Latest news with #DownGAA
Irish Daily Mirror
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Down GAA marks death of All-Ireland winning great with heartfelt tribute
Down GAA has paid tribute to two-time All-Ireland winner Tony Hadden, who passed away last week. The former Newry Shamrocks star was part of the ground-breaking Down team that won the county's first All-Ireland in 1960 - becoming the first Ulster champions to do so in the process - and then backed it up by repeating that success in 1961. He also won four Ulster titles and two National League medals during his inter-county career. In 1961, Hadden also captained the Shamrocks to the Down SFC title, the club's last senior triumph, and later on he also enjoyed success as a selector with Down at underage and senior level. READ MORE: 'The Sunday Game' - All-Ireland Camogie Final referee decisions 'balanced out' READ MORE: Peter Keane gives reasons for leaving Clare football hot-seat after one season He scored 0-2 from corner-forward in both All-Ireland final wins. "Tony Hadden gave great service to his county not just on the field of play, from 1954 to 1963," read the Down GAA statement. "In 1977, he was part of the team management that guided Down to a first All-Ireland Minor success with victory over Meath. In 1981, Tony acted as a selector with Joe Lennon as team manager when Down won the Ulster Championship with a memorable win over Armagh." Referring to his achievements as a player, the statement added: "In 1960, Tony was joined on the right of the Down attack by Seán Ó Neill and together they formed a partnership that would strike fear into opposing defences, Tony had the ability to roam, to create space and to move out to midfield, when his team needed, all the time playing his part and in doing so making history. "Tony Hadden was the master of the fisted point and as often said 'he could fist the ball as far as another man could kick it' and many times a fisted point, from out the field, was welcomed by a Down team under pressure. "We, in Down GAA, were privileged to have Tony Hadden in our midst, he was a man who spanned the generations and had a great affinity with people of all ages, he was widely respected throughout the game, always a gentleman, who never forgot his roots, he was a proud Newry Man, a proud Shamrocks man and a proud Down man." Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Down pay tribute following the passing of history-making All-Ireland winner Tony Hadden
Down GAA has paid glowing tribute to Tony Hadden, a forward pillar of the county's original All-Ireland trailblazers, who died last week.
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Down GAA lead tributes to ‘our favourite son' & two-time All-Ireland winner who was ‘about greater glory' after death
'GREAT FRIEND' Down GAA lead tributes to 'our favourite son' & two-time All-Ireland winner who was 'about greater glory' after death DOWN GAA hailed Tony Hadden as "one of our favourite sons" following the two-time All-Ireland winner's death. The Newry Shamrocks man passed away on Friday, leaving behind a distinguished and beloved legacy. 2 Tony Hadden sadly died Credit: Sportsfile 2 Hadden, centre, won two All-Ireland titles with Down Credit: Oliver McVeigh / SPORTSFILE After making his senior debut in 1954, Hannen won two All-Ireland medals (1960 and 1961) and four Ulster titles with Down, in addition to a pair of senior county championships with his club. The second of those Sam Maguires, in 1961, saw him play much of the game with a concussion. Hailed as having "given great service" to his county, Hannon was also part of the management team that led Down to their first All-Ireland minor medal in 1977. He was also selector under Joe Lennon as the Mournemen won the 1981 provincial championship with victory over Armagh in the final. In an emotional tribute, Down GAA said they were saddened to lose "one of your favourite sons" who "was about the greater glory". By the time he retired at the end of the 1963 campaign, "he had given nine years of great service to the Red and Black on the field of play." The Down GAA tribute read: "He had played in Wembley, and in America and at all times he had given of his best. "He was part of a team that made history, yet Tony never sought headlines or fanfares. "For Tony, it was about giving. "He gave of his time, his energy, his commitment and his knowledge, to try and make a difference, to make Down Football better and to have success. 'Aged like milk on a windowsill in July' - Watch BBC's GAA pundits ALL predict Donegal to beat Kerry "We in Down GAA were privileged to have Tony Hadden in our midst. "He was a man who spanned the generations and had a great affinity with people of all ages. "He was widely respected throughout the game, always a gentleman who never forgot his roots. "He was a proud Newry Man, a proud Shamrocks Man and a proud Down Man. "Tony was one of those men who helped make us the proud people that we are. "When we think of Tony Hadden, we think of greatness and we also think of humility, for he sought only to give of his best for his family, his Club and his County. "A truly great Gael who we are proud to say was one of our own. "We extend our deepest sympathy to Tony's Wife Carolyn, his many nieces and nephews, the entire Hadden family circle and to the Gaels of Newry Shamrocks at this sad time." 'GREAT FRIEND' In addition to his impact on the county team, Hadden has gone down as an all-time great with the Newry Shamrocks. Having won two minor medals in 1953 and 1954, he carried on his pedigree into the senior ranks. He won two county titles with his club in 1956 and 1961 - the latter coming the same year as his second Sam Maguire - while he added a junior football championship in 1973. In an emotional tribute, Newry Shamrocks described him as a "great friend, player and esteemed clubman". The club mourned: "Tony's name is woven into the history of our club. "From our early home in River Street, to the hall in Boat Street, to our present clubrooms at Páirc Esler, Tony was always to the fore – a true volunteer who epitomised service to our club. "On the field, his brilliance for Shamrocks earned him a place among Down's greatest ever footballers. "Yet no matter how high he climbed, Tony always remained, first and foremost, a Shamrocks man. "Off the pitch, Tony served on numerous committees and as Club Treasurer for many years, bringing diligence, organisation and vision. "His leadership helped guide the building of our Social Club in 1977, including securing a grant of £20,000 from Bass Ireland. "As a manager, coach, advisor and trusted mentor, Tony shared his knowledge freely, inspiring generations of Shamrocks players and teaching us all the values of commitment and pride in the green and white. "We in Newry Shamrocks GAC have been privileged and honoured to call Tony a teammate, a leader and a friend. "A gentleman, a proud Newry man, a proud Down man and a proud Shamrocks man to the end – Tony Hadden will forever be part of our club's story. "We extend our deepest sympathy to his wife Carolyn, the Hadden family circle, and all who knew and loved him."
