland semi-final against Kerry and the selectors opted for Paddy as captain. Down maintained their superiority over the Kingdom thanks to a scintillating display which is still regarded as their finest at Croke Park...they had six points to spare at the final whistle.

Offaly provided the opposition in the All-Ireland final in which five goals were scored in a sensational first half. The first two went to Offaly but Down recovered and, inspired by James McCartan's 'wonder' goal they erased Offaly's six-point advantage before going on to retain their title with a one-point win. It was a memorable occasion for Paddy 'Mo' who further enhanced the list of legendary All-Ireland winning captains.

Over the next six years, Paddy experienced the ups and downs of football and there must have been many's the occasion when he despaired of ever again gracing Croke Park on All-Ireland final day. The Ulster title was won in 1963, '65 and '66 but on each occasion Down lost out at the semi-final stage.
And then, when least expected, they returned in 1968.

Only Paddy, Sean O Neill, Dan McCartan and captain Joe Lennon remained of the 1960-'61 team but they provided the experience, the inspiration and the example to their relatively inexperienced colleagues. They won the National League in the Spring and defeated Cavan in the Ulster final.with Paddy scoring 0-9 against the Breffnimen.'

The defeat by Galway at the same stage in 1965 was avenged in the semi-final before the 100% championship record against Kerry was maintained in the final.

In total, Paddy won three All-Ireland SFC medals, seven Ulster SFC medals, three NFL Medals and seven Railway Cups. He was part of one of the greatest half-forward lines ever seen and his name will always be mentioned when great forwards are spoken about.

[T O Hare]

Paul Higgins
Down & Ballymartins anchor-man


By BRIAN MC AVOY

Twelve different clubs were represented by the fifteen players which lined out for Down against Meath in this year's All-Ireland final and when Liam Austin and Ambrose Rogers were introduced to the action, the club's tally had risen to fourteen. This spread of players made it inevitable that players from lower divisions would be represented and among those clubs were the Down Division Two club Ballymartin. The Ballymartin Club is located in the foothills of the Mourne Mountains, situated on the coast between Newcastle and Kilkeel and their representative on the Down team was left corner back Paul Higgins. Another club representative Gregory McCartan formed part of the thirty-one man panel.

Paul Higgins is a stocky built, tenacious footballer who will never be found wanting in terms of determination or commitment. He is the first Ballymartin clubman to firmly establish himself on the Down Senior team since the great Jarlath Carey, who won All-Ireland Senior Football medals with Down in 1960 and 1961.

From an early age it was clear that Paul Higgins would be a footballer. His father Tom Higgins was a great servant of Ballymartin and indeed won a Down Senior Football Championship medal with the club in 1955, when they beat parish neighbours and keenest of rivals, Longstone, in the final. In his younger days, Paul Higgins lived on the Valley Road just outside the village and living close by was none other than Ambrose Rogers. As a child, Paul Higgins would have kicked football in the hilly fields around his home with Ambrose Rogers and the Longstone clubman has always had a great influence on Paul. "I have always been a great admirer of Ambrose's," said Paul, "for his contribution to the game both on and off the field. He is a terrific footballer and is always encouraging those around him. He is particularly good with kids and always seems to have so much time for them and he has given me so much encouragement throughout my career. He always told me I had the potential to make the county team and since making it he has been of great assistance to me. I am greatly indebted to him."

Together with his older brother, Anthony, Paul Higgins represented Ballymartin at every Underage level from Under 12 to Minor - the Higgins family moved from the Valley Road to live in the village over ten years ago - and although injury was to cut short the career of his brother, Paul has to carry the great tradition of the Higgins family in Gaelic Football to higher plains. A Down Minor Feis Sevens medal won in 1983 is one of the few club honours which Paul has achieved to date, though he was slightly more successful at school level where he won one Down Under 16 Vocational Schools medal and two Under 16l/2 Vocational Schools medals with St. Columban's, Kilkeel.

