Down’s footballing fortunes over the decade just finished swung from the high of an All-Ireland final to the low of successive relegations and 14 consecutive League and Championship defeats. However, in true tradition, the county still produced its share of classy footballers and loyal servants. Sean Mahoney picks out some of those who hung up their boots during that period...
BENNY COULTER
When Benny Coulter ended his time as Down’s best and most consistent footballer since the turn of the century, he had already secured legendary status both within the county and beyond.
A single Allstar (2010), four inter-provincial winners’ medals with Ulster and three International Rules winning medals are scant reward for his exploits and his talismanic qualities.
His bravado and fearlessness, allied to his skill, panache, finishing ability and leadership, were evident from the day of his senior debut in 1999 – the same year he won an All-Ireland minor title – right up until his final season.
The Mayobridge man was a once-in-a-generation type of player and few have, or will, come close to lacing his boots.
MARK POLAND
THE Longstone playmaker walked away on his own terms at the end of 2017.
He first wore the Down jersey in 2006, but Down fans really saw the best of him between 2010 and 2015. Quick-minded, fleet-footed and speedy, Poland’s low centre of gravity and agility meant that he could negotiate a way through the blanket defence and knit play together from deep-lying positions.
He wasn’t shy in front of the posts either, scoring 3-46 in 34 Championship appearances. The sweetest and most memorable of those three goals came in the early stages of the All-Ireland
quarter-final win over Kerry in Croke Park in 2010.
Mourne fans will also have fond memories of his late smash-and-grab goal against Armagh at the Athletic Grounds in February 2014, as the GAA flirted with Friday night inter-county football.
KALUM KING
THE six-foot-three Bryansford man-mountain was a talented footballer in his own right, but sometimes didn’t receive the credit for his footballing skills as much as his physicality.
Played a key role in helping Down reach the All-Ireland final in 2010, with his infamous fingertip save in injury-time of the semi-final win over Kildare.
A footballer held in high regard, King began the 2014 season and was captain and vice-captain over a number of games, but left the panel before the Championship started to concentrate on work in the world of finance.
RONAN MURTAGH
The Ballyholland maestro is another who didn’t receive the credit he deserved over the course of his inter-county career, but his role in the 2010 campaign cannot be under-estimated.
A goal and five points in the final Qualifier victory over Sligo brought Down face-to-face with Kerry in the quarter-final at Croke Park, a game in which he also had a scoring impact.
Also among the scorers in the win over Kildare, Murtagh had craft and courage in abundance, but eventually, unable to nail down a consistent starting slot, he called time on his career in red and black.
AIDAN CARR
Ensured that the Carr dynasty in the red and black extended into the 21st century when he made his county debut back in 2005, and it was 12 years later before he called time.
Although he wasn’t a regular in the starting side in 2010, his contribution cannot be understated as it was his last-ditch penalty in the round three Qualifier win over Offaly in Tullamore which helped build momentum for what followed.
He showed his composure again when another penalty goal sparked the comeback against Monaghan which took Down to an Ulster final in 2012.
Carr was a player who made things happen. Comfortable in front of the posts, he also possessed a fantastic long-range passing ability.
CONOR LAVERTY
Laverty played for Down from 2006 until 2015, when he quit to concentrate on club and his young family. Kilcoo have certainly reaped the rewards.
His finest season at county level came in 2012, when a goal in the opening Ulster SFC win over Fermanagh was followed by a fine performance in the semi-final win over Monaghan.
James McCartan’s side looked dead and buried when trailing 0-11 to 0-2, but a typical will-o’-the-wisp display from Laverty saw him win a penalty, which Aidan Carr converted, and then add two fine points from play to help his side pull off an unlikely victory.
The Magpies man also played a huge part in the second half of the 2015 League campaign, which ended with Down being promoted back to Division One.
PAUL McCOMISKEY
The Dundrum flying forward was a magnificent footballer and a superb scorer for Down, but another player whose career in the red and black was all-too-fleeting. He was Down’s best forward in the 2010 All-Ireland final defeat to Cork, scoring three points from play. The future looked exceptionally bright, but three years later, he stepped aside while still only in his mid-20s.
A torture for defenders, quick on the turn and accurate from the tightest of angles, he had made his senior debut in 2008 after playing a big part in the 2005 minor success.
BRENDAN McVEIGH
Down’s only ever goalkeeping Allstar has proved a very hard man to replace since he quit in 2014 after more than a decade with the jersey.
Confident, strong and a fine kicker and shot-stopper, the An Riocht man was the rock on which Down based their defence and never let his side down.
DANNY HUGHES
THERE was much furore over whether Danny Hughes retired or was retired in 2014, but what has never been in doubt was the impact which the Saval star had on the relative success around the beginning of the decade. At the height of his powers, there was simply no stopping this pacey wizard.
His performances against Kerry and Kildare in the knock-out stages of the 2010 All-Ireland series oozed class and he fully deserved the Allstar which he was awarded.
A player with style and flair in abundance, his high-tempo approach may have eventually caught up with him at the age of 32 as injuries took their toll.
MARTIN CLARKE
Clarke returned from his second spell with Australian Rules side Collingwood in 2014 hoping to emulate the exploits of his 2010 season in the red and black, when he pulled the strings as the Mourne county came agonisingly close to a sixth All-Ireland title. However, Addison’s Disease was to rob the An Riocht man of playing at the very highest level again.
Undoubtedly one of the county’s finest talents from as far back as 2005, when he led the Down minor team to an All-Ireland title, fans might still be full of regrets that his brilliance wasn’t on display more often at senior level.
