It's simple to understand in my view. The other Ulster counties have made improvements since 1994. It won't last for ever. Monaghan for example need to land the big one if they can while they have their current squad. Some day they will slide back down the order, as will Donegal and Tyrone. Even Co.Kerry have had barren patches. Perhaps Down will be relatively strong again by then. RE: 2010 Something about the magic of Down GAA died for me that day, losing a final for the 1st time. I'm sure had we won it would have inspired every young player to follow suit, but we lost.

I would love to see the best Kilcoo men in red and black every game, maybe they could transform our fortunes in the same way that incredible Crossmaglen side did for Armagh, but that is up to them. Who could argue that they made the right choice committing to their club?

Suas Sios (None) - Posts: 1558 - 29/03/2022 16:31:04    2408178

I see another Tyrone player from last seasons All Ireland Champions has left their squad adding to the six or seven who had already departed. Each player probably has his own personal reasons for calling time on an Inter County career.

Still it's a worrying trend when not even the promise of further All Ireland glory is enough to keep players engaged. What chance then does a manager like James McCartan have in selling Down to prospective players.

Division Three football isn't exactly enticing and Down's struggles to even compete in Division Two never mind give a decent account against better Ulster teams won't help either.

An ex county player wrote an article for the Irish Independent where he said that he had decided to give up the County game and concentrate on his local club. He said that he'd fallen out of love with the game at that level. The incessant training demands were bad enough but what really made up his mind was the quality of the games, mind numbing possession based, lateral and backwards passing borefests. It had become a game for athletes first, footballers second.

Apart from the winners like Dublin, Tyrone, Kerry and Mayo do the majority of players even enjoy playing the game anymore? If I had to guess I'd say most of the Down players aren't getting much out of their County careers even when they had a bit of success in getting promotion to Division Two.

James McCartan has a chance now to play a more adventurous, attacking style of football with a lot more kick passing and with players not afraid to kick points. The fifteen men behind the ball and slow hand passing has to be abandoned or the decline in Down football won't be transitory it will be permanent.

Newmitch (Down) - Posts: 97 - 01/04/2022 18:00:53    2408958

latefortraining (Monaghan) - Posts: 127 - 10/04/2022 14:57:37    2410447

germac (Down) - Posts: 561 - 11/04/2022 18:48:05    2410576

Yondu (UK) - Posts: 845 - 11/04/2022 20:34:36    2410588

Maybe you're just *****?

Wally (Tyrone) - Posts: 926 - 12/04/2022 09:17:10    2410608

Ronanthehammer (Down) - Posts: 48 - 12/04/2022 13:16:11    2410655

Ronanthehammer (Down) - Posts: 48 - 13/04/2022 14:42:19    2410845

germac (Down) - Posts: 561 - 13/04/2022 19:42:01    2410898

I remember one of the players from the great All Ireland winning Dublin team of the 1970s telling a story of what it was like to play for Dublin in the years before Kevin Heffernan became the manager in 1973.

I think the player was Robbie Kelleher but I could be mistaken. He said that one Sunday Dublin were playing up the country, as he put it, and he had to travel alone by train to the game. Facilities being what they were in those days he was already togged out and wore a coat over his strip. It was a warm day and he would have taken his coat off, except for one thing, the shame of being seen in a Dublin jersey so low had the county's fortunes sunk.

Hard to believe now with Dublins present status. But that could be where Down football is headed, not to where people are laughing at Down as Ronan fears but worse. where people feel sorry for us.

Newmitch (Down) - Posts: 97 - 13/04/2022 21:01:12    2410908

Ronanthehammer (Down) - Posts: 48 - 20/04/2022 13:03:41    2411798

If Down can score more than fifteen points and finish within five points of Monaghan I would class that as a triumph.

At the very least I would like to see some heart and effort from the players unlike the disaster against Donegal in last years Championship when the team didn't bother turning up.

Newmitch (Down) - Posts: 97 - 30/04/2022 14:56:10    2414179

To no one's surprise, we got the result that all the pundits predicted. Down looked every inch a Division Three team and only two well taken goals gave any cheer to Down fans. At the twenty five minute mark Down had scored one point.

Will Down give the Tailteann Cup a real go and use it to build some momentum for next season? Or will players decide there's more enjoyment and excitement to be had in New York or Boston.

As to the game itself I saw no evidence of a circling of the wagons after the long Dublin weekend "training camp". Would the negative headlines bond the players as happens often in Tyrone and give them fuel to go out and take on the world!

I saw a team totally lacking in confidence with no discernible game plan. There were a few bright spots and Pat Havern did well again. I just couldn't believe the amount of time and space Down gave to the Monaghan players. They had all the time in the world to pick their spot and get off their shots. Down played with all the intensity of a team having a training spin.

Word is that James McCartan will depart after the Tailteann Cup involvement ends and so ends another sad chapter in the decline of Down County football. Good luck to the next manager and let's hope it doesn't take five months to find him.

Newmitch (Down) - Posts: 97 - 01/05/2022 14:24:33    2414363

One of the most classless interviews I've ever read from Eugene Branagan.

Gaa_lover (USA) - Posts: 3617 - 04/05/2022 16:25:39    2414896

Last night the Official Down twitter account congratulated Eugene Branagan of Kilcoo on his being named AIB GAA Club Player of the Year at an event at Croke Park. Eugene was also named to the team of the tournament along with six of his team mates.

In an interview with the Irish Times Branagan used the opportunity to say he had no interest in playing for Down and most of his team mates were of a similar mind.

His thoughts on the Down players were these, " I think there's a a core of players who don't know how to win. They haven't a winning the mentality. I think thats why a lot of the Kilcoo boys don't want to be involved - they're just there but I don't think it's they're there to win That's the difference between Kilcoo and the County.

The journalist then says, "Yet not all Kilcoo players turned down the county". Branagan responds, "Yeah, two lads went in-and took a lot of abuse for it". It's not made clear where this abuse of the Kilcoo players came from.

The journalist than asks, " Does this uncompromising attitude not run the risk of making Kilcoo disliked elsewhere in the county?"

"Oh yeah I think that really fuels our fire. Everyone seems to be on our backs and thats really what keeps us going, that's what we love. We feel everyone is against, county boards, the whole lot, but thats what we want".

I was delighted to see Kilcoo win that All Ireland club title, it was well deserved. Yesterday should have been a day to celebrate that achievement, but that interview and there was more in the same vein, especially some remarks on the manager, left a very bad impression.

Newmitch (Down) - Posts: 97 - 04/05/2022 17:46:19    2414916

I thought it was a great interview. It was honest and not the usual cliche nonsense we get. Can someone tell me he's wrong? That Down do have a winning mentality? Because if Kilcoo club played Down seniors tomorrow, my money would be on Kilcoo. On the lash recently when they were meant to be on a training weekend, to the extent that the manager quit and some players went home. I have massive time for some of those Down footballers and for James McCartan, but Branagan can be correct in his opinions too.

icehonesty (Wexford) - Posts: 2574 - 04/05/2022 20:01:41    2414940

Terrible stuff from Brannigan. It's an honour to play for your county at any level, no matter what way things are going in terms of success. Kilcoo should be part of the solution in Down, not part of the problem.

ardmhacha (Armagh) - Posts: 172 - 04/05/2022 21:10:39    2414950

germac (Down) - Posts: 561 - 04/05/2022 21:50:48    2414957

Ronanthehammer (Down) - Posts: 48 - 05/05/2022 08:50:51    2414964

sourmilk93 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1207 - 05/05/2022 10:42:07    2414996