BBC News
22-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Down beaten by Galway despite second-half fightback
Galway withstood a second-half Down fightback as they moved into the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship quarter-finals with a 2-26 to 3-20 win at Pairc by 10 at the break, a Shane Walsh-inspired Galway seemed well on their way, but Down gave it a real go and it took Tomo Culhane's late goal to give the Tribesmen breathing Down could be proud of their efforts but will reflect on the final nine minutes of the opening half when they were outscored by 0-9 to 0-0 as Walsh hit six and Matthew Thompson three as the period when the game got away from they were within two when Culhane beat Ronan Burns, while a late Down goal from Ryan Magill came too close to the was an even start with points from John McGeough and Odhran Murdock edging Down into a lead, but Galway began to find their rhythm with Robert Finnerty on song early, hitting the game's first two-pointer to give Galway a 0-6 to 0-2 response was excellent and a sweeping move resulted in McGeough thumping home to bring the home crowd to life before Murdock levelled soon after Cillian McDaid edged Galway back in front, enter Shane Walsh. The Tribe talisman got on the end of a Matthew Thompson delivery to thump home and beat Ronan Burns who had previously made a couple of great stops from Finnerty and Cian Down replied with two super Danny Magill scores and another from blood sub Eugene Branagan to reduce the gap to one with 26 minutes it was all Galway in the run to the break as Walsh in particular took over, hitting the next six points including two two-pointers from play and a Thompson would get in on the act with a two-pointer and a single of his own as Galway went in at the break with a 1-16 to 1-6 lead. It was a long way back for Down, although they had the breeze in their favour for the second half, but they got the start they needed with two-pointers from Daniel Guinness and Miceal Rooney.A Havern free cut the gap to five, but Galway steadied again with Thompson, Finnerty and Mathew Tierrney all on began to get on top and a second two-pointer from Guinness was the spark as they got to within two, but then passed up further scores with some poor wides which would come back to haunt Mooney hit two points after his introduction as Down remained right in the hunt heading into the home stretch and after Walsh kicked a two-point free to push the gap back to five, Down looked set to break for home as with five to go, Odhran Murdock found some space to lash to the Galway held their nerve, kept the ball and drained the clock until it opened up as Peter Cooke put fellow sub Culhane in to lash the gap at six with just over a minute to go, Magill palmed home at the other end, but vitally, Galway won the restart and John Daly provided the insurance with a late Ryan McEvoy point after the hooter making no odds as Down's fightback came up short with Galway advancing.
