Kilkenny's Micheal Walsh
By Patrick Murphy
Sporting history will be made on Sunday when
Down becomes the first county since the GAA
was founded to enter two county teams in a
national competition.
South Down will field a team in the National
Hurling League Division 4 against Monaghan
in Clones. At the same time Down plays Armagh
in Ballycran in Division 2 of the same league.
The unprecedented move has been allowed by
the GAA authorities in Croke Park in an attempt
to broaden the base of Down hurling which
is concentrated mainly in the Ards.
The idea originated with the man who will
manage South Down, Paddy Braniff. As an Ardsman
he saw Down’s inter-county success being
restricted by the fact that there were only
three senior hurling clubs in the county.
So he began a one-man campaign to develop
hurling in the rest of Down.
>From the non-Ards clubs he formed Down
junior hurlers who won the Ulster Junior Championship
in 2004 and the Leinster Shield in 2007. His
efforts on the field were matched by an intensive
lobbying campaign for the junior side to be
allowed into a national competition.
Last autumn he finally made the breakthrough.
Not only was he invited to enter his team
in one national competition, Croke Park said
he could enter them in two. Re-named as South
Down, his team will now play in Division 4
of the League and in the all-Ireland Nicky
Rackard Cup which is the third tier in the
championship.
So on Sunday (2.30) South Down will to face
Monaghan in a match which will make history.
The South Down players are drawn from clubs
outside the Ards: Newry Shamrocks, Ballela,
Ballyvarley, Castlewellan, Clonduff, Warrenpoint,
Laitroim and Kilclief.
In preparation for the league the team has
had over 40 training session to date. They
have played friendly matches against Queen’s
University, Armagh, Down, Tyrone and Louth.
Last week-end they had dual All Ireland medal
winner, Kilkenny’s Michael Walsh, putting
them through their paces in preparation for
their entry on to the national stage.
Walsh’s parting words to them were
“You get one chance in this life, take
it”. Beginning on Sunday, the men from
South Down intend to do just that.
