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Great win for the hurlers last week against Kerry. Leaves Down in a very good position heading into the next round.

That second half was one of the best performances I've seen from a Down team in a while. Great stuff.

Could very easily have seen the heads drop after Kerry went in at the break 7 points up, but there looks to be a good mentality about the team at the minute, and Down came flying out of the blocks and didn't give Kerry an inch. Every aspect of the game Down seemed to be able to outperform the Kingdom. Down also managed to deal with playing into the wind a lot better in the first half, than Kerry did in the second half, which made things a lot easier.

Pearse Óg McCrcickard had a good game, and Tim Prenter had some amazing moments. Two good games in a row for him now. Stephen Kieth also had an amazing game. Amazing stop to the first Kerry goal attempt, and saving a penalty is always remarkable.

In the first half our backs found it very hard to deal with the Kerry full forward line. We might not be so lucky the next time, and would need to tighten up.

Great to see Danny Toner back. Some goal he got.

All in all, great performance. Particularly great to see Down make a comeback after being a good bit behind at half time. If we can perform each day the way we did in that second half, we'll be playing in Division One next year. 

Very hopeful going into the next game- Kildare in Ballycran. I do think Kildare have been our bogey team for the past couple years, but as we showed last year, we're well fit to beat them. Should have a couple more lads back which will be a good boost, and Kildare aren't looking just the same as they were last year. Should be a competitive game, and would much rather it be at home than away.

The only two unbeaten teams in the division (Laois and Carlow) play each other next week, which could mean if Down beat Kildare, and the results go their way, Down would be sitting second. Would be nice going into the final few rounds with that momentum.

Good to see the hurlers getting their first competitive win of the year. Hopefully there's plenty more to come.

Tough game for the hurlers tomorrow to start their league campaign.

Portlaoise diffcult place to go to, even for Division One sides like Waterford and Dublin, as we well found out last year in the McDonagh Cup.

Down have a real chance of getting to Division One this year, but have to play better than they did last year.

Some serious hurlers in Laois, but they really don't look like the same team that they were 3-5 years ago. Definitely come back down closer to the level of us/Kerry.


Down missing some serious players. No Sheehan. No Doran. No McCusker. Good to see a few lads back (Donal Hughes should be a great addition all being well, the Sands, too), and plenty of good fellas to make the break through yet.

Hopefully we can stay neck and neck with Laois for most of the game at the very least. Would be good to know we're there or there abouts, and would be terrible to start the year with our backs against the wall.

I think it's well worth remembering, I think last year, the consensus was that it was a very poor year, despite us retaining Division 2A status for the third year in a row. For a long time, we couldn't get out of 2B. That surely says something for the progress of our hurlers.

Hopefully it's onward and upwards 

I wasn't at the game but was speaking to a few lads who were at it last night and by all accounts we were well in the game with 10 minutes to go with the scoreline being level pegging then the wheels came off with a few injuries to key players, Eoghan Sands and Turpin, both with hand injuries (and will miss the Kerry game) as well as Matt Conlon going off with a cut to the head. Replaces just a bit of that level.
It wasn't helped by our clubman getting a straight red for one of his trademark stupid tackles with no need for it.

Kerry game is a must win now with how the other results going against us, especially with Meath picking up an unexpected win against Kildare.

Laois and Carlow expected to top the group, so it's a dog fight between the other 4 to avoid relegation.

Were very much within touching distance until the last few minutes, with Laois' goal just keeping them ahead.

Around the time of Fisher's sending off Laois managed to find their feet and see it out (that is not to say Fisher's red cost Down the game, as Laois had a player sent off a couple of moments before, and probably restored something of a level playing field. As you say though, it didn't help, and it is important that Down maintain good discipline this year).

Disappointing not to come away with any points, but I am encouraged by the result. Compare it to the last time we went down to Laois. Massive improvement. I'd expect us to be fit to rattle any team we may meet this year, and hopefully take an odd scalp against someone a bit further up the pecking order.