Irish Times
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Tactical analysis: Down will need to share scoring burden around more to knock out Galway
It can be difficult to get an accurate representation of a team's actual progress over a number of years. Often, we are blinded by landmark victories. The Gaelic Football ELO ratings, diligently kept on X/Twitter by Shane Mangan, are a manner to actually track a team's progression or regression. ELO ratings are essentially used as a way to rank a team based on their results, factoring in variables such as match importance, home advantage and standard of opposition. It is similar to the type of system used to determine world rankings by Fifa or World Rugby. In the past few years, there have been teams who have had large rises in the rankings in one season, such as Meath this year, with victories over higher ranked teams like Dublin and Kerry. READ MORE Roscommon are a good example of a team who have fluctuated in the rankings in recent years, from a high of 7th to their current position of 13th. The steady movers in the rankings are Down. Since the arrival of Conor Laverty in August 2022, Down have moved from 19th place to their current position of 12th. They have quietly risen, usually winning the games they should win and losing the games they are expected to lose. They now face Galway (Sunday, Pairc Esler, 1.45pm) who are ranked 2nd - could a major upset be on the cards? Down are not a team who have generated much media attention, as since Laverty's arrival they have mostly played off-Broadway. Yes, they have played in the Ulster championship, but they have yet to be a real contender in Laverty's three seasons. Their progress has been in promotion up to Division Two of the league, only to get narrowly relegated in 2025. They landed the Tailteann Cup in 2024, beating Laois in the final, having fallen at the final hurdle in 2023 to Meath. A favourable draw in this year's round robin saw them beat Clare and narrowly overcome neighbours Louth, before falling to Monaghan in the clash for top of the group in the final round. Down have been consistently, quietly building. What about their strengths and why do they have a chance of beating Galway? Well, it is in Newry and Laverty has tapped into Down football heritage by making it a fortress, but some of what they are doing on the field could make the difference. While Laverty may be a Kilcoo man, who are known for their restrictive style of football, he was often the forward who showed real creativity and this Down team shows that inventiveness within a structure. A lot of their attacking nous revolves around Danny Magill, Odhran Murdock and Pat Havern. At this current juncture, I believe Danny Magill is a nailed on All Star in terms of his explosiveness on the ball and his ability to beat men one-on-one, but also his foraging and defensive duties back the field. Down have relied heavily on Danny Magill, Odhran Murdock and Pat Havern for scores throughout the championship. To date in the Championship, these three men have scored 0-73, which represents 56% of their total scored (6-113). No other Down players have scored in every game, showing a lack of consistent support and a big dependency on the three attacking sparks. In the Donegal game, where the Down attack was so often stunted, there was particular attention paid to Murdock and how he looks to break a line. Michael Langan was detailed to mark the Burren man from the outset and never gave him any opportunity to break lines, leading to his one scoring blank this season. Donegal stopped Odhran Murdock getting on the scoresheet, with Michael Langan tagging him closely here. It is likely that Galway have identified these three men and they will have players working in a system to shut them down. Each of the three men offer different attributes meaning particular match-ups are required. Murdock has huge power and is hard to stop when running direct. He showed that against Louth after winning the throw-in, as he rampaged straight down the middle for a two-pointer. Magill has really been Down's go-to man this season, showcasing a wide variety of skills. He was a key man for kickouts against Donegal, showing for the ball for Ronan Burns, as well as winnings breaks off Donegal's restarts. Danny Magill bursts into a pocket of space to receive a short kickout against Donegal. He has carried the ball through the middle all season and is constantly looking to set up opportunities to run at men one-on-one using his blinding pace. Magill isolates his man to take him on one-on-one against Monaghan. Against Louth, Magill uses a stutter step to create a gap for a more direct route to goal. Havern has tended to operate as a distance shooter, hanging around outside the arc, picking off two-pointers and jinking inside to higher percentage shooting positions. Down are getting their shots off, as they outshot Donegal 26 shots to 25, but their shooting efficiency was only 54% on the day. They will need others to carry the load too against Galway. Pat Havern drifts into space, and has enough time to successfully kick a two-pointer. If Down are to take a scalp, they will need to eliminate basic errors. While Havern has been a maverick in scoring two-pointers and conjuring points from a standing start, he will need to be quicker in his use of possession. He fouled the ball technically twice against Donegal and was pulled up for a double bounce against Monaghan inside his own arc. What will annoy Laverty about this is that there was a longer kickout option for Burns and then an immediate kick pass option not seen by Havern, after he received the kickout. Either one of these would have put Down on the attack. Down had good options at this kickout, but Havern's double bounce led to a turnover. While much was made of Jack McCarron picking the ball up off the ground for his goal, the cause of the goal is of more importance. It was a basic skill execution error; a low handpass to feet, that led to the Monaghan turnover inside the Down 45m line. They cannot be turning ball over in this manner. A simple error led to Jack McCarron's second half goal for Monaghan. Equally they have been caught with three v three breaches in their last two games, resulting in 0-3 conceded. Small margins are crucial if they are to step up another level. Small margins are at play in their kickouts too. They have shown some innovation in the kickout zone, with a lot of high risk, high reward kickouts, eye of a needle stuff. In general it has worked well for them, but Monaghan managed to pick them off on a short kickout, leading to Mícheál Bannigan's goal. Down were caught out by Monaghan, as a short kickout was intercepted directly before Mícheál Bannigan's goal. Down are trying to get set up further out the field, often in a spine formation, and then break into pockets closer to their own goal. A couple of graphics emphasise this below. Down will need to be brave, but also smart, as they get ready for a Galway front eight who will look to punish anything that goes astray. Down setting up in a spine formation for a kickout against Donegal. They try the same kickout routine to go short against Louth here. Louth profited at times with their second half squeeze, not allowing Down out of their own half. Down will have to transition the ball faster into the safety of the Galway half this weekend. Louth also punished Down when short kickouts went astray. Steady progress has been made and Down can definitely take a scalp, but they will need their key men to fire, be decisive in possession and eliminate unforced errors across the field. Down have kicked the ball infrequently in games, but used it to good effect along with intelligent inside movement for John McGeough's goal against Monaghan. They will need to use all the tools at their disposal for a win against the Tribesmen. Down played more direct at times, with Jordan McGeough getting on the end of a kick pass and hitting the back of the net against Monaghan. Paul O'Brien is a performance analyst with The Performance Process.
