The GAA’s Central Competitions Controls Committee (CCCC) is expected to recommend the end of the use of water breaks ahead of the start of the Allianz Football League this weekend.

Water breaks were introduced in the early stages of the pandemic to allow players to drink from their own clearly marked bottle halfway through the first and second halves of games. But following the lifting of Covid restrictions last weekend, water breaks are set to go and 'maor uisces' will return.

The move will be welcomed by those who felt that water breaks were a 'momentum breaker' in games, while many coaches used the break in play to give team talks and make tactical changes.

2021 GAA Clubs Draw January 2022 RESULTS Draw 11

Congratulations to the winners in the January 2022 Draw

Club Winners (£200 each)
• Burren 21OL329 Michael Keenan
• Clonduff 21CL133 Eileen Hamill
• Kilclief 21KF037 Ciara & Brendan Breen
• Liatroim 16LM029 P D Doyle

Prize Winners (Draw 11 - 5 x £1,000)
• St Johns 21SJ474 Conor Braniff
• Burren 21OL489 Berni Carr
• St Pauls 21SP076 Frances Eastwood
• Newry Mitchels 21MS033 Martin Boyle
• Dromara 21DA060 John McNeill

BUY YOUR TICKET NOW ONLINE FOR THE 2022 DRAW
www.downgaa.net/clubsdraw2022

Round 1 of the Allianz Leagues will go on sale on Monday 24th January 2022 at 10am.

Tickets will be available to purchase online at www.gaa.ie/tickets or in selected Super Valu and Centra stores.

Ticket Prices:

Division 1 & 2 Football and Division 1A & 1B Hurling:
Adult: €15/£14
Juvenile (U16): No charge*
No concessions for Student/OAP

Div 3 & 4 Football & Division 2 & 3 Hurling:
Adult: €10/£9
Juvenile (U16): No charge*
No concessions for Student/OAP

*except for all-ticket or reserved fixtures where a €5 charge will apply e.g. Croke Park

Tickets will no longer be on sale at venues. All tickets need to be purchased in advance.

Season Ticket Holders

The GAA Season Tickets will be allocated on Monday (24 Jan) and all holders will be emailed to download their tickets.

Season Tickets are still on sale and renewals on-going. If you wish to purchase a season ticket click here.

Sales will close after the first round.

The following webinars may be of interest to club officers

Leading, Managing and Governing your Club
25th Jan @ 7.00pm
https://learning.gaa.ie/lms/course/view.php?id=10766
This module aims to cover the basics of leading, managing and governing a GAA …

Digital Communications 
1st Feb @ 7.00pm
https://learning.gaa.ie/lms/course/view.php?id=10767
This module will cover the digital aspects of communicating and marketing Club …

GAA Healthy Clubs 
2nd Feb @ 7.00pm
https://learning.gaa.ie/lms/course/view.php?id=10915
This module covers the GAA Healthy Club initiative. It will be an interactive session …

Fundraising, Commercial and Sponsorship
3rd Feb @ 7.00pm
https://learning.gaa.ie/lms/course/view.php?id=10768
This module aims to cover best practices for fundraising, commercial and …

Using IT to Simplify Club Administration
8th Feb @ 7.00pm
https://learning.gaa.ie/lms/course/view.php?id=10769
This module aims to cover best practices for using IT to simplify Club administration.

Operating Effectively as One Club
10th Feb @ 7.00pm
https://learning.gaa.ie/lms/course/view.php?id=10771
This module aims to cover best practices for operating as One Club

Congratulations to Kilcoo on reaching the AIB GAA Club Football Semi-Final!

Tickets available to purchase at: https://am.ticketmaster.com/gaa/stfinbarrskilcoo

Conor Laverty's Down U20 side will open up the defense of the 2021 Ulster title with a home game against Fermanagh.

Should Down overcome Fermanagh they will take on Tyrone in the Quarter Finals.

Full Draw

Preliminary Round:
Down v Fermanagh

Quarter Finals:
(1) Monaghan v Cavan;
(2) Derry v Antrim;
(3) Donegal v Armagh;
(4) Tyrone v Winner Down/Fermanagh

Semi Final:
Winner 1 v Winner 2;
Winner 3 v Winner 4

The draws have been made for the Ulster Minor Football Championships with Down meeting Fermanagh in the preliminary round.

The winners will play Donegal in the Quarter Finals.

