Down Club Hurling & Football

[Johnnysboys]

For next years senior championship I would like to see something like this being trialed. It would give players from div 3 and 4 a chance to play senior championship. John Fegan should discuss on his podcast this week.

4 Amalgamations

South Down/ Mourne
Glasdrumman
Mitchell's
Attical
Bosco
Ballymartin

North Down/ Kinelarty
Kilclief
East Belfast
Tecconaught
St Pauls
Drumaness

East Down/ Lecale
Dundrum
Ardglass
Bright
The Fin
ST Johns

West Down/ Iveagh
Aghaderg
St Micheals
Dromara
Banbridge
Tullylish

Be nice if John got a chance to actually talk on the show. The last couple of weeks he is the only one to make sense compared to the other regular pundits. On the rest of this post - can you imagine what the likes of Kilcoo would do to these teams!! Embarrassing.

[ardtole]

John Clarke and Jackie Lynch for Bryansford apparently.

[maldini]

For next years senior championship I would like to see something like this being trialed. It would give players from div 3 and 4 a chance to play senior championship. John Fegan should discuss on his podcast this week.

4 Amalgamations

South Down/ Mourne
Glasdrumman
Mitchell's
Attical
Bosco
Ballymartin

North Down/ Kinelarty
Kilclief
East Belfast
Tecconaught
St Pauls
Drumaness

East Down/ Lecale
Dundrum
Ardglass
Bright
The Fin
ST Johns

West Down/ Iveagh
Aghaderg
St Micheals
Dromara
Banbridge
Tullylish

Wouldn't appeal to me at all that
The championship the way it is is a lot better

[ardtole]

Colm ORourke has introduced something similar in Meath, the regional teams play in a separate competition, not the Sfc, not sure if that is to change though.

[Truth hurts]

New Meath manager Colm O'Rourke hopes a regionalised football tournament for junior and intermediate club players will help him uncover some hidden gems for the Royals.

Meath will tonight unveil plans for a Regional Football Championship, which is to get under way later this month and is to run annually in the county.

The format of this year's competition has seen eight regional teams established – Tara, Bru na Boinne, Boyne Valley, An Tuascairt, Blackwater, Lough Crew, Darnley and Moyfenragh.

Each side is an amalgamation of clubs, for example Boyne Valley will be comprised of players from Rathkenny, Walterstown, Bective and Slane.


All of the games will be played midweek at Meath GAA's Centre of Excellence in Dunganny.



O'Rourke's appointment to the position of manager has raised hopes in the county that Meath's lengthy spell lost in the purgatory of Dublin's dark shadow could be about to draw to a close.

However, O'Rourke knows for that to happen he must first bring some new talent to the squad. The 1987 and 1988 All-Ireland winning forward was manager of Simonstown this year and so he is aware of the talent that exists in the county at senior level.

In an effort to ensure the best players from the county's junior and intermediate clubs are afforded an opportunity to show what they are capable of, this new regional championship will provide them with that shop window.

Meath will play in Division Two of the National Football League next year, where already promotion to the top flight looks like it will difficult for the Royals given the likes of Dublin, Derry, Kildare and Cork will also be vying for a top two finish.

[Smurfy123]

Was Clarke not meant to be heading to Drumgath?

Teams left without anyone

Clonduff
Bryansford
Annaclone
Drumgath (but thought Clarke was in)

[Truth hurts]

I am finding it hard to find schools results on websites or schools Facebook page. I seen the st Malachys beat the Red High in Rafferty (Rannafast B ) and St Colmans Newry got beat in both MacRory and Corn Na Nog recently. Any update on how schools in Down are getting on at the minute. Are we competing?

[toby47]

I am finding it hard to find schools results on websites or schools Facebook page. I seen the st Malachys beat the Red High in Rafferty (Rannafast B ) and St Colmans Newry got beat in both MacRory and Corn Na Nog recently. Any update on how schools in Down are getting on at the minute. Are we competing?

Ulster Colleges website is away to feck in recent years, hard to get or find results.

Below is the only results I could find on the Macrory Cup

MacRory Cup
Abbey CBS, Newry   1-12 2-9   Monaghan, St Macartan's College
Abbey were 2-07 to 0-03 down at HT, a game with a massive wind apparently.
Abbey Scorers - E Loughran 1-8, R Powell 0-2, J Crummey 0-1, C O'Hare 0-1.

Newry, St Colman's College   1-13    4-06  Castleblaney, Our Lady's Secondary School


No results for any of the below competitions, but a bit of information of schools playing at certain levels

Other Down Teams
St Patrick's Downpatrick - MacLarnon Cup (MacRory B).
St Coleman's & Abbey are in the same Rannafast (5th Year) Group.
St Colemans 5-06    0-14 Abbey CBS
St Patrick's, Downpatrick & St Malachy's ,Castlewellen. Also, in the same group in the Rafferty Cup (Rannafast B)


The Ulster Schools GAA page might be better for backtracking & trying to find results?

[Truth hurts]

I am finding it hard to find schools results on websites or schools Facebook page. I seen the st Malachys beat the Red High in Rafferty (Rannafast B ) and St Colmans Newry got beat in both MacRory and Corn Na Nog recently. Any update on how schools in Down are getting on at the minute. Are we competing?

