DOWN will not be able to call upon forward Connaire Harrison for the upcoming inter-county campaign after other commitments forced the 2017 Allstar nominee out of the reckoning.
Harrison has suffered a frustrating couple of years on the county front, a recurring problem with osteitis pubis - inflammation where the bones meet at the lower front part of the pelvis - leaving him watching on from the sidelines when inter-county action resumed last October.
The door was left open for the 31-year-old to rejoin Paddy Tally’s panel once counties were given the green light to resume collective training but, while Down are preparing for Saturday’s National League opener in Mayo, Harrison will not be involved.
“The injury is holding up well so far but there’s still more to do to get to where I want to be,” he said.
“I’ve decided I cannot give the commitment needed to play this year. Between work and family reasons - my wife is expecting again - I just haven’t the time on my hands any more unfortunately.”
While his Down career is put on hold for now, Harrison was in action on the club front last weekend.
Having started the 2020 London Senior Football Championship campaign with Neasden Gaels before it was curtailed by the Covid pandemic, Harrison was back in the English capital last weekend for their rescheduled semi-final against Tir Chonaill Gaels.
Despite lining out alongside the likes of Armagh forward Jamie Clarke, as well as brother and former Down goalkeeper Shane, Neasden slipped to a three point defeat in Greenford, going down 0-16 to 2-7.
“I had started the 2020 championship over there so wanted to finish it out,” said Harrison.
While boss Tally may already have been planning without him, it is a hit to the Galbally man’s forward options heading into their Division Two North campaign, as it is already anticipated that he could be without the three Johnston brothers for the foreseeable future.
The Kilcoo trio all featured in last year’s Ulster Championship but Ryan and Sheelan are not currently with the Down squad – the latter instead planning to focus on U20 commitments.
Eldest sibling Jerome, meanwhile, could miss the majority of the League with a hamstring problem – a major blow considering how impressive he was as the Magpies swept to an eighth county title in nine years last September before carrying that form into the remainder of the 2020 county season.
On the plus side, Glenn attacker Shay Millar is due home from Australia in the coming weeks and could bolster Tally’s options in time for Championship, which begins with an Ulster preliminary round clash against Donegal in Newry on June 27.
With Millar planning to play football for his club once he returns, it would be a surprise if he wasn’t asked to return to county colours too. Saval’s Pat Havern is another who has returned to the fold having been unavailable when the season resumed last autumn.
Burren full-back Gerard McGovern and RGU Downpatrick's versatile Anthony Doherty headed Down Under around the same time as Millar, but the pair have now linked back up with the squad – with both featuring in a challenge match against Tyrone last week.
