Congratulations to the winners in the May Draw

Club Winners (£200 each)

• Ballymartin    23BN090 Anne M Cunningham
• Drumaness    23OL108 Tom Potter
• Portaferry    23PY032 Portaferry GAC
• Tullylish        23TH046 Chris McGovern

Prize Winners (Draw 1 - 5 x £1,000)

1          23CL026       Z Brannagan

2          22SL058       Paul Fitzsimmons

3          23BH172      Shane McKinney

4          23TH232      Seamus McDermott        

5          23BD229      James MCAlinden

Coiste Chontae an Dúin and the family that is Down are saddened to learn of the death of Bridie Harper, wife of our past Treasurer, the late Hugh John. Over the years callers to the Harper House on GAA business would have got to know Bridie, a gentle and lovely lady, who made everyone welcome and played her part in ensuring that Clubs were catered for with the provision of hurls and helmets and a range of equipment.

For Bridie, nothing seemed to be any bother and now we trust she is reunited with Hugh John and their beloved son Feargal.  

On behalf of the Gaels of Down, We extend our deepest sympathy to Grainne,Edel,Laurine,Shauna,Eithne and Eoin on the loss of a much loved mother.

Funeral Arrangements.

HARPER (née Rafferty)-(Mourne View, Hilltown) 21st May 2023, Bridie. Peacefully at Craigavon Area Hospital surrounded by her loving family.

Much loved wife of the late Hugh-John, loving mother of Grainne, Edel, Laurine, Shauna, Eithne, Eoin and the late Feargal, loving mother-in-law of Aidan, Michael and Gerry, devoted granny of Padraig, Sarah, Oisin, Aoife, Caitlin, Zivah and Taíne and loving sister of Joe and the late Kevin and Mary-Margaret.

Bridie’s remains will leave her late residence, 8 Mourne View, Hilltown on Wednesday at 11.30am for 12.00noon Requiem Mass in the Church of St John the Evangelist, Ballymaghery, Hilltown. Burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery.

St Martin pray for her.
 

Deeply regretted by her sorrowing daughters, son, grandchildren, brother, sons-in-laws, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nephews, nieces and the entire family circle.

By Elaine Ingram at FBD Semple Stadium
RTÉ Sport reporter

Down did what they had to do in Semple Stadium on Sunday, with a comfortable victory over Tipperary that guarantees them a place in the next round and the potential to top the group.

Tipperary were desperate to reverse their woeful fortunes this season and pick up their first win of the year, but couldn't raise their game for the curtain-raiser for the Tipperary v Limerick SHC clash at Semple Stadium.

The Premier County lined up as per programme, while for Down Conor Laverty gave John O’Hare his championship debut in nets. Wides at both ends heralded a pedestrian first half with the six minutes first-half stoppage time reflecting a stop-start encounter where neither side showed any great flair.

There were moments of beauty, one such saw Down’s Ryan McEvoy deliver an inch-perfect cross for Pat Havern, who picked it up perfectly at the far side of the square, but the Saval player finished wide of the posts.  That was at the end of the first 35 , when Down led 0-8 to 0-2. Five of those scores came from frees, four scored by Havern.

Tipperary led 0-02 to 0-01 after 10 minutes with Sean O’Connor and Luke Kennedy pointing. That was as good as it got for the home side however as they were held to that until 39 minutes when Kennedy scored their third point. Traded scores in stoppage time between Ceilum Doherty and Kennedy from a free gave Down an 0-9 to 0-4 half-time lead.

Tipperary’s day was just about summed up early in the second half when they missed a penalty and Down scored a maximum. The Mournemen led 0-11 to 0-05 on 40 minutes when O’Connor was through for goal and was pulled down. Referee Thomas Murphy awarded a penalty that Kevin Fahey blazed wide.  Three minutes later Shealan Johnston picked up a pass at the other end and calmly picked his spot and rolled the ball into the net.

That signalled the end for Tipp with horns beginning to echo around the ground as it began to fill up for the main event.  Down continued to rack up the points and led 1-16 to 0-6 on 58 minutes when classy Burren player Odhran Murdock added a second goal.