Looking forward to the Kerry game today. I find Kerry to typically be the team most consistently at our level.

Despite ultimately suffering the same fate last week, I'd much rather be in our position than Kerry's. Far more encouraging performance from Down than Kerry last week. Kerry team also look to be weaker than normal (Shane Conway being the obvious big blow for them).

Last time we met, was very disappointing from a Down perspective. Shocking amount of wides if I recall correctly. If Down can convert their chances today, it should be a lot more competitive than last years Joe McDonagh meeting.

Good to have Tom McGrattan back today, and thought Tim Prenter played well last week, so the scoring potential is there. Ruairi McCrickard back today is another big plus.

With Meath beating Kildare, I think it opens up the division a bit more. Would want to be very wary of both teams, and have suffered disappointing losses to both in recent years,  but Down are certainly well fit to beat either. And based off of Laois' performance last week, it's not out of the realms of possibility someone gets a shock win and opens up the whole thing further. Exciting times in Div 2 , eh?

Anyway, it is up to Down to secure the best outcome for themselves. Hopefully get some points on the board today and beat a Munster side.

BBC providing coverage of the game on the iPlayer is good to see. Was it Cusack or Daly last week on the Sunday Game made a good point about how counties such as ourselves in these tiers need exposure in order for people to develop an interest in a team? Now, I know, I know, who watches the BBC iPlayer and all that- but it's nice to see the BBC offering some sort of coverage for a Down hurling game, particularly given the poor coverage the leagues get in general. Wasn't expecting it at all. Any BBC coverage of GAA is welcome in my opinion, and a sign of the times.

Tough game for the hurlers tomorrow to start their league campaign.

Portlaoise diffcult place to go to, even for Division One sides like Waterford and Dublin, as we well found out last year in the McDonagh Cup.

Down have a real chance of getting to Division One this year, but have to play better than they did last year.

Some serious hurlers in Laois, but they really don't look like the same team that they were 3-5 years ago. Definitely come back down closer to the level of us/Kerry.


Down missing some serious players. No Sheehan. No Doran. No McCusker. Good to see a few lads back (Donal Hughes should be a great addition all being well, the Sands, too), and plenty of good fellas to make the break through yet.

Hopefully we can stay neck and neck with Laois for most of the game at the very least. Would be good to know we're there or there abouts, and would be terrible to start the year with our backs against the wall.

I think it's well worth remembering, I think last year, the consensus was that it was a very poor year, despite us retaining Division 2A status for the third year in a row. For a long time, we couldn't get out of 2B. That surely says something for the progress of our hurlers.

Hopefully it's onward and upwards 

Good win for the footballers. Definitely going in the right direction.

How did Anderson get on when he came on?

Antrim in Belfast should be a good match, and good to see the lay of the land now before Ulster Championship.

You're absolutely right that the lack of an existing hurling culture is a massive problem. North Down offers a good opportunity. We are yet to build a real GAA presence in that part of the county. Ignoring political and social factors for a moment, if we could manage to establish GAA clubs in Bangor, Newtownards, etc., it could be easier to create a hurling culture in these clubs as opposed to clubs which already have a dominant football culture.

Keeping a conveyor belt going is essential. Look at Darragh Cross. They were a strong team, who produced county hurlers. And then when that generation was finished, they just disappeared.

I do agree with existing clubs drawing from other parishes. Shamrocks do this very well. Especially at under age. A lot of clubs could do well from some sort of mutual agreement, e.g, Ballela and Annaclone. I know what you're saying that if someone isn't willing to travel it will never work out, and this is correct, but at the end of the day, some people won't drive their kids for 15 min every Saturday to play hurling, when they could just go 2 minutes to the football club in their own parish. I'm not saying whether is right or wrong. I'm just saying you'll always have that. And you'll always have people loyal to one club and one club only. There will be many in Kilcoo who will never want to play for Clonduff. Again, this will always be a thing, and there's not much that can be done, but it will exist nonetheless.

