On November 2nd we will host the County Dinner in the Canal Court Hotel Newry. The guests of honour will be the players and Management of our All Ireland winning team of 1968. The Dinner gives everyone in the County the opportunity to salute the achievements of the men of 1968 who fifty years ago brought  the National League, the Sam Maguire and the St Brendan Cup back to the County. You will have the opportunity to relive the stories of 1968 on the night and see footage of some of the games of that year as we make a presentation to the players and management. 

On the night too we will acknowledge the outstanding Club and County players of 2018 in football and hurling as we introduce the Ulster Bank Down GAA Club Awards. We will announce too the referee of the year as well the Hall of Fame and Club of the Year all in association with Ulster Bank.

This is a night for the Gaels of Down to come together, to acknowledge our heroes of 1968 and to pay tribute to the next generation of Club and County players. This is the Down GAA night of the Year.

Tables of 10 are £350.00 or Tickets or £40.00 each and already a number of tables have been reserved. To ensure that your Club is represented on the night please contact any of the County Officers or the County Office directly.
 

Club Leadership Development Programme – Club AGM Module
 Pre AGM Training

GAA Club Chairpersons and Secretaries are invited to attend a workshop on how to properly organise and hold their Annual General Meeting in the Burrendale Hotel, Newcastle, on 16th October 2018 at 7.30 pm.

Organised by the GAA’s National Officer Development Committee in conjunction with the Down County Board, the workshop will help clubs to run an effective AGM, in compliance with the rules and guidelines set down in the GAA’s Official Guide and Club Constitution.

Topics covered will include:
• Properly preparing for an AGM;
• Being familiar with the rules covering a Club AGM (including nominations, quorum, voting and elections);
• Getting some tips on how to keep a Club AGM on agenda and running smoothly;
• Be able to start considering what the post-AGM actions are.

The Annual General Meeting is an important event in a GAA Club’s calendar and should incorporate a review of the work and club activity of the previous year, an analysis of financial statements, the election and / or appointment of Club Officers and Executive Committee Members, and a discussion among members on Club and Association policies.

For more information, please contact Willie Gribben the Down County Development Officer on:
• Email: developmentofficer.down@gaa.ie
• Telephone: O7742 375413

Meeting of Club Treasurers

Can you please forward this to your Club Treasurer, this workshop will take place alongside the Pre AGM Workshop in the Burrendale Hotel next Tuesday night 16th October.
 
In advance of the Club Governance & Finance workshop please find attached the following information to be shared with all Club Treasurers:
 
Accounts Presentation
The Club Accounts Template attached provides the layout proposed for use to prepare Club accounts for the year ended 31/10/2018. Its completion will provide a document to be presented at the Club AGM and submitted to the county board.
 
Club Governance
The workshop will also consider all areas of club governance and attached is the Club Internal Financial Procedures Manual and an example Club Risk Register which will both be discussed in detail at the event.
 
The complete Clár is attached and it is anticipated the event will last approximately one hour. If you have any further queries please contact Ciaran McLaughlin (Treasurer.ulster@gaa.ie) or Ruairi Cunningham (ruairi.cunningham.ulster@gaa.ie).
 

There will be an end of season wrap up session with the players on the Down u15 ETS Football Squad on Saturday, 13th October 2018. All members of the squad and their parents / guardians are asked to attend the session in the Abbey CBS which will commence at 9.30am sharp.

Players are asked to come in their ETS / Mourne Academy gear.

ession in the Abbey CBS which will commence at 9.30am sharp.

Players are asked to come in their ETS / Mourne Academy gear.

Down to open up 2019 Ulster campaign with Armagh game

Paddy Tally’s Down side will welcome Kieran McGeeney’s Armagh to Newry after drawing them in tonights 2019 Ulster Championship Draw.

Here are the draws in full:
 
Ulster SFC draw:

Preliminary round
Tyrone v Derry

Quarter-finals
Antrim v Tyrone/Derry
Cavan v Monaghan
Down v Armagh
Fermanagh v Donegal

Semi-finals
Antrim/Tyrone/Derry v Fermanagh/Donegal
Cavan/Monaghan v Down/Armagh

Christy Ring Cup 2019 Draw

• Two groups of four teams.
• Group games to be played on a ‘round-robin’ basis. • The top two teams in each group shall quality for the Semi-Finals, in which the winners of each group shall play the runners-up of the other group.
• The winner of the Christy Ring Cup shall be promoted to the Joe McDonagh Cup.
• The bottom team in each group shall play off and the loser shall be relegated to the Nicky Rackard Cup.
• Venues for all Finals, Semi-Finals and Relegation Play-Offs shall be determined by the Central Competitions Control Committee.

Group 1: Donegal, Wicklow, Down, Derry
Group 2: Roscommon, Kildare, Meath, London

Fixtures

Round 1
Donegal v Wicklow
Down v Derry
Roscommon v Kildare
Meath v London

Round 2
Derry v Donegal
Wicklow v Down
London v Roscommon
Kildare v Meath

Round 3
Donegal v Down
Derry v Wicklow
Roscommon v Meath
London v Kildare