The clock wound Down with the finishing score reading 2-18 to 0-6, the trip to Tipp well worth the effort.  Tipperary can only hope now that they beat Waterford in their final group match in a couple of weeks’ time, while Down will be aiming to top the group when they take on Meath in two weeks time.

Tipperary: Micheal O’Reilly; Shane O’Connell, Jimmy Feehan, Willie Eviston; Kevin Fahey, Colm O’Shaughnessy, Colman Kennedy; Paudie Feehan, Connall Kennedy; Emmett Moloney, Jack Kennedy, (0-04, 01f) Luke Boland; Mark Russell, Stephen Quirke, Sean O’Connor (0-02)

Subs: Teddy Doyle for Feehan h-t, James Morris for C Kennedy 48, Mikey O’Shea for Quirke 55, Donough Leahy for O’Shaughnessy 56, Dean Carew for Moloney 59,

Down: John O’Hare; Finn McElroy, Pierce Laverty, Anthony Doherty; Conor Francis (0-1), Gerard Collins, Patrick Branagan; Daniel Guinness, Pat Havern (0-06, 05f); Miceal Rooney, Ryan Johnston (0-01), Odhran Murdock (1-00); Andrew Gilmore (0-01,f), Ruairi O’Hare, Ceilum Doherty (0-02)

Subs: Shealan Johnston (1-01,f) for O’Hare 32, Donach McAleenan for Gilmore 32, Danny Magill (0-03) for Guinness 35+3, Ross Carr (0-01) for McElroy 46, Eamon Brown (0-02,02f) for Havern 56

Referee: Thomas Murphy (Galway)

Down travel to Tipperary for the second time this year as they search for their second win in the group stage of the Tailteann Cup.

Having overcome Waterford with a relative degree of comfort in the end in Newry another victory this week would mathematically ensure qualification and mean the final group game against Meath would be primarily to determine group placings.

Earlier this year Down went to Tipperary in the opening game of the Allianz League and came away with a three point win on a final scoreline of 2-11 - 1-11. After controlling the first half Down led by seven at the break that night but Tipperary refused to lie down and could have taken something from the game in the end. Pat Havern top scored for Down that night with 1-4 and he also registered 0-5 last weekend in Down’s win over Waterford.

The indications from last week suggest that Conor Laverty will be giving a number of players chances to prove themselves in this competition and Sunday’s game presents another opportunity for players to show what they are capable of.

Tipperary were beaten by Meath last Saturday (1-19 - 0-11) with only two of their starting forwardline registering on the scoresheet. After a tight first half hour Meath were able to pull away and ultimately proved far too strong for Tipp. Down will be hoping they can achieve a similar result against the Premier County this time out.

Coiste Chontae an Dúin and the family that is Down GAA are saddened to learn of the death our former county footballer Marty Lynch.

Marty fought a courageous fight against motor neurone disease, and we had been delighted when he joined us a few short weeks ago at Páirc Esler when Down defeated Donegal in the Ulster Senior Championship.

Marty grew up as one of the outstanding players on a golden generation of Mitchels underage teams, ironically defeated for the first and only occasion by Newry Shamrocks in the County Minor Final of 1981.

Marty would go on to captain Down to win the Ulster Under 21 title in Centenary Year. Indeed when the game was going against Down 'it was their inspirational captain Martin Lynch at centre half back who drove his team forward'. Cork would win in the All-Ireland semi-final, but Marty Lynch would also make his senior debut in the Ulster championship of 1984 and play Senior Championship again in 1985.

Marty gave his heart and soul to every game that he played, for Newry Mitchels or in later time for St John Bosco. For Marty, every game had to be played with intensity, passion and a desire to win.

A man taken to soon from us, he wore his heart on his sleeve as a proud Down man. 

We extend our deepest and heartfelt sympathies to his wife Rosaleen, sons Kenneth and Ryan, his grandchildren and wider family. We think too of the Gaels of Newry Mitchels and St John Bosco at this sad time.

