Coiste Chontae an Dúin and the family that is Down GAA are saddened to learn of the death of Kenny Bailie. Kenny was a man who gave good service to his Club Bryansford and to Down over many years. As a player he won two Ulster Club and six County Championship medals with Bryansford and played an active role in Club Activities over the years. Kenny was a member of the County Finance Committee for many years and was one of the loyal team of Gate men for both the late Billy Byrne and Hugh John Harper, in 1999 Kenny was a valued member of Gerry Dougherty's backroom team as Down Minors won the All Ireland Title. He was a very proud man too when his son Gareth was a member of the All Ireland winning squad of 1994.

We extend our sympathies to his wife Sheila, his children Gareth, Alan, David and Nadine, his sister Jeanette,  his grandchildren and the extended family circle. To the Gaels of Bryansford we also offer our condolences on the passing of a man who made a valuable contribution to your Club over the decades.

Kenny’s remains will repose at his late residence 6 Forest Park View, Castlewellan.

Funeral Mass Monday 27th November at Our Lady of the Assumption Church Newcastle at 12 noon, followed by burial in St Patrick’s Cemetery Bryansford.

Mary Queen of the Gael pray for him.

2023 Down GAA Clubs Draw
- November 2023 RESULTS –

Congratulations to the winners in the November Draw

Club Winners (£200 each)
• Ballygalget 23BG038 Gary Hamilton
• Burren 18BU206 Michelle Rooney
• Kilclief 23KF029 Gavin Milligan
• Teconnaught 20TT022 TP & MA Dagens

Prize Winners (Draw 8 - 5 x £1,000)
• Liatroim 23LM005 Joseph Malone
• Annaclone 23AE049 Siobhan McGovern
• Bryansford 20BD243 Sarah Dougherty
• An Riocht 15AR071 Michael Shiels
• Mayobridge 23ME068 Paddy Garvey

Coiste Chontae an Dúin and the family that is Down GAA are in mourning today as we learned of the sudden death of our esteemed friend and colleague Sean McCashin. Sean was our Ulster Council Delegate, PRO of the East Down Committee,  he was a Referee and he was the assistant secretary of the Down County Committee of the LGFA. Most Important though he was husband to Annette and a much loved father, grandfather and brother. To his wife and family we offer our deepest and heartfelt sympathy.

Seán McCashin was one of those people who just wanted to serve the GAA to the very best of his abilities, for him Ballykinlar and Down were his outlet in life and he wanted only to be involved, no task was ever too small for Seán, and once asked to take on any role or responsibility, you could be sure that Sean would deliver.  We are lucky that there are people who only want to give their all for our Association and Sean McCashin was one such person, he gave of his time willingly to any task and in doing so he helped make a difference for those whom he encountered.

Seán's first love was Ballykinlar and it was here where he continued the family link with the GAA, as a player and as an administrator, as a Team Selector when the Club won the Junior Championship in 1995 and as a scór competitor when to ensure participation by the Club he featured in a two person novelty act with his good friend James Magennis. Serving his Club in nearly every role possible, Sean strove to ensure that in dark days the Club would still remain in existence, he genuinely cared and it was his hope too that in the not too distant future the Club would once again field in its own right.

Having served as an Administrator with his Club, it was only natural that Seán would then gravitate towards the East Down Committee and it was his proud achievement that he held every post possible on the East Down Committee, he was currently the PRO of the Committee, having in the past held every Officership, including Runai for many years before the five year rule was introduced. As the time of the Divisional Committees comes now to an end, Seán McCashin was to the fore in recent weeks ensuring that the Clubs received a dividend back from the East Down Committee. Sean McCashin was the man most identified with East Down, he championed the cause of East Down and its feeder Clubs and he worked tirelessly to ensure the betterment of Gaelic Games across the East of the County.