The idea of standalone clubs is one Id like to see more of. It has been started in the Mournes, with the clubs feeding an underage club called Clann Mhúrn. Something similar could be trialed in Lecale, or between Glenn/Saval/Drumgrath, etc.

It offers an opportunity for hurling people to come together, and does away with the problem some people may have of playing for their rival parish.

If it happened, and these clubs had the success of Craobh Rua, it would be a massive boost.

What clubs would you recommend? Those are clubs that either have a decent population to draw from, or already have a bit of a hurling tradition.

Bringing hurling into schools and improving links between clubs and schools is something which needs to happen to help the game.

I think it goes without saying the fact that there's more kids playing football would be due to the fact that most clubs offer football, whilst most don't offer hurling.

The argument that's there no appetite for it doesn't stand very well. If you build it, they will come as they say.

Don't think you can brand all hurling people as arrogant. Absolutely, there are hurling snobs, same as there is with anything else. Doesn't have to stop people enjoying the game. There's people who have an arrogance about football. I never let them put me off enjoying football, the same way I never let those who have an arrogance around hurling put me off enjoying the small ball.

I'm not going to debate game which is better. It's a subjective matter. I personally prefer hurling. I also enjoy football. If someone prefers football, that's fair. It's a good game, too. Don't think anyone here said the skills and beauty of hurling are superior to that of football. Not really sure where you pulled that one from.

Telling me to 'maybe lose that arrogance' to try and get people to embrace the game isn't the best argument I've heard Skat Man, can't lie.

You make it seem as though most clubs are struggling to field 15 players every week in the football. That's simply not the case. A lot of clubs already have reserve teams.

As I said, the most obvious answers would be RGU and Bryansford due to their population centres.

Saval, Mayobridge, Loughinisland, Darragh Cross, Glenn, to name a few.

Plenty of examples of clubs being able to sustain both.

Youre not necessarily using the same players for both codes. You wouldn't be expecting every player to be a dual player. The fact is you will have some fellas who just play football, and some who just play hurling. It's not simply a case of handing the senior football team hurls. You will have people playing hurling who don't play football for the club.

One shouldn't be hampering the other. If it is, you're doing something very wrong. 

Lack of facilities can be difficult, but a lot of clubs have at least two pitches, but you wouldn't be expecting hurling and football to be on the same night, anyway. It's just about being pragmatic with time slots.

The fact of the matter is most clubs in Down aren't struggling to field football teams. No reason most senior football clubs couldn't field a junior hurling team.

If football men are afraid that hurling may take away from football (I assume, because they're afraid lads will enjoy and commit to the hurling?), it is their responsibility to make sure football is enjoyable and keep people interested.

Disappointing defeat to Kildare for the hurlers yesterday in the Kehoe Cup. No pre-season silverware this year.

Close enough game in the end. Ultimately you have to be happy enough with the pre-season. Beat Meath, and have the potential to beat Kildare. At the end of the day, when we play these teams later in the year, they will be, in all likelihood, must-win games to avoid relegation in the league and championship, let alone gain promotion. Hopefully we finish this preseason off well with a good performance over Wicklow in the next round.

Have to say, Kildare's Hurling Action Plan has been quite remarkable over the past few years, and would be great to see us implement something similar in Down.

How would you improve hurling in the county?

Great bit of hurling discussion going on today. Love to see it.

As others have said, the most fundamental thing which has to be done to improve hurling is to get more people playing hurling. At the end of the day, it boils down to that. I've said it before and I'll say it again; we are lucky to have the fourth biggest population in Ireland. Take out the usual arguments, that a lot of those people don't come from a club that offers hurling, or half of that population wouldn't be interested in hurling for political reasons. At the end of the day, there's  over half a million people in County Down. We should be trying to make hurling as accessible to each and every one of them.

