Down GAA Annual Convention took place on the 16^th December, with over 150 Delegates gathered in the Canal Court Hotel Newry for what proved to be an historic occasion that saw Down GAA elect its first female Chairperson, when Maureen O'Higgins of Liatroim Fontenoys, succeeded outgoing chair John Devaney who had completed his five year term.

Maureen is a former County Development Officer and Ulster Council Member, who has been County Vice Chairperson for the past five years, a former County Camogie player, who won All Ireland honours as a player with both Club and County, indeed it is a double honour for Maureen's Family as her mum Rosaleen is the President of the Down Camogie Committee.  This is a great honour for the McCartan and O'Higgins families and indeed also for the Liatroim Club, and Maureen follows the late Charlie Keown, by becoming the second Chairperson to come from the famous Fontenoys.

In his outgoing address John Devaney, reflected on his five years in office, highlighting the launch of the Strategic Plan, the success on the field in football and hurling, culminating in five trophies including the Tailteann Cup, having a home in Down in 2024. The achievement of funding for the Centre of Participation, Well Being and Shared Learning Hub, has been one of the highlights of 2024, as this will allow us to bring a most exciting project to fruition and John Devaney encouraged everyone to put their shoulder to the wheel and ensure that we deliver the best facilities for future generations to come.

County Convention saw the election of the following officers : 

Chairperson Maureen O'Higgins Liatroim

Vice Chairperson Patrick Savage Teconnaught

Assistant Secretary Ryan Kelly Ardglass

Treasurer Diarmuid Cahill An Riocht

Assistant Treasurer Michael O Rourke An Riocht

Ard Comhairle Delegate Conor Watson Ballygalget

Ulster Council Delegate 1 Mark Doyle Liatroim

Ulster Council Delegate 2 Brendan Fitzpatrick Bryansford

PRO Paula Magee Mayobridge

Coaching Officer Paddy Hardy Castlewellan

Irish and Cultural Officer Gareth McGreevy Saul

Hurling Officer  Liam Quinn Bredagh

Planning and Training Officer ( to be appointed)

2024 Down GAA Clubs Draw – December Results

SPECIAL CLUB DRAW 4 Monthly Prizes of £200.00
Club 1 24BC040 Brian & Margaret Caughey Ballycran
Club 2 24BU401 Robin O’Leary Burren
Club 3 20LM254 Robert O’Hare Liatroim
Club 4 24RR169 Eugene Reilly Rostrevor

MONTHLY DRAW 5 Monthly Prizes of £1000.00
Winner 1 24BC018 Mary Scarlett Ballycran
Winner 2 24CB170 Laura Lynch Clann na banna
Winner 3 24OL431 Ciaran Murtagh St John Bosco
Winner 4 24OL234 Nicola Johnston East Belfast
Winner 5 24ME040 Sarah Farnington Mayobridge

Co. Down GAA is seeking to recruit two new positions to support the delivery of the Ballykinlar Centre of Participation, Wellbeing, and Shared Learning Hub Project.  This follows the recent announcement that Co. Down GAA, alongside project delivery partners, Co-Operation Ireland and Co. Down Rural Community Network, has been successful in their bid for €15,383,951.00 to Investment Area 1.4 of the PEACEPLUS Programme.   

The two roles include:

-Finance and Administration Officer (Full Time, 37.5 Hours)

-Communications and Evaluation Officer (Part Time, 16 Hours)

Job packs for these roles can be requested by emailing administrator.down@gaa.ie .

Please note the closing date for applications is 3pm on Wednesday 15th January 2025. 

This project is supported by the PEACEPLUS Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

Coiste Chontae an Dúin and the family that is Down GAA are saddened to learn of the death of Evelyn Keenan (Newry Road, Edenmore, Mayobridge).

Beloved wife of the late Peter and loving mother of Maureen, Tomas, Gerard and Peadar. A dear mother in law and cherished grandmother of Cuisle, Ann, Jim, Marie, Nicole, Shane, Conor, Erin, Ronan, Eimear, Aoife and Tiarna.

We extend our sympathies to her son Gerard, a valued member of the County Scór Committee and Mayobridge County Committee Representative on the loss of his mother and to the Gaels of Mayobridge, we also offer our condolences.

We were all saddened to learn of the untimely passing of Jody Gormley. A proud Tyrone man who played and achieved at all levels for his county, and he had a close association with the GAA in Down over the past twenty years.

