Taken from Hogan Stand magazine 26th July 1991

Four stretcher-bearers carried Down's towering fullback Conor Deegan from the field with what appeared to be a serious injury. The game was in added time so what remained was at the discretion of the referee. Derry were one point in front. Another championship exit for Down was on the cards. The occasion was the Ulster semi-final in Armagh on June 30th. Giving it one last shot however, Down surged forward. Barry Breen was fouled and Down were awarded a free some forty-eight metres out and to the right of the Derry goal. The crowd held its breath as Down's right-half forward Ross Carr stepped up to take the kick. He had missed an easier one minutes earlier but this time he held his nerve and made no mistake.

The men in Red and Black had lived to fight another day. That vital score was one of seven points which Ross scored in the drawn semi-final and in the replay two weeks later at the same venue he notched up an impressive personal tally of nine points (six from frees) as Down defeated Derry by 0-14 to 0-9 to book a place in the Ulster decider at St. Tiernach's Park Clones. For his scoring ability and overall contribution to the game Ross Carr was voted "Ulster G.A.A. writers Man of the Match in that replay.

It was a surprise to many when Ross Carr was selected to play in the forward line for Down's opening championship game against Armagh. Better known as a defender it was felt by the Down management that his physical strength would be an asset to the Down attack. That he was handed the role of free-taker came as an even bigger surprise. Things did not go well for Ross from placed kicks that day but the management held firm and he and Gary Mason were appointed as the designated free-takers for the semi-final.

In both the drawn and replayed semi-finals he did not let the management down. The painstaking hours at practic was certainly paying off. When asked about his role as a free-taker Ross stated "When playing for Clonduff at juvenile level and in my early years at senior level, I took frees on a regular basis, but for the past seven or eight years I have played in defence and didn't fancy making the journey upfield to hit them. In fact there was no need, as my club has quite a reliable free-taker."

He admitted to initially finding it strange playing in attack: "In the Armagh game l was thinking more as a defender but now I have got used to playing up front. The supply of ball from defence has been excellent and with the forwards, and Mickey Linden in particular, creating plenty of room I have been able to feed off them. I'm now actually enjoying it," quipped the twenty-six year old Carnlough-based accountant.

As a sprightly fifteen year old, Ross Carr made it into the Clonduff senior panel in late 1980 and by the following year he was commanding a regular spot on the team. A Down reserve football championship medal is the only accolade he has won with his club at adult level to date, though he has played for Clonduff in two Down Senior Football Championship finals, losing in 1982 and 1983 to Castlewellan and Burren respectively.

Having represented the county at Minor and U-21 level, Ross made his inter-county debut at senior level against Galway in the 1984-85 National Football League. A knee injury ruled him out at football for a while but since making his re-appearance against Armagh in October, 1985 he has been more or less a permanent fixture on the Down team. This game in fact marked the debut of county colleague Barry Breen in a Down senior team jersey.

At inter-county level, Ross has won Dr. McKenna Cup medals in 1987 and 1989 and indeed captained the team to victory on the latter occasion. Ross Carr knows all too well the heartbreak of an Ulster Final defeat. He played at left-half-back on the Down side which lost by 1-11 to 0-10 to Tyrone on the occasion of Down's last appearance in an Ulster Final, in 1986. Eight of that team are currently on the Down panel and the then Down manager, Sean Smith, and his parents are viewed by Ross as those who influenced him most in Gaelic football. Ross in fact grew up living next door to Patsy O'Hagan who won two All-lreland medals with Down but even had that not have been the case, Ross Carr would still have played Gaelic football as the name Carr is synonymous with the game in County Down.

His uncle Gerry captained the first Down team to win an All-lreland title with the Junior football team of 1946. Aidan Carr, the father of Ross, was a substitute on that team while his uncles Hughie and Barney also wore the county jersey with distinction. It was that same Barney Carr who managed the Down teams which brought the Sam Maguire Cup across the border in those glorious years of 1960 and 1961. His cousin Seamus won an All-lreland Minor football medal with Down in 1979 while on the maternal side of his family, his uncle Charlie Bradley won a Down Senior football championship medal with Clonduff in 1944.

Being a realist, Ross Carr knows that Down will have to produce something special if they are to defeat Donegal on Sunday. "Donegal are an excellent team and are playing in their third consecutive Ulster Final. They appear to have no weaknesses and they have a shrewd observer of the game in team manager Brian McEniff. Having got to Croke Park last year he has his heart set on returning there and achieving greater things this year. We will have to play out of our skins if we are to stand any chance at winning." stated Carr.

Ross has worked as an accountant with John McMahon & Co., Chartered Accountants, 112, Camlough Road, Newry, Co. Down since March 1989. He recently had exam success which helped to contribute to a successful July and will be working hard in the winter to complete his qualification next year. A daunting task therefore awaits Down but like all teams from the Mourne County they will no doubt give it their best shot. Donegal will start as firm favourites, and rightly so, but Ulster football is so unpredictable that anything could happen. And to borrow a phrase which was used about another team in another code - "It's a year ending in one."

Tweet

Most Read Stories