Down GAA presentations honour teams of the present and past
Three sets of All-Ireland winning Down teams were honoured at a special medal presentation in the Slieve Donard Hotel last Saturday.
At an event for over 300 guests, the U20 teams from both football and hurling and the Minor footballers were feted for their achievements - winning the Ulster and All-Ireland U20 B Football Championship, the All-Ireland U20 B Hurling Championship and the All-Ireland Minor C Football Championship.
Ulster GAA President Ciarán McLaughlin was the guest of honour.
The U20 footballers recovered from a disappointing defeat that halted their progress to the Ulster championship knockout stage, but built momentum from victories over Antrim, Fermanagh and Mayo to then edge out Westmeath in the All-Ireland final in Navan on a score-line of 1-10 to 0-10.
The U20 hurlers repeated the feat of 2022, in winning the Richie McElligott Cup with a 0-20 to 0-11 victory over Roscommon at Croke Park. Michael Dorrian was the winning captain of the side that brushed aside Armagh and Wicklow on route to the decider, and the Connor O’Prey managed team were impressive in pulling away from their Connacht opponents in the second half at GAA headquarters.
The Minor footballers had reached the Ulster League final earlier in the season but were halted in their hope for Ulster Championship progress by narrow away defeats to Tyrone and Monaghan. Wins over Donegal, Fermanagh, Meath, Limerick and Leitrim brought them the whole way to the national final. The dual attacking threat of captain Barra McEvoy and Paul McGovern accounted for the lions share of the scoring in a tight contest that the Down side eventually won by a single point.
On the occasion of this year’s senior hurling final, Down GAA honoured the players from the 1964 team that won the All-Ireland Junior title. It was the first time an Ulster team had claimed a senior intercounty national championship, and in doing so, they defeated the reigning champions London in the final at New Eltham.
Earlier in the campaign, they hit 16 goals in two Ulster championship games, including nine in the final against Antrim at Casement Park. A narrow one-point win over Roscommon (thanks to a late Hugh Dorrian goal) earned the team a place in the All-Ireland Home Final, where they overpowered Kerry at Croke Park. Seamus Fitzgerald scored four of the nine goals against the Kingdom. Danny Crawford knocked in an early goal and Seamus Fitzgerald hit a third and decisive goal to win the game by 3-2 to 1-3.
Charlie McMullan was the captain of the team, and John McGivern from the Clann Uladh was the only non-Ards player on a side that was dominated by Ballycran, Ballygalget and Portaferry.
A special lunch for the surviving members and representatives of those deceased or unable to be present was hosted by Down GAA at the Canal Court Hotel on Sunday afternoon.