Down GAA Strategic Planning Exercise 2023-26
https://forms.office.com/r/vc5SbMeBYp

A chairde,

I want to take this opportunity to introduce a very important exercise that Down GAA has embarked upon. The time is now right for the development of a Strategic Plan (2023-2026) for the county, one that can provide a guide as we move forward and articulate a vision and plan for the next few years and beyond.

I have set up a strategic planning group that has been charged with producing an ambitious and targeted plan that aims to sustain, grow and enhance our association in Down.

A Strategic Plan has to be relevant for everyone - clubs, members, supporters, teams, officers.  Consultation and engagement with our clubs and members is vital in shaping a realistic and meaningful plan for us all.

As part of the consultation process the planning group will be hosting a number of regional workshops through which Clubs will be able to inform and influence the content of the strategic plan. Details of the workshop have already been shared with Clubs.

In addition, Clubs and members and other stakeholders are encouraged to complete a survey setting out what they see as the key challenges and areas of focus in any new strategic plan.  See link below

I encourage all Clubs and members to use this opportunity to get involved and support the planning group in shaping an ambitious plan that will transform what we do and how do things across the County.

Is mise le meas,

John Devaney

Seán Ó Duibheannaigh

Cathaoirleach
Cumann Lúthchleas Gael an Dúin        

Down GAA Strategic Planning Exercise 2023-26
https://forms.office.com/r/vc5SbMeBYp

Junior, intermediate and senior semi-finals all live

Is there a more dramatic championship in the country than the Down SFC? If there is, our hearts don’t need to know about it!

Last weekend was a thrill a minute stuff, with two penalty shootouts needed to find a winner in two of the quarter-finals. We can only hope for more of the same this weekend, with both senior semi-finals live on Sunday courtesy of Down GAA TV.

At 3pm unbeaten Loughinisland face Warrenpoint once more. The two clubs met in Round 2, with Loughinisland emerging victorious by three points. Warrenpoint have recovered with victories over Saul and then last Monday’s epic penalty shootout win over 2021 finalists Burren. They’ll be hoping to build on that to reach their first final since 2019. Their opponents were there ten years previous to that, losing to Kilcoo as well. Which one of these will take the penultimate step and reach the edge of county glory in 2022?

Once the dust has settled on that clash, it will be time for Kilcoo against Mayobridge at 7.15pm. Kilcoo had a major scare last weekend in their attempt to defend their county, provincial and All-Ireland titles. They needed penalties to get over Clonduff at Páirc Esler. Champions get it done and they’re still in the mix. Mayobridge are the next side to try their luck at dethroning the Magpies. They’ve bounced back superbly from a Round 1 defeat and three wins on the trot see them within a first final since 2012. Sunday promises to be an eventful one and the bundle for those two games, as well as an added junior game, costs £14.

Before all the Sunday action, the contestants of the Down IFC and JFC need to be ironed out. On Friday night at 7.15pm Rostrevor and Liatroim will contest the first semi-final. In the other last 4 game, Saval will battle St John’s at 5pm on Saturday. Both these intermediate games will be live on Down GAA TV as well.

That’s not all though, the junior semi-finals will also be available over the coming weekend. The first one taking place at 2pm on Saturday, with East Belfast and Dromara meeting. Ardglass and Teconnaught get a busy Sunday underway at 2pm in the other semi-final.

Each individual game is available for £8, as previously mentioned the Sunday bundle is costing £14, with all 6 games costing £24 in a bundle. 

www.downgaa.tv

Congratulations to the winners in September Super Draw

£5000 winner

• Bredagh 20BH227 Bernard Hanna

5 x £2,000 winners

• St John’s 22SJ035 James English
• Warrenpoint 22CPN078 Selina Murphy
• Castlewellan 22CN114 Declan Smyth
• Mayobridge 16ME072 Kealan Lynchehaun
• Drumgath 22DH054 Rebecca, Sean & Anna O’Neill

5 x £1000 winners

• Kilcoo 22KO110 Danny Fettes
• Aughlisnafin 22AN011 Susan McGeown
• Liatroim 22LM120 Aimee McAleenan
• Burren 22BU421 Jane Knox
• Burren 19BU490 Ann Cunningham

2022 Down GAA Clubs Draw - September 2022 RESULTS –

Congratulations to the winners in September Draw

Club Winners (£200 each)

• Ballyholland 22BS023 Colm McAteer
• Bredagh 22BH410 David Taggart
• Liatroim 22LM311 Conor O’Higgins
• Rostrevor 22RR229 St Bronagh’s GAC

Prize Winners (Draw 6 - 5 x £1,000)

• Saval 22SA121 Jemma Quinn
• Saul 22SL133 Ruairi Murphy
• Liatroim 20LM257 Thomas Rice
• Ballymartin 22BN053 Jordan Fitzpatrick
• RGU Downpatrick 22DK309 Peter Kelly

Weekend Hurling Finals  Preview

U13 Shield: Clonduff vs Portaferry (Kilclief, Sat 1pm)

U13 Cup: Castlewellan vs Carryduff (Kilclief, Sat 3pm)

MHC: Bredagh vs Ballygalget (Drumaness, Sat 3pm)

Betsy Gray Shield: Bredagh vs Carryduff (Darragh Cross, Sun 4:30pm)

This weekend sees the culmination of four of our Hurling finals. Saturday will see three finals decided with the U13 Shield & Cup finals double header in Kilclief from 1pm, with the Shield being contested between Portaferry & Clonduff followed with Castlewellan taking on Carryduff in the U13 Cup at 3pm.

