Down manager Ronan Sheehan described Sunday as “a great day for the county” after his team defeated Kerry to earn promotion to Division 1B of the Allianz Hurling League.

The Mourne men edged the Kingdom by 0-28 to 1-23 in Tralee to earn their fifth straight victory in the league and book their place in the Division 2 final with a round to spare.

Speaking to newryreporter.com after the game, Sheehan said he was delighted for his players as they now get set to go up against some of the country’s best teams next season.

“It’s a great day for the county,” he said. “It’s great for that group of players who have been on this journey for the last seven years. The opportunity to bring the likes of Clare, or Wexford, or Dublin to Down is massive for the promotion of our game.

“It shows the improvement in our own standards in terms of where we came from. When I took this job on, we were stuck in the old Division 2B – Down couldn’t get out of that for almost 10 years.

“We got out of it, solidified our place in 2A, and have been knocking at the door for promotion. For this group of players, particularly the likes of Stephen Keith, Paul Sheehan, Matt Conlan, who have been serving the team since 2012 or 2013, it’s a fantastic day for them.

“It’s a great opportunity now for the whole group next year to push on and really promote the game, in terms of encouraging people who don’t necessarily come out to watch the hurlers, to do so and see one of those marquee teams when they come to Down.”

 

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