We extend our deepest and heartfelt sympathy to his wife Deirdre (Winters), his children Áine, James and Niamh, his mother Sheila, brothers Damien (Paula) and Eoin (Mairead) and his sister Anita (Fergal) on the loss of a man taken from us too soon.

Jody began life as a rival of Down GAA. He played with Omagh CBS against Down Schools, and he played for Tyrone against the Red and Black. Yet a move to live in Belfast and a teaching post in Abbey CBS Newry, meant that Jody became an adopted son of Down.

He joined Bredagh as a player and then later managed them to an Intermediate Football Title, having also managed Longstone and later Loughinisland. Jody had also been part of Paddy O Rourke’s Down Management Team in 2005 and 2006 before going on to manage Antrim.

In 2006, he guided Abbey CBS to a first ever Hogan Cup win. Jody through his teaching and coaching careers, made a difference to the lives of many, he brought with him a youthful energy to every role that he filled, and developed a love for Gaelic Games amongst all his charges.

Jody had a wonderful enthusiasm for Gaelic Games, an enthusiasm that he transferred to those whom he coached at all levels, there was an infectious smile with Jody that brought out the best in people. Jody carried the news of his recent diagnosis with courage and dignity.

Again, we extend our sympathy to his family and friends.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam

Congratulations to the winners in the November 2024 Club Draw!

Winners of Special Club Draw - £200

• 24OL037 - Ballela - Martin McCann

• 17BR048 - Ballykinlar - Katrina Savage

• 24CN073 - Castlewellan - Damian McLaughlin

• 24KF126 - Kilclief - David Moore

Winners of Monthly Draw - £1000

• 24DK009 - Downpatrick RGU - Fionnuala McGrady

• 15BH151 - Bredagh - Desmond O’Rawe

• 24BG012 - Ballygalget - Saorlaith Savage

• 24KO109 - Kilcoo - Una Morgan

• 24SA031 - Saval - Conor Cunningham

Coiste Chontae an Dúin and the family that is Down GAA are saddened to learn of the death of Paddy Hughes of Ballycran, a man who gave outstanding service to his Club and his County over many decades. We extend our deepest sympathy to his wife Teresa, his children Patrick, Mary, John, Fiona, Michael, Paula and Gerard, sons in laws and daughters in law, Audrey, Richard, Tracy, Andy, Niamh and Aisling, his grandchildren  Hanna, Mary Jane, Annie, Sarah, Jessica, Alice, Shane, Eamon, Cillian, Ella, Caolan and Emer, his mother in law,  Maura Bannon and his brothers and sisters. To the Gaels of Ballycran we offer our condolences on the loss of a man who was a club stalwart on and off the field.

Paddy Hughes wore the back and amber of Ballycran and the Red and Black of Down with distinction, winning two Ulster Club Medals in 1974 and 1976 and ten Senior Hurling Championship Medals, including having the honour of captaining the Club to the County title in Centenary year in 1984. Paddy was rated as one of the best defenders in Ulster in the 70s and 80s, a man very much at home in the full back line but never afraid to venture into attack and to grab a score when needed. When his playing career finished for Ballycran, Paddy served on the Club Committee as registrar and fittingly for a man of his stature, he became a Trustee of the Club. Many will have known Paddy from their visits to McKenna Park, where he welcomed everyone and managed to sell them a Club Lotto Tickets or two, always will a friendly greeting that ensured, a purchase could not be refused.

Paddy played for Down from 1971 right through to 1986, winning an Ulster Intermediate Medal in 1971 and 1972, in 1971 Paddy had been on the team narrowly defeated by Galway in the All Ireland Intermediate Semi Final played in Croke Park, Provincial recognition followed and Paddy played in the Railway Cup from 1974 through to 1983. In recent times, Paddy was a regular attender at County Fixtures and was particularly proud when his sons shared his passion and played for their Club and their County. 

Paddy Hughes always wanted to give something back, to make a difference for the next generations to come, he had had got great enjoyment through his involvement in the GAA, he never sought the limelight, but in his own quiet way he wanted to play his part in ensuring that the Club was in a good place, with Paddy as a Trustee the Club was in safe hands , the new Indoor facilities are a credit to the vision and leadership of people like Paddy Hughes, people who make things happen and Paddy did that on and off the field.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Kilcoo goal blitz sinks Scotstown in Ulster semi-final

By Francis Mooney in Box-It Athletic Grounds    Photo Louis McNally

RTÉ Sport contributor

Kilcoo 5-10 Scotstown 0-14

Kilcoo slipped through the gears and into overdrive with four goals in a devastating eight-minute blitz either side of half-time to overwhelm Scotstown at the Box-It Athletic Grounds.

