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By Patrick
Murphy, Down GAA Hurling PRO
Club hurling in Down will get under
way on the 25 February with the
Betsy Gray Competition.
Representatives from Down’s hurling
clubs attended the Donard Hotel,
Newcastle to watch the draw being
made by hurling fixtures secretary
Barney McGrattan and the new
Chairman of the Hurling Board,
Michael Keenan.
The competition involves clubs from
Division 1 and 2 in a pre-league
tournament. Those clubs beaten in
the first round enter a shield
competition, with the winners
competing for the cup. Several
clubs may have to do without county
panellists during the competition as
players from Newry Shamrocks,
Clonduff, Leitrim and Kilclief are
currently playing with the Down
senior panel.
The preliminary
round match between Warrenpoint and
Bredagh will take place on February
25 and the first round proper
matches will take place on 4 March.
Semi-finals are scheduled for the 25
March and the finals of both the
cup and shield will take place on
the 1 April. Extra time will be
played if required and the fixture
dates will be stringently adhered
to.
Fixtures:
(Warrenpoint vs Bredagh)
v Leitrim
Ballyvarley
v
Kilclief
Newry Shamrocks v
Ballela
Clonduff
v Castlewellan
(Note:The competition is named after
Betsy Gray, a young Presbyterian
woman from North Down who was killed
following the Battle of Ballynahinch
in 1798. Together with her brother,
George, and her lover, Willie Boal,
she had followed the United Irishmen
to the town, but it is not clear if
they played any part in the battle.
Following the rebels’ defeat she and
her two unarmed companions were
slaughtered by yeomen in the
townland of Ballycreen about two and
half miles north-west of the town.
Her memory was preserved in the
novel by Wesley Lyttle, Betsy
Gray and the Hills of Down and
lives on in this competition.) |
