Two-thousand-and-four was a landmark year for Dowdallshill GFC, who had the distinction of playing intermediate football for the first time in their 108-year history. Though things may not have gone quite according to plan, it was certainly a taste of something new. Attacking talisman Gerry McShane is hopeful that it was a glimpse of things to come for the Red & Green… It was a breath of fresh air for the 'Hill. Sick of the sight of junior football, they had escaped the bottom grade in resounding fashion the previous year by capturing an unprecedented treble of JFC, Division Three league and Kevin Mullen Shield. Thus, in 2004, Dowdallshill made history by finally taking their place at intermediate level for the first time ever. Prior to 2003, Dowdallshill hadn't landed the junior crown since 1970. Indeed, they had only appeared in one county final in the interim - the '02 decider against Na Piarsaigh. Bridging the 33-year gap was a magnificent accomplishment; to do so with a clean sweep was the stuff of dreams. To complete the haul, Dowdallshill's deadly forward Gerry McShane picked up the inaugural Supporters Club Junior Footballer of the Year award. Thus, the Dundalk club advanced to intermediate ranks with impeccable credentials. They had every reason to go into the new season with confidence and anticipation. Not only were they marching bravely into uncharted waters, they also had a reasonable chance of consolidating their newfound status. Unfortunately, the inherent promise of the new season did not take injuries, suspensions and the general unavailability of players into consideration. The combined result of the above-mentioned was that the St Brigid's Park outfit never fielded their best XV at any time during the 2004 season, which meant they were unable to do themselves justice. Still and all, it was a historic year and playing at the higher level was a welcome change from the perennial slog of junior football. It was a beneficial experience for the players and one that should stand them in good stead as they bid for an immediate return to intermediate fare in 2005. The bottom line is that despite the obvious disappointment of relegation, Dowdallshill can draw a lot of positives from their 2004 experience. Gerry McShane has been on the first team for ten seasons: "It was a big step-up after more than 30 years of junior football," the 25-year-old forward concedes. "We were used to just playing the same teams over and over every year and all of a sudden we were coming up against a better calibre of team. It was great for the club. "There was great hype in the club at the start of the year and we were relishing the challenge. Westerns beat us by a point in our first game - that was a big one for both clubs as it was a repeat of the 2003 junior final. A few bad results followed and we just found it very difficult to get our first points on the board." While Dowdallshill remained adrift at the foot of the Division 2B table, their championship form was more impressive. Pitted in Group B of the IFC, they opened their account with a stunning 0-10 to 0-9 defeat of neighbours Sean O'Mahonys at the Ramparts on May 15 - a fantastic result in their first ever intermediate championship outing. From here on, however, a series of frustrating defeats put paid to the Hill's IFC hopes. Na Piarsaigh proved too strong (1-11 to 0-5) at Haggardstown on June 5 and Hunterstown got the decision by 2-8 to 0-11 four weeks later. In the final group game, at Castlebellingham on July 17, Sean McDermotts eclipsed the intermediate newcomers by 1-10 to 0-6. It's a pity Dowdallshill never got their full-strength team out in 2004. It would have been interesting to see how they'd have fared. Gerry notes: "Training went well at the start of the year. We're only a small club anyway, but we had plenty of numbers out, maybe 20 or 25 most nights, which is quite good for us. But some lads went away for the year, some fellas were injured and we had a couple of retirements as well. We were already under strength and then our midfielder Enda Hughes [who had been called into the senior county panel] got injured halfway through, so for a team with such a small pick to start with, we were badly caught. "We needed to shuffle things around a lot and play lads in different positions for different games, which didn't suit us. In fairness, though, we still weren't that far off any of the teams and didn't get any real hammerings, even in the championship. In some games our lack of experience showed when we went for goals too early. It would've been interesting to see what would've happened if we'd taken our points instead. "While it was a pity we never got our full team out, it was still a good year for Dowdallshill and a great experience for everybody to get to play intermediate football. For players like myself, who had been playing nothing but junior football for maybe ten years or more, it was a great year." Was it a more difficult season than the players had expected? "I suppose it was. After winning the treble, we probably thought it would be a little easier. However, at no stage during the year did we have the same fifteen that started the junior final. I'd say the most we had for any game was eleven, and for most games we had about nine. But the lads who came in this year did well. They made a big effort and got plenty of experience, which is another major plus for Dowdallshill." Looking back on the year in general, Gerry accepts that it was a fantastic voyage for Dowdallshill: "We've had a good time," he admits. "After 31 years of Dowdallshill playing junior football, it was an honour to go out and represent the club at intermediate level. The last time we got promoted, we went straight up to senior as the intermediate grade didn't exist at the time, so this was the first time Dowdallshill have ever played intermediate football. I like the championship format, because we got four championship games and that can only serve us well in the future." Once again, Hugh McParland (manager/trainer) and Jim Sheridan (selector) handled team affairs in 2004. What advise/instructions did they issue at the start of the year? "They told us that 2003 was gone and that this was a new season. They reminded us that we had to go out and do it all over again. The aim was to stay up. We knew it was going to be tough, but we gave it out best shot." And what a start to Dowdallshill's involvement in the IFC! Gerry enthuses: "Our first intermediate championship game went great, especially as we had played minor with many of the O'Mahonys lads. We weren't going particularly well in the league at the time and went in as underdogs, which usually suits us. We had already played them twice and we knew their players well anyway from playing underage together. Things just happened for us on the day and we never lost the lead." Suddenly, a place in the knock-out stage of the competition appeared within reach. "The way results in the group went early on, all we needed were two more points and we'd have had a play-off. We just needed to win one more game. We were very close to a quarter-final place. But we let it slip against Hunterstown and were then beaten by a fitter and stronger Sean McDermotts team. I missed a penalty in that game and the boys won't let me forget it!" Such an error (not that having a penalty saved is an 'error') is out of character for the man who was voted best junior footballer in the Wee County in 2003. How did he feel about picking up that accolade? "It was a shock. The award had only been introduced and I wasn't expecting to win it. It was nice to get it after all the effort that's been put in over the years. I think it reflected well on the club too - we had a wonderful year and are the only club to have done the junior treble." What does the future hold for Dowdallshill? "We don't have a lot of young footballers but we have a good enough squad now and our aim is to bounce back. There's plenty of development in the area and we're hoping to attract some new players from that. Our underage teams are also starting to take off under Peter Hughes and Paul O'Hanlon and we've also started a ladies team. We've got a grant to develop new club grounds as well, so things are looking good. "It's a pity we didn't survive in 2004, but the experience will stand us in good stead when we go back to junior football and we're hoping to come straight back out. But junior football is dog-eat-dog. For years we could beat the best junior teams but had a habit of slipping up against the weaker sides. Hopefully, we'll be stronger now, especially when we get a few lads back." Gerry McShane is joined on the Dowdallshill team by brother Cathal at corner back. Their father Charlie (BC Electrics) is main sponsor of the team and is also a former Dowdallshill footballer. Their uncle, Hughie McShane, starred on the team that won the JFC in 1970. Somehow, it seems highly unlikely that the 'Hill will have to wait another 30+ years before annexing their next county title. Tweet

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