He represented Down at Minor level in both 1983 and 1984 though they lost out to Derry in the Ulster semi-final on both occasion, the first year at Clones and the second year at Casement Park. "We had our chances to beat Derry in 1983, but didn't take them and that side led by Dermot McNicholl went on to win the All-Ireland title. They were a very good Minor side," said Paul. Higgins proceeded to represent, and was called into the Down Senior panel by manager Jackie McManus prior to the 1989 Ulster Senior Football Championship campaign.

The Ballymartin man made his inter-county debut playing at right half back against Monaghan in a first round Ulster Championship game at Castleblayney. It was to prove a winning debut as inspired by a Mickey Linden goal, Down defeated the then reigning Ulster champions, but the very next game was to witness the end of Down's Championship aspirations as they lost out to Tyrone in the Ulster semi-final, which was again played at St. Mary's Park, Castleblayney. Paul Higgins had done enough in those two games, however to prove that he possessed the credentials to play at the highest level of county football and he has been a regular member of the county panel ever since.

Higgins is a player who likes to go forward and, therefore, would prefer a more attacking role. In the second half of the Ulster final against Donegal in Clones this year, he moved upfield to score a glorious point and, of course, in the first half moved even further upfield to the extent that he found himself with a gilt-edged chance of a goal but his snap shot for a goal went across the face of the goal and went wide.

Paul was not selected for Down's opening two games in the Championship this year, but an injury sustained by Liam Austin in the drawn Ulster semi-final against Derry meant Barry Breen moving to midfield for the replay and Higgins coming in at corner back. Given his chance, he grabbed it and that corner segment on the left wing was always going to be his for the remainder of Down's championship campaign. His best performance was in the All-Ireland semi-final against Kerry and he certainly had the measure of PJ Gillic in the All-Ireland final, though he freely admits that Colm O'Rourke caused him a headache or two.

"To be honest, I thought we had the game won after we scored the goal and I did tend to relax a bit and when Meath came at us, I just wasn't able to get the momentum going again. Meath's comeback just proves the point that games are not won until the final whistle, though I feel my overall game should improve with the experience of playing in the All-lreland final.

Ballymartin Club Chairman, Liam McCartan, has known Paul all his life and says that the 25 year old plasterer has been a great servant of the club through the years, though states that he has been known on occasions to drop the head when things have been going badly. "He will have benefited greatly from this year, however, and it is my hope that he will lead both Down and Ballymartin to even better things in the future," said the Club Chairman.

"In this area everyone looks up to Paul. He is treated like a real folk hero and all the young kids are wearing Down jersies with a big Number 4 on the back. It's the only jersey they want here." Indeed, if anyone was in any doubt about just how popular Paul Higgins was in Ballymartin, then those doubts would have been surely dispelled when the Down team passed through the town on an open-top bus on the Tuesday night following their All-Ireland final victory. Banners everywhere paying tribute to Paul Higgins would be seen and even two Bishops were on the specially erected platform - though it would be unfair to suggest that they were there just to welcome the Down left corner back.

Had Paul Higgins not have been a Gaelic Footballer then there is little doubt that given the time and effort he would have been a star in another sport, for the Ballymartin man is an all-round sportsman. In his spare time he likes to play golf and although he no longer plays competitively he has, in the past, played off a twelve handicap. He regularly plays pool and darts for a local public house and in 1989 won The Kingdom of Mourne Individual Darts Title. No mean achievement in this sports mad area. Gaelic Football is his main love, however, and that's where he intends concentrating his main efforts.

A hamstring injury sustained recently in training will keep him out of action until the New Year, but he is already looking forward to the season ahead. "There is no reason why we can't do very well again next year, but we have set the standard for everyone else. As always, it will be mighty tough to get out of Ulster and we are sitting up there on a pedestal for everyone to get at us. Every team will be out to beat us and they will see their All-Ireland as beating Down. Still we are not All-lreland champions for nothing, and we intend to defend out title with pride and dignity. I am really looking forward to next season," said Paul.