At County level, Sean represented East Down on County Committee and also served as County Youth Officer for a period, before becoming Down delegate to Ulster Council alongside Seán Rooney, indeed on Friday evening past Sean was acting as a member of an Ulster Hearings Committee, hearing a case online and sharing with the committee his many years of experience, and at all times wanting to ensure fairness. Sean served too on County Sub Committees and was always willing to assist at events, always willing to assist with a presentation or to take on any role that needed to be filled. You see Seán McCashin was one of those people who made things happen, in the past week he gave of his time to assist the pupils of St Patricks Grammar School in their organisation of the Year 8 Blitz, by being available to Referee, Seán recruited other referees to help him and the Blitz was a great success, for when Seán asked you to do something it was impossible to say no.

Seán had taken up refereeing in recent years and he was really enjoying the role, he enjoyed the craic with players and mentors, and at Underage games he loved the opportunity to encourage young players and for him as a referee, he was only the facilitator to let two teams play football, he would have gone at short notice to a venue, even when it might not have suited, because he did not want to disappoint thirty young boys or girls who might not get a game if no referee was there.

Seán McCashin loved Down GAA and its teams, he followed the footballers and the hurlers and he was one of the first people you would meet at a venue anywhere in Ireland, he had also filled the role of driver for County Minor Squads and always ensuring that the young players in his care were dropped back to the door and witing to be sure that they got in the door. Seán had a word for everyone and in terms of Integration, he was ahead of his time,  for he held roles on the two County Boards, his Ulster Council role on County Committee as well as being the Assistant Secretary of the Ladies County Committee, for in truth Sean just want to serve, he loved the GAA and all its facets and he just simply wanted to be involved.

We in Down GAA, will miss him, we were lucky to have had him in our ranks and we know that he made a difference to many in the simple things that he did, for Seán McCashin it was never about the plaudits, it was about doing the wee things and doing them right, helping someone on the way and having the craic with people that he met in the world that he loved, the world of the GAA. We say Thank You for Sean McCashin and the role that he played within our Association, we are the better for having had him amongst us.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam

Coiste Chontae an Dúin and the family that is Down GAA are saddened today to learn of the death of Anthony Williamson,  our former County Chairperson and a man who gave great service to Club and County over the decades.

Credited nationally as being the man along with Derry Gowan of Cor who devised a structure for what was described as " An All Ireland Inter-Club winter social activity" . Asked by the then Uachtaran Seamas Uí Riain to devise such a structure, Anthony and Derry worked long hours to produce a programme in 1969 which would become known as Scór Seachto. 

The concept had been born in the parish of Ballela when the Rostrevor Club visited one evening for a Quiz followed by a cup of Tea, great craic and a sing song, out of that grew Scor a facet of our Association that has given pleasure to many over the past 54 years. Anthony  was conscious that we needed something more beyond playing our games, he wanted to develop the GAA socially and he wanted to give an outlet to those who wanted to be an active part of the GAA even if their playing days were over or in some cases might never have started. 

He had that vision and in creating that vision he was very much hands on, for  back in 1967 when the South Down Committee had initiated a Quiz competition, Anthony was on the three man organising committee with Barney Carr and Father Davies and on the night of the Final between Rostrevor and Warrenpoint, Anthony was the Time-Keeper, Barney the Question Master and Fr Davies the Score Keeper. 

On the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of Scór, Anthony was recognised, Provincially and Nationally for his outstanding contribution, that contribution had made a difference to the lives of many, the GAA through the creation of Scór,  was inclusive and playing a key part in the protection of Irish Culture and Heritage. Anthony Williamson brought energy, passion and determination to the development of Scór and it is testimony to his good work that Scór is still vibrant within the GAA Community today.

Having served as a member of the South Down Committee and having held office in his own Club, Anthony followed his fellow Rostrevor man the late George Tinnelly,  when in 1974 he became County Chairman for the first time defeating the late Harry McEvoy in a close contest. 

Anthony would serve three years as County Chairman and during that time he would oversee the delegation of administrative affairs within the County to a number of subcommittees, into being came, Activities, Development and Grounds and Finance committees all with clearly defined terms of reference, it would take time for the structures to come to fruition but Anthony Williamson as County Chairperson had sown the seeds. 