The key thing, for me, would be to get more clubs offering hurling. The most obvious thing would be suggesting teams like RGU or Bryansford offering hurling. Downpatrick and Newcastle are two big population centres in South Down, and neither has a hurling team. Yes, Kilclief and Castlewellen are options for people in those towns, but let's face it, if you have to travel, no matter how little the distance, the game will not be as popular.

It would be great to see clubs that used to offer hurling revive it again. Darragh Cross and Glenn would be the two examples that spring to mind.

It would also be great to see a couple more new clubs come into existence in the near future.

The other big thing would be to improve the standard of the hurling that is being played. A complicated matter, but it has to be done.

Our schools could encourage the game more. Having more Down schools being competitive in the Mageen Cup would be great. Schools competition if often a good step between club and county. Giving more Down players the chance to play against quality opposition from other schools across Ulster would be beneficial in the long run.

There are other things I think that could be done to improve the quality of hurling in Down, but I think those 3 things would be a massive boost in particular.

I don't understand the opposition from some football people to having hurling in their club. If they don't like it, fine. Nobody will force them to play. Don't see why you would try to stop giving anyone else the chance to play it, though. I would agree that the hurling only clubs should offer football, but it's not a good reason to say 'Sure why would we start a hurling team if the Ardsmen aren't playing football.' Every club should offer both, as well as handball.

Regarding the success of dual clubs, Slaughtneil are/were a once in a generation team. You couldn't expect any dual club in Down to be operating at that level. There are plenty of dual clubs that are competitive in both. Dunloy in Antrim. Saint Eunan's in Donegal, etc.

It's ridiculous to think having a hurling team will hamper the football in the club. The Point reached a senior football final and won a junior hurling championship in the same year in 2022. The two can live side by side.

There's a lot that could be done to improve the hurling landscape in Down. But it's nothing that can't be done.

One week to go until start of football league, still a few players missing from last year's team Ryan and Sheelan Johnson, Branagan, McAleenan, Fitzpatrick (I'm sure I've missed a few) are they injured for next weekend or just rested for the McKenna? Is Ruairi McCrickard involved? Definitely thought he would have been given a chance.

Mcaleenan is off panel and travelling at present.
Fitzpatrick off panel and I hear a whisper is going travelling too
Johnston's are training away - prob ready this week now that the league starts..
Eugene is off panel with work commitments.
Mccrickard not on panel. Conor just..

Hard not to be envious of Glen Maghera today. Some group of players and an excellent manager.

Would assume Ruairi McCrickard is probably still involved with the hurlers this year. Thought he would have been involved with the footballers, too.

Wonder will we see any dual county players this year? Conor McCrickard was involved with the hurlers last year as well as the footballers I think. Very hard to commit to both, but fair play to any man that can manage it.

Disappointing defeat to Kildare for the hurlers yesterday in the Kehoe Cup. No pre-season silverware this year.

Close enough game in the end. Ultimately you have to be happy enough with the pre-season. Beat Meath, and have the potential to beat Kildare. At the end of the day, when we play these teams later in the year, they will be, in all likelihood, must-win games to avoid relegation in the league and championship, let alone gain promotion. Hopefully we finish this preseason off well with a good performance over Wicklow in the next round.

Have to say, Kildare's Hurling Action Plan has been quite remarkable over the past few years, and would be great to see us implement something similar in Down.

We, the loyal members of the Down GAA, have tolerated mediocrity in football and hurling since the year 2000. In Ulster, we used to be respected, but now we have to be jealous of places like Derry, Tyrone, Donegal, etc. What is wrong with our wonderful county?

In crude terms, I don't think we ever really built on our success in the 90s to the extent we should have, and rely too much on waiting on golden generations to come along. It's a lot more complex than that, but I think that essentially sums in up.

In regards to the mediocrity in the hurling, it's simply a lack of clubs. You can't expect to be challenging for All Irelands when you've only a handful of players to choose from. 

There's 6 clubs in the senior championship. There's 16 in the football equivalent. There's not even 16 hurling clubs in the county. If the hurlers had the resources that the footballers had, I think they'd do alright.