Prior to resuming in the New Year, Paul and the rest of the Down lads will have enjoyed a well earned break in Tenerife. It's something that he is looking forward to and feels that it will help team morale even further. Before the holiday, Paul has another important engagement and that is on the night of December 7th, when he and the rest of the Down players will be presented with their AllIreland medals. Then, and only then, will the full reality of what Down have achieved this year be realised and Paul Higgins will be proud to have been part of it.

[T O Hare]

Dream of the Down defence

DJ Kane
by Brian McAvoy

Early in the Ulster Senior Football Final against Donegal, Down's wing half-back DJ Kane moved up the left wing, took a pass from Mickey Linden and fired the ball low over Gary Walsh's crossbar. He had moved upfield to score crucial points in earlier rounds against Armagh and Derry and this latest episode at St. Tiernachs Park, Clones levelled the scores at 0-2 apiece. The twenty-six year old Belfast-based Newry Shamrocks clubman has earned the reputation of being a very competitive footballer and a tenacious tackler and while essentially a defender he does occasionally like to move upfield when the opportunity presents itself to shoot the odd point.

A total competitor who hates losing, DJ Kane has made a most significant contribution in ensuring that the Anglo Celt Cup is now back in Down after an absence of ten years.

When DJ's older brother, Val, played left corner forward for the down team which defeated Donegal in the 1963 Ulster Final at Breffni Park, Cavan, the younger Kane was not even born. Val was to command a regular place on Down teams over the next few years and was a sub on the Down team which won the All-Ireland Senior football title in 1968. By virtue of Down's success in this year's Ulster Final, the Kane brothers can certainly claim to have scored quite a unique family double over the men from Tir Connail.

DJ Kane commenced his playing career with the Newry Mitchels club. At underage level he was quite successful and was a member of the Mitchels side defeated by town rivals (and now clubmates) Newry Shamrocks in the 1981 Down Minor Football Championship Final. Twelve months later however he won his Down Minor Football Championship medal playing on the Mitchels side which easily accounted for Rostrevor in the final.

Once described by a local journalist as a "late developer", DJ Kane never represented Down at minor level. He did however, play Under 21 football for the county and played as a forward on the Down side which defeated Antrim in the Centenary Year Ulster Under 21 Final. This was the last occasion in which Down won this particular title but they lost out to Munster champions Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final. Apart from DJ Kane only two members of that Ulster title winning side are presently on the Down senior panel, Ross Carr and Michael Linden.

Winner of a McRory Cup medal with the Abbey CBS, it is at higher education college level that DJ Kane has enjoyed his greatest success to date. In his first year at the Northern Ireland Polytech (now officially known as the University of Ulster, Jordanstown), he won an All-Ireland Freshers medal and he followed this up with Sigerson Cup winners medals in 1986 and 1987. He is also the proud holder of three Ryan Cup medals (Higher Education League) and on one occasion he was selected to play for the Combined Universities in the annual representative games. When UUJ won the Sigerson Cup again earlier this year he occupied a different role - that of team trainer. That team was managed by his brother Val. As UUJ Gaelic Club President, John Farrell says "Both as a player and a coach, this club owes a lot to DJ. Anything he takes on he gives it his total commitment and he is a brilliant team motivator. Any accolade he has ever earned on the gaelic field has been earned totally on merit."

Presently DJ is employed as a Physical Education teacher at Lagan College, Northern Ireland's first officially integrated school which is situated outside Lisburn. Even prior to the setting up of the State in 1921, a system of segregated education was in existence. State schools are perceived as Protestant institutions while Maintained schools are perceived as Catholic institutions. Little has changed in the intervening years though a number of years ago Lagan College was established in a positive attempt to breach the segregated divide. About 700 pupils attend the school and, although gaelic games are on the Physical Education curriculum, only a limited amount of time is devoted to the sport.

Since commanding a regular spot on the Down teams in the autumn of 1986, DJ Kane has always been an integral part of the set-up. Prior to this year, however, he won while playing at this level for the county. In the intervening years he has also changed his club allegiance. After a brief sojourn on the books of the O'Connells club in Belfast, he transferred to the Newry Shamrocks club some years ago. Although with a new club, he was still very much on familiar surroundings, however, as both Newry Shamrocks and his former club, Newry Mitchels, share the town's county ground, Pairc an Iur.

