On Saturday evening the men’s senior team fought their way into their second county final in three years after a seriously tough battle against Coralstown-Kinnegad in TEG Cusack Park. A tense battle ensued between the two sides going toe to toe with the black and ambers just about holding on in this local derby. Both sides defences were holding up well throughout the first half and mid-way through the half there was a grand total of 4 scores, two a-piece. The second quarter of the game is ultimately where the game was won when late in the half Coralstown-Kinnegad were unlucky to hit the crossbar at one end only to find themselves picking the ball out of their own net when a sweeping move found Ian Martin one on one with the keeper and Ian made no mistake with the finish leaving The Downs ahead by one point at the break. The second half was similar to a game of chess with both sides cautiously working the ball back and forth until The Downs edged ahead with scores from Philip Martin and Luke Loughlin. However, Coralstown Kinnegad were not going to go out without a fight clawing their way back into the game with three terrific long-range points. It just wasn’t enough however to salvage the game for the reds with joy emanating from The Downs players and supporters having qualified for this year’s county final on October 13th. Final Score The Downs 1-08 Coralstown Kinnegad 0-10. Congratulations to Johnny Murray and his management team Liam Joyce and Danny McDermott and of course the whole panel of players.
Senior Ladies Semi-final
Earlier in the day our senior ladies contested the semi-final of the Village Barn senior championship against St. Lomans Mullingar. In a tough day for The Downs the ladies unfortunately came out second best on this occasion to a well-drilled and tenacious St. Lomans side. The Downs found themselves trailing by 1-06 to 0-3 in the first half but were handed a life-line when Brittany McNamee sent the ball into the St. Lomans net from a free just before half time leaving the score at The Downs 1-03 St, Lomans 1-06. The second half was a more even affair however when St. Lomans went two points up, Katie Kilmurray put the result to rest when she scored a superbly taken goal late in the second half. With five points between the sides late it was going to be difficult for The Downs to claim back the victory. St. Lomans held on to their credit and we wish them every best wish in the final. Final score The Downs 1-07. St. Lomans 2-09.
Under 16 Boys Final The U16’s put in a valiant effort against a strong Shandonagh side in the U16 Div 1 final last Thursday evening in horrendous weather conditions. Despite being 7 points down in the second half, the lads emptied themselves to get back to level pegging only for Shandonagh to kick a winning score to edge out winners by the narrowest of margins. Well done to all involved players and management alike Steven Cleary, Paddy Monaghan, Joe Daly. Better days ahead for these young men. LGFA Under 14 Finals Our U14 Division 2 team contested the final on Sunday afternoon against Goldsmiths in a resplendent Killucan GAA. Our girls put in an excellent performance against a physical Goldsmiths side. Despite being ahead by a point at half-time, the girls had a tough battle on their hands to hold off Goldsmith Girls who finished out the game the stronger. Final score Goldsmiths 2-07 The Downs 2-02
It’s now the turn of our Division 5 team will also play Goldsmiths in their final next Saturday at 2.30 in Killucan. All support appreciated.
Underage Training Comes to an End Our underage training has come to an end for 2024. We had a great evening of fun and treats on Friday last to bring the curtain down on a great year of training for all our underage stars. We would like to thank all the volunteers who kept the show on the road since last March. We wish you all a well-earned rest and look forward to seeing you all next year. Scór na nÓg Scór na nÓg is back. If you are interested in taking part in Céili dancing/ Ballad Group singing or playing an instrument, please come along to The Downs GAA Club on Monday 30th at 8 pm. We are holding an open evening to discover new dancing, singing or musical talent for children in the area aged between 10and 17 – all welcome. Club Shop With the county final now on our radar, the club shop will be open this Thursday from 7 to 8 at the clubhouse for all your bunting, flags and headband needs. For urgent orders please contact Carmel on 0879496347. Music in Clubhouse
Why not come along to the clubhouse this Saturday October 5th when Tommy McCormack will be playing music from 9.30 p.m. All welcome.
Bingo
Bingo continues every Friday night at 8.30 p.m. All new members welcome.
Club Lotto We will continue to live stream our Lotto draw via our Facebook page for the foreseeable future. Tune in at 9-30 on each Monday night to catch the draw.
1.Add a discounted bundle to your Downs GAA club membership by clicking here. 2.Play online at our website www.thedownsgaa.com 3. Play online at Clubzapp http://bit.ly/3ItlksQ 4. Contact your regular draw collector for your area or any Committee member who will enter your numbers on to our Perma Book which is retained at the club. 5. Send a cheque for €100 to club secretary Tommy Kelly, Coralstown, Mullingar (one year’s subscription). 6. Or scan here:
Thanks to our supporters for their loyal commitment to our Fundraising Draw and to those new players who have signed up online and in hard copy.
Keep up to date with club activities There are lots of ways to keep up to date with our activities. Our award-winning website can be viewed at www.thedownsgaa.com where you can sign up to receive our weekly newsletter by email. Also check us out on Twitter, Facebook YouTube and Instagram.
