Over the past decade, Dowdallshill have been one of the strongest teams in junior football and many predicted that 2008 would see the club add to their collection of silverware. However, despite the fact that the Dundalk side made a strong challenge in both league and championship, they ended the year without a trophy and as a result it was events off the field that gave the club most satisfaction in 2008. Following a great deal of hard work and fundraising, Dowdallshill held the official opening of their new clubrooms and according to Secretary, Donal Sheridan, it was not only a proud day for the club, but also a very enjoyable one. "There is no doubt that the official opening was the main event for this year. After all the hard work for almost three years it was great to finally complete the development with the opening on August 16. "A lot of planning went into the day and it turned out to be a huge success. Unfortunately, we had no control over the weather and the only down side was the fact that the terrible conditions meant the games and activities planned for the juveniles had to be cancelled. "It was a big honour to have GAA President Nickey Brennan down to cut the ribbon before the celebrations began inside the new clubrooms. A great crowd turned out for the meal and entertainment afterwards and it was great to see so many of the older members turning out to celebrate to occasion. "Many photographs from the past were hung up on walls celebrating some of the great days in of years gone bye, alongside some of the more recent successes, as the great days in the club's proud history were recalled." According to Donal, one of the highlights of the day was the exhibition football match that went ahead despite the heavy rain. "It was great to see some of the older players making a comeback as we had a selection of the veterans from the 1989 Macardle Cup winning team right up to the 2003 Junior Championship side making a special appearance and it was good to see them back at the Hill. "They came up against the current squad and despite the advancing years of some, it proved to be a very enjoyable game, and really set the tone for the rest of the day. "Overall, it was a great success and it is a tribute to the hard work of a small group of dedicated members who really put in a magnificent effort." For much of the season it looked as if there would be further reason for the club to celebrate as Dowdallshill were chasing silverware in both the league and championship. However, despite going close the team just fell short and Donal explains that it was a disappointing way for manager, Hugh McParland, to end his two-year term. "The end of the season saw Hugh end his two-year reign and it was disappointing not go out on a high after what was a relatively good season. He deserves great praise for the unbelievable effort he put in over the past two years along with selectors, Ernie Finnegan, Dixie Quinn and Gerry Roe, and really they deserved greater reward for their efforts. "In the league we lost just two games all year and finished joint top with Young Irelands and Naomh Fionnbarra. As a result, we faced the Finbarrs in the play-off but despite having beaten them earlier in the year, we just couldn't raise our game sufficiently and lost out by four points to the team who went on to win the Macardle Cup. "It was unfortunate that we didn't make the breakthrough as it would have been great for the lads to win promotion to Division 2 because I believe we have the ability to compete at that level." The club's prospects also looked good in the championship but after some very impressive form in the group stages, they lost out to Lannleire in the semi-final replay. "We were looking good in the championship and came through the group stages with some impressive performances and were among the favourites to lift the Christy Bellew Cup again. We knew we had the ability to go all the way but against a strong Lannleire side we were just edged out," explained Donal. "To lose a game in extra time of replay was a bitter pill to swallow but I think we missed our chance on the first day." Despite that disappointment, Donal believes that the team is continuing to make progress and he is optimistic that they will be back challenging for honours next year. "We were boosted by the arrival of four good young players, Ciaran Sheridan, Damien Murphy, Ciaran Kelly and Paul Gill, and they proved to be great additions to the team. "Hopefully they can continue to progress and if we get some more players into the first team then we have a good chance to compete. However, we still need the experience in the side and hopefully the veterans such as Ciaran O'Callaghan and Noel Mohan will keep going for another year and help us give it a go." Donal points out that the hard work being put in a Junior 2 level has also helped the club improve and manager, Tom Molloy, has been responsible for bringing players from the juvenile ranks into the team. The likes of Stephen McGinn, Anton Rogers, Sean Matthews and Christopher Duffy, along with David and Darren McCrave have come through to adult football and it is hoped that they will start to push for a place in the first team in the near future. The strength of the underage players was also illustrated by the fact that Dowdallshill had five on the Hill O'Mahonys squad that reached the Championship semi-final. The team, with Fra Agnew and Peter Hughes as selectors, lost out to eventual champions, Geraldines. The club also has a blossoming ladies section and once again they have been prominent in competitions this season as Donal explained. "That section of the club has been going from strength to strength in recent time and the ladies team under the management of Fred O'Hagan and Brendan Wynne turned in some impressive displays. The players are still relatively inexperienced but they are making progress every year and hopefully they will be challenging for honours next year. "We also have some very good underage teams and the U16 team, under the management of Thomas O'Connor, Paul O'Hanlon and Alvin McEvoy, was among the best in the county. They reached both the league and championship final, but lost on each occasion to St Mary's who were the only team to beat them all year. "There was success for the U14 team under the same management as they won the shield so the future is bright for the ladies team." The prospects for the juvenile section are also encouraging with a thriving Og Sport section at Dowdallshill. "We have groups at U9, U11 and U13 and thanks to the efforts of the mentors the club is progressing very well. We competed in a number of blitzes and it is great to see so many players out for coaching sessions so hopefully many of them will come through to form the backbone of the adult teams in years to come," added Donal. The Secretary also paid tribute to two prominent members who passed away during 2008. The death took place of Paddy Duffy, who played on the Junior Championship winning team in 1970 and filled a number of roles at committee level including Treasurer and Co Board delegate. A lifelong member and supporter, Paddy will be sadly missed by the club. Dowdallshill also mourned the passing of Honourary President, Paddy Kirke, during the year. Paddy was involved in the Junior Championship winning teams of 1951 and 1970, while he held a number of positions at committee level over the years. Tweet

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