FULL DRAW

Preliminary Round:
Fermanagh v Down

Quarter Finals:
(1) Tyrone v Cavan;
(2) Monaghan v Antrim;
(3) Armagh v Derry;
(4) Donegal v Winner Fermanagh/Down

Semi Final:
Winner 1 v Winner 2;
Winner 3 v Winner 4

Donegal left heart-broken by injury-time Down winner in Conor McGurk Cup

Micky McCann's side had the scent of victory in their nostrils only for Down to mount a late winning charge in Belfast

Gerry McLaughlin at the Dub Arena, Belfast

20 Jan 2022

It was sheer and utter cruel heartache as Donegal were denied a famous victory by a tremendous comeback from 14-man Down in the Conor McGurk Cup final.

Donegal 2-18           Down 1-22

And a last gasp free in the 72nd minute from Paul Sheehan gave Down thrilling victory over a gallant Donegal side who dominated most of the second half.

The Down fans and players could scarcely believe their luck as Antrim referee Cormac McCloskey did not give Donegal a chance to reply as he immediately blew time as Barney Lafferty rifled over what would have been a late leveller.

But Down certainly got out of jail as the Mourne men trailed by 2-17 to 0-18 three minutes from time. Enter super sub Marc Fisher who crashed a 21-metre free to the net and suddenly we had a game on. And even though Gerard Gilmore got another point for the gallant losers, Down were unstoppable as Fisher and Co went for the jugular.

Two goals in each half from Donegal’s man of the match Davin Flynn looked to have the Tir Conaill men to their first ever Conor McGurk Cup over 14 man Down on a greasy and bumpy Dub venue at Queen’s University in Belfast.

Fabulous Flynn struck with deadly effect in the 11th and 50th minutes as Donegal surged clear in the second half. But they were just not able to match Down in those final frenetic moments.

Down sprung from the traps like an electric hare and the wristy Paul Sheehan pointed after just seven seconds.That sharp start set the pattern for early Mourne dominance with two snappy points from the lively Oisin McManus and the burly Pearse Óg McCrickard after just three minutes.

Davin Flynn opened Donegal’s account in the sixth minute, and he and full-forward Ritchie Ryan had further points as Sheehan nudged Down into a 0-5 to 0-3 lead.

The impressive Pearse Óg McCrickard then angled over a fine point before Down struck a big roadblock in the 12th minute.

Centre back Caolan Taggart was given a straight red card after an incident with Ryan on the sideline. Undaunted, the Mourne men eased into a 0-7 to 0-3 lead thanks to the inevitable Sheehan.

But then Ronan McDermott won a ball in a ruck of Down players and found Flynn in clear space on goal. The ice cool ex-Tipp Intermediate star flicked the ball to the net to level the scores.

Donegal took the lead for the first time in the 25th minute through Conor Gartland and a fine effort from Josh Cronnolly McGee as they nosed ahead by 1-8 to 0-9.

But the Down men made light of their numerical disadvantage and were a bit unlucky to be only drawing with Donegal at the break on a score of 1-9 to 0-12.

Referee Ciaran McCloskey played a total of 42 minutes in this half as he blew up three minutes early and then we had four minutes of added time to the bemusement of some fans.

And it looked like Donegal had done enough for an historic victory as they led for 37 minutes until Fisher and Co finished a memorable night for the Mourne men.

It was so frustrating for Mickey McCann’s men as they controlled most of the second half until Fisher’s late goal from a free that sparked a remarkable comeback from Down.

But Mickey McCann and Co can take mighty positives as they clearly showed they can mix it with the very best. And, for them, the very best could yet be to come.

Down: Stephen Keith; Conor Cassidy, John McManus, Matt Conlon; Barry Trainor (0-3) Caolan Teggart, Liam Savage; Donal Hughes, Jordan Doran (0-1); P J Davidson (0-1) Ruairi McCrickard, Paul Sheehan (0-10, 7f) Oisin McManus (0-2) Eoghan Sands, Pearse Óg McCrickard (0-1). Sub: Daithi Sands for R McCrickard (30), Marc Fisher (1-3) for PJ Davidson (38), Ryan McCusker for O McManus and Chris Egan (0-1) for J Doran (51), Niall Fitzsimmons for E Sands (71)

Donegal: Luke White; Brian McIntyre (0-1) Stephen Gillespie, Padraig Doherty; Sean McVeigh, Gavin Browne, Jack O’Loughlin; Micahel Donoghue, Conor Gartland (0-1); Gerard Gilmore, Bernard Laffferty, Ronan McDermott (0-1); Josh Cronnolly McGee (0-2) Ritchie Ryan (0-8f), Davin Flynn (2-5, 1f). Subs; Christopher McDermott for Jack O’Loughlin (27), R Hilferty for J Cronnolly-McGee (60).

Referee: Ciaran McCloskey (Antrim)