DOWN will play in the Liberty Insurance All-Ireland senior camogie championship later this year for the first time in more than two decades after the Association’s Archomhairle contacted them at the weekend to confirm that their request to upgrade had been accepted “on the condition that two teams are relegated at the end of the 2021 season”.
The Association had passed a motion last summer that there would be no automatic promotion and relegation in 2020. This was brought in principally as a measure to protect counties who may not have been able to field at full-strength through the curtailed season given that a high percentage of inter-county players are front line workers.
In the draft fixture programme emailed to counties just before Christmas, Down were to remain in the Intermediate championship and Division Two even though they had steam-rolled their way to the All-Ireland Intermediate title beating Antrim in an all-Ulster final in Kinspan Breffni in early December.
A number of players in interviews immediately after that victory had expressed their desire to play at the higher grade while the county’s inclusion in the Intermediate again for 2021 had prompted much debate on social media.
County chairperson Helen McAleavey received the e-mail from Ardchomhairle late on Friday and immediately communicated it to the team.
“I think it is fair to say that we are delighted as a county to be allowed to make the move to senior status,” she said yesterday.
“This has resulted from a gradual improvement over each of the last three seasons and we just felt that another year in Intermediate would be counter-productive to further development with this group of players.
“I don’t think anyone is under any illusions as to the challenges that lie ahead of us as a county Board and as a team at senior level.With or without the extra difficulties presented by COVID, we as a Board will have to step up to the plate to provide the best platform possible for the girls to prepare for that level of competition. But we are all up for those challenges.
“I also think that it will be good for Ulster camogie to have a county competing at the top level,” she added.
In a separate development McAleavey confirmed that last year’s successful team manager Derek Dunne had reversed his decision to step away from the county team after three years involvement.
Shortly after the All-Ireland win, Laois native Dunne had informed the County Board and players of his decision to step down following the county’s most successful spell in more than two decades.He cited business commitments as a key factor in his decision.
However it is believed that pressure from both players and the Board had persuaded him to have a re-think especially with the incentive to guide the county into senior competition.