The good news for us is that in both codes, there is a path to improvement. We are not hampered by a small population, and have a good GAA culture.

Hopefully better days are coming.

Where do Down rank in the whole scale of things at underage and senior in terms of hurling in Ireland?

If you were to rank the counties of Ireland from 1-32, IMO I'd put Down smack in the middle.

A long way off the likes of Limerick, Kilkenny, Clare, etc., but our first choice senior squad would comfortably beat most other teams.

On a good day, we're capable of competing and beating the likes of Laois, Westmeath, Antrim, Offaly etc.

At the minute, we're probably closest in standard to Kerry or Kildare.

Wouldn't be as clear as to where we are at underage. Did win an U20 B All Ireland two years ago, and weren't a million miles away last year, so fair to say probably similar enough to the seniors.

It's well worth pointing out in my opinion, that we probably have the most potential of any of the counties around our level. Hurling is very much the minority sport, but we hold our own with significantly less clubs to draw players from, especially compared to counties where hurling is similarly a minority.

We are a big county, with a big population, and as more clubs start to make an impact on the hurling landscape, I would hope this has a positive impact on the overall standard of Down on the inter-county scene.

Definitely some questionable decisions in the first half; the method of trying to pull Donegal wide before delivering a short puckout, only for Donegal to immediately turn it over and take the score was frustrating.

Didn't seem to have any response to the Donegal sweeper in the first half, and didn't seem to be able to utilise the extra man in our own half, either. Also seemed to give Donegal simply too much space. Markers not sticking to their man close enough, giving Donegal forwards plenty of time etc.

Thought this was also demonstrated by more seasoned players, too.

Plenty of learning opportunity for the players, though. I'm sure this tournament will stand to them.

Couple players potentially worth a shot in the senior set up at some point this year. Ben Christie looked good when the backs managed to deliver a ball into the forwards, and thought Deaglan Mallon had a couple of real good moments. Donal Hughes, whilst a bit rusty, looked good. Will be good to see him back in the senior set up, hopefully.

Pity to hear that about Kieth- hopefully Smyth does well if he is given the opportunity. Thought he had a dead on game (the goals were caused by a gaps in a scattered defence, not by mistakes from the keeper).

Kildare will be a tough test. Particularly if their performance yesterday is anything to go by. But that's the level we need to be performing at at the very least if we're hoping to succeed this year.

Was a pity to not lift the McGurk Cup yesterday. Starting the year with silverware of any sort is never a bad thing- preseason or not.

Poor first half left far too much to do, but Down did well in the second half to bring it back within touching distance, and there were moments where they showed what they could really do when they took their chances.

Good performance from a very young team. Ultimately, using the McGurk Cup to give new players exposure and experience to senior inter-county hurling is a wise decision, and hopefully we will see some of those players make an impact in the league.
And getting an away win over Antrim in the process is never a bad thing. 

On a side note, it's good to see Donegal hurling doing well, and can't say they didn't deserve to win yesterday. McGurk Cup is a great opportunity for Ulster counties. The better counties like Donegal/Tyrone/ Armagh get, and the more competitive they are with  Down/Antrim/Derry, it will act as a catalyst for reinstating the Ulster Hurling Championship, which will be good for Down in the long run. It was disappointing to not get the win yesterday, but can't begrudge Donegal one bit.

Good to start off our Kehoe Cup campaign in Leinster with a win over Meath. No doubt both teams will look very different by the time they meet in the league, but good to get a good win over them today, nonetheless.

All in all, you can't be too disappointed with how the McGurk campaign went, and hopefully we will be able to say the same about the Kehoe Cup. There's a great opportunity for the Down hurlers this year. Hopefully we hit the ground running.

Good win for the Down hurlers last night up in Dunsilly vrs Antrim.

It's only a preseason competition but beating Antrim is never a bad thing.

I hope Sean O'Neill from our club had a great game 

Great win. Getting a win over the Saffs never a bad thing.

Pity we don't meet them in competitive games all that often anymore.