On occasions in the past DJ, by his at times over enthusiastic approach has allowed his temperament to get the better of him but no-one could ever doubt his dedication to the game and to his team mates. "When I go out on that field, I play my guts out for myself and for my colleagues around me," he said and to quote one delegate at last year's Down County Convention, "If Down had more players who scored as much as DJ Kane we wouldn't be looking back on ten years without an Ulster title." The message has obviously had its effect.

Whatever role is asked of this red-haired man, he will go about it diligently and in his own indelible style. When Liam Austin cried off the Down team through injury for the replay against Derry and Barry Breen was pencilled into midfield, DJ was given the difficult assignment of marking Derry's much daunted attacker, Dermot McNicholl. He and DJ are actually quite good friends but that friendship clearly did not extend to the playing field, as DJ completely outplayed the Glenullin man and indeed held him scoreless for the entire game. Martin McHugh suffered the same fate in the Ulster Final. No matter who DJ Kane marks, they can never expect an easy time.
Like all other Down players, the mind of DJ Kane is now firmly set on Sunday's All-Ireland semi final meeting with Kerry in Croke Park which, incidentally, he says is his favourite pitch. He totally dismisses all this hype about down never having lost to Kerry in the championship. "What happened twenty or thirty years ago has absolutely no relevance today. Kerry are Munster champions and a good team at that. They looked very impressive in beating Cork and scored an amazing twenty-three points against Limerick. they must have some forward line. They will really take some beating."

Five months ago Kerry demolished Down in their National League encounter in Killarney and doomed Down to Division Two. Kerry played much constructive football that day and demonstrated that they are a very capable unit. Whether or not Down have improved sufficiently to beat them remains to be seen but one thing is certain: DJ Kane will undoubtedly be giving his all to the cause of the men in Red and Black.

[T O Hare]

Mickey Linden - The Gentleman of Down Football
writes Brian McEvoy

Referee Tommy Howard sounded the final whistle. Croke Park was a sea of Red and Black. The footballers of Down had just defeated Kerry and booked for the Mourne County a spot in the All-lreland Senior Football Final for the first time in twenty-three years. It was a time of celebration. Some people laughed, others cried, but it mattered little as the Red and Black were back and everyone was ecstatic. In the midst of all the excitement great human nature prevailed. Two Down footballers made their way to the invalids section in front of the Hogan Stand and spoke with some of life's less favoured people. They gave their jersies away. One of these players was Conor Deegan - the other was Mickey Linden.

Michael Rory Linden is one of life's true gentlemen. One of a family of five boys and two girls he comes from a family steeped in the gaelic tradition. His mother, Isabel, played camogie for Glenn and later Mayobridge while his father Eamon was a more than useful club player with Mayobridge. All of his brothers play Gaelic Football and indeed his older brother John has already played in an All-lreland final in Croke Park. He played on the London team which lost to Meath in the All-lreland Junior Football Final in 1988. Incidentally a substitute on that team was a young nineteen year-old called Peter Withnall.

Speed, skill and supreme fitness are the trademarks of Mickey Linden. Even when not training with club are or county it is often common to see the genial unassuming Mayobridge man (he actually lives just outside Warrenpoint after his marriage to a local girl Louisa last year) pounding along country roads close to home. A mechanic by trade, he has recently taken up a new appointment with the Department of Transport and makes the long journey to his work in Tyrone on a daily basis.

Even from his early days as a pupil at St. Patrick's Primary School, Mayobridge. it was clear that Mickey Linden was going to be a footballer with that special appeal. He had the knack of a goalscorer and even at that early age his amazing turn of speed was causing all sorts of problems for budding defenders. He later attended St. Mark's High School in Warrenpoint and played a pivotal role in securing u-14 and u-16 Down Vocational Schools Championship.