Kildare 1-27 Down 3-13

Down ensured that they will be playing in the Joe McDonagh Cup next season again after they preserved their status with a 1-27 to 3-13 victory away to a Kildare side who drop to the Christy Ring Cup as a result of this defeat.

Down 2-14 Waterford 1-6

Joe McDonagh Cup - Sunday 7 May 2023

A general view of McKenna Park, Ballycran. Photo by Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile 

By Dan Bannon at Ballycran

Carlow goalkeeper Brian Tracey was exceptional in their 13 point win over Down in the penultimate round of the Joe McDonagh Cup. The Naomh Eoin man was sensational at times with a several top drawer saves in either half and a stunning penalty save to boot.

With Tracey in sparkling form, his forwards did more than their due diligence at the other end with a ruthless approach to proceedings. With an All-Ireland hurling championship place in their grasp, Carlow grabbed it fully.

With one more round to play, Down still have a lifeline down the bottom with a shootout with winless Kildare next Saturday. Ronan Sheehan’s side will take some positives from the defeat.

Carlow's Conor Kehoe set the tone with a third minute goal, as he exploded through a ruck of bodies to find the net. With that, Carlow settled and controlled the game.

Down, short on confidence were snatching and forcing things and Chris Nolan punished directly off a miss to race home for the first of his two first half goals.

Carlow were really accurate in this period and coupled with Tracey’s agility to deny Caolan Teggart there was a sense it was not going to be the Mourne men’s day.

That was undeniably seen in Nolan’s second goal as the clipped home an easy goal after James Doyle’s shot for a point fell kindly to the impressive Mount Leinster Ranger.

Carlow’s all time record scorer Martin Kavanagh duly rounded off the half with a neat finish as Tom Mullally’s side took a commanding 4-14 to 0-11 lead into half time.

In similar fashion to the first Carlow got the bulk of their work done early in the half. Down goalkeeper made an uncharacteristic mistake to bundle over his own line to kill off any chance of a comeback.

Down had Jordan Doran sent off, while James Doyle dazzled with a stunning sixth goal for Carlow.

Despite Tracey’s wonderful penalty stop, Finn Turpin and Pearse Óg McCrickard did land some fine consolation efforts that will Down hope of going into the relegation shootout. Carlow were already thinking of next weekend's game against Offaly.

Scorers for Carlow: Martin Kavanagh 1-11 (7f), Chris Nolan 2-4, Jon Nolan 1-2, James Doyle 1-1, Conor Kehoe 1-0, Fiachra Fitzpatrick 0-2, John Michael Nolan, Kevin McDonald and Diarmuid Byrne 0-1 each.

Scorers for Down: Pearse Óg McCrickard 0-10 (8f), Finn Turpin 0-5, Oisín McManus, Marc Fisher, Caolan Teggart (1f), Ruairí McCrickard (1f) and Daithí Sands 0-2 each; Jordan Doran, Liam Savage and Matt Conlon 0-1each.

Carlow: Brian Tracey; Jack McCullagh, Chris Lawlor, Paul Doyle; Paudie O’Shea, Kevin McDonald, Jack Kavanagh; Fiachra Fitzpatrick, Diarmuid Byrne; James Doyle, Martin Kavanagh, Jon Nolan; Chris Nolan, John Michael Nolan, Conor Kehoe.

Subs: Jack Tracey for JM Nolan (HT), Richard Coady for Kehoe (56), Fiach O’Toole for J Kavanagh (68), Niall Bolger for Lawlor (70).

Down: Stephen Keith; Niall McFarland, Barry Trainor, John McManus; Marc Fisher, Caolan Teggart, Ruairí McCrickard; Jordan Doran, Liam Savage; Daithí Sands, Paul Sheehan, Finn Turpin; Oisín McManus, Chris Egan, Pearse Óg McCrickard.

Subs: Tom Murray for Doran (blood 30-32), Darragh Mallon for Trainor (36), Matt Conlon for Sheehan (41), Murray for McManus (48) , Jason Croskery for McFarland (62).

Referee: Michael Kennedy (Tipperary).