Ulster Colleges website is away to feck in recent years, hard to get or find results.

Below is the only results I could find on the Macrory Cup

MacRory Cup
Abbey CBS, Newry   1-12 2-9   Monaghan, St Macartan's College
Abbey were 2-07 to 0-03 down at HT, a game with a massive wind apparently.
Abbey Scorers - E Loughran 1-8, R Powell 0-2, J Crummey 0-1, C O'Hare 0-1.

Newry, St Colman's College   1-13    4-06  Castleblaney, Our Lady's Secondary School


No results for any of the below competitions, but a bit of information of schools playing at certain levels

Other Down Teams
St Patrick's Downpatrick - MacLarnon Cup (MacRory B).
St Coleman's & Abbey are in the same Rannafast (5th Year) Group.
St Colemans 5-06    0-14 Abbey CBS
St Patrick's, Downpatrick & St Malachy's ,Castlewellen. Also, in the same group in the Rafferty Cup (Rannafast B)


The Ulster Schools GAA page might be better for backtracking & trying to find results?

Thanks Toby, yeah its very hard to find fixtures and results on Ulster GAA games.

Though the Red High beat Eniskillen Royal in soccer yesterday and St Marks year eight were beaten by Kilkeel High.

[toby47]

I am finding it hard to find schools results on websites or schools Facebook page. I seen the st Malachys beat the Red High in Rafferty (Rannafast B ) and St Colmans Newry got beat in both MacRory and Corn Na Nog recently. Any update on how schools in Down are getting on at the minute. Are we competing?

Ulster Colleges website is away to feck in recent years, hard to get or find results.

Below is the only results I could find on the Macrory Cup

MacRory Cup
Abbey CBS, Newry   1-12 2-9   Monaghan, St Macartan's College
Abbey were 2-07 to 0-03 down at HT, a game with a massive wind apparently.
Abbey Scorers - E Loughran 1-8, R Powell 0-2, J Crummey 0-1, C O'Hare 0-1.

Newry, St Colman's College   1-13    4-06  Castleblaney, Our Lady's Secondary School


No results for any of the below competitions, but a bit of information of schools playing at certain levels

Other Down Teams
St Patrick's Downpatrick - MacLarnon Cup (MacRory B).
St Coleman's & Abbey are in the same Rannafast (5th Year) Group.
St Colemans 5-06    0-14 Abbey CBS
St Patrick's, Downpatrick & St Malachy's ,Castlewellen. Also, in the same group in the Rafferty Cup (Rannafast B)


The Ulster Schools GAA page might be better for backtracking & trying to find results?

Thanks Toby, yeah its very hard to find fixtures and results on Ulster GAA games.

Though the Red High beat Eniskillen Royal in soccer yesterday and St Marks year eight were beaten by Kilkeel High.

Any idea what club E Loughran is from? 1-8 is big scoring at MacRory level.

[thewobbler]

Eoin from Burren

[Hard2Listen2]

Why do the Red High play in the McLarnon rather than McCrory cup?
They have a large pool of players from some good senior clubs.
They often have multiple county minors & development squad members.

Surely they should be testing themselves against the best in Ulster rather than chasing B grade trophies?

[manwithnoplan]

Why do the Red High play in the McLarnon rather than McCrory cup?
They have a large pool of players from some good senior clubs.
They often have multiple county minors & development squad members.

Surely they should be testing themselves against the best in Ulster rather than chasing B grade trophies?

Because they aren't at that standard. If they were, they'd win or at least challenge for it regularly.

[Hard2Listen2]

Why do the Red High play in the McLarnon rather than McCrory cup?
They have a large pool of players from some good senior clubs.
They often have multiple county minors & development squad members.

Surely they should be testing themselves against the best in Ulster rather than chasing B grade trophies?

Because they aren't at that standard. If they were, they'd win or at least challenge for it regularly.

They won it two years ago & make the later stages most seasons.

If, however, as you say they aren't at that standard, then why not given my points above?

[manwithnoplan]

Why do the Red High play in the McLarnon rather than McCrory cup?
They have a large pool of players from some good senior clubs.
They often have multiple county minors & development squad members.

Surely they should be testing themselves against the best in Ulster rather than chasing B grade trophies?

Because they aren't at that standard. If they were, they'd win or at least challenge for it regularly.

They won it two years ago & make the later stages most seasons.

If, however, as you say they aren't at that standard, then why not given my points above?

They won it in 2019, and in 2001. Not exactly a powerhouse at that level.

Drawing some players from good senior clubs doesn't automatically mean success. It requires an emphasis on coaching those players from 1st year onwards, aiming to have them compete at the higher end of the scale in the junior years before challenging at the top level in year 6/7. Some schools don't prioritise that as much as others, or they don't have the coaches in place throughout the age groups to allow a team to develop and compete as it moves up through the age groups in the school competitions. I'd suggest the Red High historically hasn't really put a huge emphasis on building an 'elite' sporting culture within the school, although the recent hurling success seemed to be down to a few years of good work and building towards what they ended up achieving. Just takes having the right people employed at the school who really want to drive it on, and who have the skills and knowledge to do so.