The MHC Final promises to be a close encounter with Portaferry taking on parish rivals Ballygalget in Drumaness at 3pm, to complete the days Hurling.

Then on Sunday we have the final of the Betsy Grey Shield with south Belfast neighbours Bredagh & Carryduff challenging for the honours at 4:30pm in Darragh Cross.

Weekend Preview

This weekend sees Round 3 of the Down Senior and Intermediate football championships as teams who have lost once compete to progress to the quarter final stages.

There are also relegation play offs with sides who have lost their opening two games battling to retain their status in their respective championships.

On Friday night Glenn take on Castlewellan in the weekend’s opening game in Ballymartin. This promises to be a competitive game between two teams who will ply their trade in Division Two of the league next season and the game will be broadcast live on DownGAATV

On Saturday there is the sole Junior Football offering of the weekend as Glasdrumman take on Kilclief while the afternoon sees three Parador Lodge Intermediate Football Championship fixtures with Annaclone playing Atticall, Newry Shamrocks facing Tullylish and Liatroim taking on Clann Na Banna.

On Sunday afternoon at 1pm the two relegation semi finals for the Morgan Fuels Senior Football championship take place with Bryansford and Longstone facing off and An Riocht playing Bredagh in the other game.

At the same time the Intermediate relegation games will also take place which are St Paul’s vs Darragh Cross and St John Bosco vs Bright.

Later on Sunday the action comes from the Morgan Fuels Senior championship once more in a double header available on Down GAA TV with Mayobridge vs Downpatrick at 3:00pm and Clonduff playing Ballyholland at 5:00pm.

The action concludes on Monday night in the intermediate championship with Aughlisnafin vs Ballymartin and the Senior tie between Saul and Warrenpoint.

The full list of fixtures, times and venues is on the Down GAA website

Remaining games of Round 2

Sunday’s weather dictated that the games played would be unlikely to resemble what we recognise as championship football. Nevertheless, all those tasked with playing went out and battled the conditions as well as their opponents. In the Morgan Fuels Senior Football Championship Castlewellan overcame Bredagh 2-7 - 1-3. Rory Burns’ goal had given the Town a five point first half lead but against the wind Sean Blayney goaled for Bredagh and the half time score was 1-4 - 1-0 for Castlewellan.
A goal in the second half from Rossa McCartan left Castlewellan more comfortable and Gareth McKibben was on fine point scoring form. A late rally of three points from Bredagh wasn’t enough to help them force a way back into the game.

In Newcastle later in the evening conditions worsened further and Downpatrick and Burren were deadlocked at 0-1 each with fifteen minutes to play. Ultimately it was goals from Ryan Treanor and Ryan Magill that edged Burren to victory.

In the Parador Lodge Intermediate Championship Saval overcame a stubborn Tullylish. In the end it was 2-14 - 1-5 but at half time it was just 1-6 - 1-3. Special mention goes to Reece McInerney who scored Tullylish’s entire 1-5 (and sits on a very impressive 1-14 from his two championship appearances so far this season).

Aughlisnafin ultimately overcame St Paul’s in a game that, for long periods, looked destined for extra time. At half
time they were level (1-2 - 0-5), Fearghal Eastwood scoring the St Paul’s goal and they were still deadlocked nearing injury time but the ‘fin found the late points to win it with Adam Garland especially impressive finishing with a personal tally of 0-8 as Aughlisnafin battled to a 0-12 - 1-7 victory

There were three Down club football Championship games on Monday evening to conclude Round 2 of the Senior and Intermediate Championships.

In the Parador Lodge Intermediate Championship there was an impressive two point win for St John’s, Drumnaquoile over Ballymartin. Eoin Moag continued his goalscoring form from the first round while Chris McKay notched 0-7 in the victory.

Annaclone overcame a stubborn St John Bosco side 2-7 - 0-9. Again, Bosco struggled to get the scores that could have got them over the line and it was Annaclone’s ruthless streak that propelled them to success.

In the Morgan Fuels Senior Championship Kilcoo survived a slow start to ultimately triumph by 11 points against Ballyholland. The Harps flew out of the blocks and played their way to a 0-4 - 0-1 lead but penalties from Jerome Johnston either side of half time swung the game in Kilcoo’s favour while Ryan Johnston also netted a late goal to make things comfortable for the Magpies and take them straight through to the quarter final.

There was plenty of championship action on Saturday Across the Parador Lodge Intermediate Championship with Glenn and Carryduff the offering from the Morgan Fuels Senior Football Championship.

In the warly afternoon games there were comfortable wins for Drumgath over Atticall and Newry Shamrocks over Bright. An early goal gave the ‘Gath a platform to build from and midway through the first half they assumed control, leading by seven. Three points before half time helped Atticall stay in touch, though their best score was undoubtedly a superb Rian Cunningham effort, but in the second half Drumgath exerted their superiority, two goals from Ryan McCusker helping them to a ten point win in the end.
Shamrocks were always comfortable against Bright and Jack Haughey was the star of the show netting four times as he helped his side to a 6-16 - 0-08 win.

In the evening game in the Parador Lodge Intermediate Championship Darragh Cross and Liatroim went the whole way to penalties. In a game that ebbed and flowed both ways there was no shortage of drama. In extra time it took a last gasp Eoin McCrickard free to send the game to a shootout which the Fontenoys then edged 4-3 after seven penalties each were taken.

In the Morgan Fuels Senior championship two goals in the first twenty minutes propoelled Carryduff on their way and even the incessant scoring of Joe Sands wasn’t enough to haul Glenn back into the game. Carryduff sealed the deal with a third goal, scored by Owen McCabe, in stoppage time as they went on to win 3-9 - 0-8