(Oldest Posts First)
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Down GAA has often had periods of malaise like in the 1980s when we had good players but flattered to deceive (apart from winning the 1981 Ulster Championship and1983 National league). At the moment though we are struggling to compete in Ulster let alone at All Ireland level. We are probably about 7th out of the 9 Ulster counties at the moment?? REDANDBLACK30 (Down) - Posts: 1617 - 09/07/2021 11:09:27 2357967 Link 0 |
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Why did the Johnston lads not play this year? Not many Kilkoo lads involved either?
Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9136 - 09/07/2021 11:27:28 2357973 Link 0 |
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Jerome Johnston was injured. Ryan Johnston opted out of the panel this year. REDANDBLACK30 (Down) - Posts: 1617 - 09/07/2021 11:36:19 2357978 Link 0 |
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Yeah there hasn't been a Dan Gordon or a King in a good while.
Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9136 - 09/07/2021 11:40:13 2357982 Link 0 |
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Yeah 27 years since Down won an Ulster title. Who would have believed that in 1994?? REDANDBLACK30 (Down) - Posts: 1617 - 09/07/2021 11:48:40 2357986 Link 0 |
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Down can blame managers and players opting out but they just dont have the players needed to compete with the top 4 in ulster being armagh donegal tyrone and monaghan bobo91 (Monaghan) - Posts: 16 - 09/07/2021 12:33:24 2358005 Link 0 |
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I can't actually believe it's that long since down won Ulster. Mind you if you contrived to win one you'd probably win the all Ireland. Down were always good at that conversion. Heard alright that down are strong at under 20. Do burren also have an exceptional underage team coming through that might help? Add a decent midfielder and probably 2, a decent keeper and everyone else fully committed and down are competitive again. There is real pace in the team. Mooney is possibly the quickest player in Ireland. Kerr is no slouch either. Though players tend to have to see something or believe in something to want to commit. Marty Clarke was a class player and the one year he was fully at it down got competitive really quickly. Though overall his AFL career and then illness seemed to lose you a generational kind of player. Possibly need another one of them but is there one coming. I don't know. More generally underage work and they seem to be making some inroads there. Are they also getting some ground from an old army base as county training and development. Also call out to Sean O'Neill, from the 60s. You probably never really replaced him. Down have won 12 Ulster's and he's won 8 and three of the 5 all Irelands on top of that. What a legacy he left. Ulsterchamps_32 (Donegal) - Posts: 692 - 09/07/2021 13:05:53 2358016 Link 1 |
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When was the last time Down had a manager from the outside? McGo72 (Donegal) - Posts: 67 - 09/07/2021 13:11:57 2358019 Link 0 |
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Yes Down have always had a tremendous conversion rate in terms of Ulster's into All Irelands. If we had won the 2010 All Ireland against Cork we would have 1 All Ireland for every 2 Ulster's. Yes Burren currently have exceptional underage teams that should definitely help. Kilcoo reached an All Ireland club final and if we could get some underage success for Down minors and Under 20s it would be a great boost for the county. In those 27 years we have beaten all the other Ulster counties at least once but we have not been able to find a level of consistency. Down won minor All Irelands in 1999 and 2005 but never really built on that at senior level. Hopefully Down's fortunes improve over the next few years. REDANDBLACK30 (Down) - Posts: 1617 - 09/07/2021 13:24:43 2358024 Link 0 |
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Yes they have purchased land in Ballykinlar and are hoping to build a centre of excellence there.
REDANDBLACK30 (Down) - Posts: 1617 - 09/07/2021 13:27:01 2358026 Link 0 |
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Before Paddy Tally, Jim McCorry from Armagh who had great success with Kilcoo.
REDANDBLACK30 (Down) - Posts: 1617 - 09/07/2021 13:33:49 2358028 Link 0 |
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Tally was the first one they ever had
oneoff (UK) - Posts: 1380 - 09/07/2021 14:06:20 2358042 Link 0 |