In 1976 he had the great honour of presenting the Frank O'Hare Cup to his beloved Rostrevor when they overcame Warrenpoint in the Senior Championship Final and on that day in St Patricks Park, there was no prouder man than Anthony Williamson.

1980 would see Anthony return as County Chairperson taking over from Benny Crawford and in the spring of 1980, Anthony as County Chairperson would welcome delegates to GAA Congress in Newcastle, when he would also have the double honour of welcoming his fellow county man Paddy McFlynn as incoming GAA President.

 In welcoming the delegates to County Down, Anthony Williamson stated his  wish to demonstrate that from the heart of St Patrick's Country we could say with conviction and sincerity that the GAA wished to serve all of the people of our Island, this was so true of Anthony Williamson, for he sought only to serve, to give of his best at all times, for his Club Rostrevor, his County, his Community and to try where he could to make a difference to the lives of those he encountered. 

Anthony would only serve the one year as County Chairperson in his second term, in that one year he continued to be a fair and honest County Chairperson, he ensured that voices were heard and that all carried equal weight, he had tough decisions to make,  but he never shirked from making those tough calls, only ever governed by the question was it right for Down. 

We in Down GAA were privileged to have Anthony Williamson as one of our own, he was a man who espoused the volunteer ethos of the GAA, he sought only for the betterment of others, and he did make a difference in the lives of others through his work in the GAA. 

We offer our deepest and heartfelt sympathy to his family, to Siobhan, Fiona, Tony, Bronagh, Catherine and the late Geraldine, his grandchildren and his sister Eileen and brother Michael, to the Gaels of Rostrevor we also offer our condolences on the passing of a man who gave great service to his Club.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis

Coiste Chontae an Dúin and the family that is Down GAA are saddened to learn of the death of June Coulter of Ballygalget. 

 We offer our deepest sympathy to her sons, Paul, Barry and Liam, daughters in law and grandchildren on the loss of a much loved mother and grandmother. We remember too at this time her late husband Willie, the Coulter family gave great service to Down and to Ballygalget over the generations and we offer our condolences to the entire family circle and the Gaels of Ballygalget on this sad occasion.

Four Down men were named in the 2023 Tailteann Cup team of the year.

Down captain and Saul player Pierce Laverty was named at number three, with Burren's Danny Magill named at wing-back.

Odhran Murdock was named in midfield with another Burren player Liam Kerr selected in the forward line.

The awards were presented at a gala black-tie function in Croke Park on Friday night.

Tailteann Cup Team of the Year 2023

1 Seán Brennan (Meath)
2 Adam O’Neill (Meath)
3 Pierce Laverty (Down)
4 Padraig Faulkner (Cavan)
5 Donal Keogan (Meath)
6 Padraic Harnan (Meath)
7 Danny Magill (Down)
8 Odhran Murdock (Down)
9 Conor Gray (Meath)
10 Jack Flynn (Meath)
11 Ross Dunphy (Carlow)
12 Liam Kerr (Down)
13 Jordan Morris (Meath)
14 Mathew Costello (Meath)
15 Ruairí McCann – (Antrim) St Mary’s

2023 Down GAA Clubs Draw - October 2023 RESULTS

– Congratulations to the winners in the October Draw

Club Winners (£200 each)
• Aughlisnafin 23OL260 Paschal Dolan
• Ballyholland 23BS055 Anthony McNamee
• Glenn 23GL032 Joe Sands
• St John’s 23SJ257 Brian McCann

Prize Winners (Draw 7 - 5 x £1,000)
• Mitchels 23MS022 Guiseppe Fallone
• Glasdrumman 23GN086 Declan Grant
• Clonduff 23CL255 Emma, Grace & Joe Gribben
• Atticall 23OL336 John Murnion
• Bredagh 22BH373 Peter Wright