This was a consummate performance by Karl Lacey's side as they avenged last year’s semi-final defeat to qualify for a fourth Ulster Club SFC final in six years.

Those goals gave them total control of the direction of a tie which their opponents were forced to chase frantically, the pre-match game plan abandoned long before the finish.

Two Miceal Rooney strikes and goals from Christopher Rooney and Ceilum Doherty along with a Shane Carey o.g. torpedoed the hopes of the Monaghan kingpins, while the Down men pushed on confidently with their pursuit of a third provincial title in six years.

Scotstown’s courageous press while playing into the wind was resisted by a Kilcoo side that forced a string of turnovers and transitioned with accuracy and pace as they settled into the game with a 0-3 to 0-1 lead by the ninth minute.

Anthony Morgan, Ryan Johnston and goalkeeper Niall Kane were all on target as they fed off the dash of Shealan Johnston along the left flank and the composure and vision of Eugene Branagan down the right.

But a rash of wides opened the door for the Monaghan men to fight back and draw level by the 24th minute.

Rory Beggan drilled a free between the posts and Conor McCarthy made it 0-4 each, with midfielder Micheal McCarville driving their challenge and a strong press f4om deep from Kieran Hughes and Ryan O’Toole.

However, Kilcoo stepped up the tempo in the closing stages of the half, creating three goal chances and taking two of them to get themselves in control of the tie.

Ceilum Doherty and Jack Devlin combined in the lighting move that sent Shealan Johnston in to bring a terrific save from Beggan, and somehow Anthony Morgan failed to convert the loose ball from a couple of yards out.

But they continued to run at a back-pedalling Scotstown defence, and when Beggan had produced another brilliant stop from Jerome Johnston, the ball went in off the unfortunate Shane Carey.

Just a minute later, a second goal, netted by Christopher Rooney after Aaron Morgan’s shot had come back off a post.

Carey did have a chance to redeem himself, but his palmed effort was comfortably saved Kane, before Jerome Johnston sent the Down champions in with a 2-6 to 0-5 advantage.

Two more goals within five minutes of the restart had the game out of sight.

Ceilum Doherty sent Miceal Rooney to unleash a bullet to the roof of the net, and a marauding run through the heart of the Farney champions’ defence by centre back Darryl Branagan set up Doherty to hit the top corner.

Suddenly the Mourne men were 13 points clear and free to play the remainder of the game on their own terms.

That they did with virtual perfection, their pace, support play, vision and decision-making impeccable as they made little of the gusting wind blowing in their faces.

They tagged on points through Jerome Johnston, Rooney and the excellent Anthony Morgan, before a run of Scotstown scores saw Beggan and Jack McCarron nail frees, but they never looked like overhauling an opponent brimming with confidence.

Goalkeeper Beggan joined the attack in a full 15-man press in the closing stages, and they did garner scores from substitutes Mark McPhillips and Ross McKenna, but left themselves open at the back for Rooney to plunder a second goal and his side’s fifth on 59 minutes.

Kilcoo: N Kane (0-01, ’45); N Branagan, R McEvoy, C Rogers; M Rooney (2-00), D Branagan, E Branagan; A Morgan (0-01), R Johnston (0-02); C Rooney (1-01), A Morgan (0-01), S Johnston (0-01), C Doherty (1-00), J Johnston (0-03, 1f), J Devlin.

Subs: C Laverty for Rooney (41), N Rodgers for Devlin (54), M Hynes for R Johnston (62)

Scotstown: R Beggan (0-02, 2f); D Murray (0-02), D McArdle, J McKevitt; R O’Toole, K Hughes, C McCarthy (0-01); M McCarville (0-01), G McPhillips; J Carey, S Carey (0-01, f) (1-00 o.g. for Kilcoo), J Hamill; (0-02); F Maguire, D Hughes, J McCarron (0-02, 1f).

Subs: M Maguire for F Maguire (33), N Sherlock for J Casey (35), R McKenna (0-01) for Hamill (42), M McPhillips (0-01) for G McPhillips (45), E Caulfield (0-01) for McDevitt (54)

Referee: S Hurson (Tyrone).