At club level, Mickey Linden's greatest day came in 1980 when he helped his club defeat a fancied Bryansford side by 0-7 to 1-1 in the Down Minor Football

Championship Final. Playing at midfield Mickey laid the foundation for the success of the 'Sky-blues' by scoring no less than six of his sides seven points. As one local journalist in his post-match analysis of the game wrote "In Michael Linden, Mayobridge had the most accomplished player on the field".

By this stage Michael Linden was already an established player in the Mayobridge first fifteen. In 1980 also he helped them to win the Down All County Division Four title and the following year he steered them to an ail County League Division Three League and Down Junior Football Championship double, Newry Mitchel's being the vanquished side in that Championship Final. Subsequently Mickey Linden helped Mayobridge to win an All County Division Two medal in Down and for the past two seasons his club have finished runners-up in the All County League Division One.

At present Mickey Linden's two big sporting ambitions remain unfulfilled - to win an All-lreland senior Football medal with Down and to win a Down Senior Football Championship medal with his native Mayobridge. I asked him if he would sacrifice his Down Championship medal this year for the sake of an All-lreland medal and he wryly replied "It would be nice to win them both." This aptly indicates the great loyalty which Mickey Linden has to both club and county.

Mickey Linden has represented Down at u-16, minor, u-21 and senior level. In 1981 he seemed well on course to securing an Ulster Minor Football Championship when Down led Derry by 2-6 to 0-0 but the Oak Leaf county staged a remarkable second-half recovery and a last minute penalty from Terence McCluckian gave Derry victory by 3-6 to 2-8. In 1984, Michael won an Ulster u-2 1 Championship with down but he was unable to inspire his team-mates to an All-lreland final appearance as Cork defeated Down by 2-12 to 0-12 in the semi-final.

It was in the Autumn of 1981 when Down team manager Joe Lennon first invited Mickey Linden to join the Down senior Football team panel. Down had a number of months earlier won the Ulster Senior Football title and were competing in Division Two of the National Football League. Mickey made his debut against Meath in a league game in Newcastle. The game ended in a draw The following year he made his Championship debut against Tyrone in Newry. Down's Ulster Crown was lost at the first defence.

Prior to this year Mickey Linden's greatest honour in the famed Red and Black jersey carne in 1983 when he helped Down to a National Football League victory as the Mournemen overcame great rivals Armagh by 1-7 to 0-7 in the final played at Croke Park. He was a member of the Down side which lost to Tyrone in the 1986 Ulster Final but he was slightly compensated with Dr. McKenna Cup Medals in 1987 and 1989.

1991, however, has been a great year for Mickey linden and Down football. the Anglo-Celt Cup returned to the County for the first time in ten years and history repeated itself as the mighty Kerry were conquered in the All-lreland semi-final. Mickey Linden was voted 'Player of the Championship (Ulster) by viewers of BBC television and named as Telecom Eireann Man of the Match in the All-lreland semi-final. While these awards were nice to receive, Mickey is not one to bask in glory. Such things are only peripheral to the real thing and I couldn't have won any of them without the help of all my team-mates. I felt that I was accepting these awards as much on their behalf as on my own" he stated.

In the past Mickey feels that the breaks went against Down but this year he feels that their luck has turned. "In some of our earlier Championship games this season we got the rub of the green on the odd occasion but we were worthy winners of all our games. That little bit of success has helped our moral no end and there is a new found confidence in the camp", said Mickey.

September 15th will no doubt be one of the greatest days in his life. "lt is certainly a dream come true to play in All-lreland Final. lt will be a wonderful occasion and I'm really looking forward to it." All of Down and much further afield will be hoping that Mickey Linden can reproduce the form he has shown all season on the greatest day in the GAA calendar. If he can, then he may well spearhead Down to their fourth All-lreland title.

Should Down win it will be a case for great celebration and few will have cause to celebrate more than the former All Star replacement from Mayobridge. In terms of dedication and commitment he has few peers and if any man ever deserves to win an All-lreland medal, then surely it is that gentleman of Down football, Mickey Linden.