The Downs can end 2022 with their heads held high

The Gerry Buckley Column

“I don’t expect them to win, but I will be very surprised if they are hammered.”

That was this scribe’s verdict on The Downs’ chances against Kilmacud Crokes in the run-up to last Sunday’s Leinster final, including in the press box to national newspaper reporters between the two games in Croke Park. Ironically, Kilmacud looked set for a hammering in the curtain-raiser, but ended up regretting the concession of two totally preventable goals which are likely to spoil the Christmas Day dinners of Robert O’Loughlin and Eddie Gibbons respectively.

The Downs were so well supported on the day that when co-commentating with Gerry Russell for Midlands Radio Three, the latter referred to “those listening in from The Downs”, I corrected him tongue-in-cheek by saying, “there is nobody left in The Downs”!

The Downs have an unusual connection with GAA headquarters outside of their actual club participating twice this year, in that their fancy strip of the late-1960s was used by Westmeath in what was the county’s first ever Leinster SFC win on Jones’ Road, a one-point win against Louth in 1969 when the Wee County’s red was (strangely) considered to clash with our maroon.

Those of us of a certain age still relish watching Lake County teams and/or clubs representing the county in action in Croke Park. Believe you me, that treat was a rarity when I was small and Christmas trees were tall. Yours truly’s second career as a sports journalist has added to the thrill, looking down from on high (too high, in my opinion) on the action on the hallowed soil.

However, last Sunday was deeply unpleasant (even forgetting about Kilmacud’s comprehensive win) as an icy wind was blowing more or less directly into our exposed area. I suspect that the two chemists from whom I had purchased a range of items to eliminate a sore throat, mouth ulcers and a head cold in the preceding days would have been less than impressed with my ‘solution’ to improve matters. To those who said to me that reporting in Croke Park must be very glamorous (and it usually is in summertime), I responded, in my best Jim Royle accent: “Glamorous my a**e!”

On-field matters were not helping Mr Royle, who had no ‘runners’ like his beleaguered son Antony to run down for Lemsips etc, as the above prediction looked like crashing as badly as poor Maurice Deegan did – twice, no less – in the renowned Laois whistler’s Croke Park swansong. Indeed, without advocating thuggery (well, not too much so!), I opined to those nearby that “The Downs' lads should hit Shane Walsh as hard as they did poor old Maurice!"

Then again, as is often the case with such a quality player, it can be hard to get close enough to put in the required hit. However, I can think of a handful of black and amber-clad stars of the past who would have been only too happy to take the proverbial ‘early shower’ to ‘put manners’ on the Galwegian!

Those of us who were in Páirc Tailteann almost 50 years ago when then-Dublin kingpins St Vincent’s walloped The Downs, a year before ‘Heffo’s Army’ came on the scene and when Metropolitan teams simply did not scare their culchie counterparts, could see another walloping coming when Walsh brought his tally to 0-8 early in the second moiety, thereby putting Crokes 13 points to the good.

However, The Downs’ resilience has been a hallmark of a fabulously-run club in their 129 years on the go under a variety of names. Accordingly, a seven-point defeat is highly respectable against a side which, frankly, has absolutely cantered to provincial glory this year.

Winning manager Robbie Brennan was magnanimous after the game, stating: “The Downs showed what they can do towards the end, but we had a cushion at that stage.” The men in purple and gold will take some stopping in their pursuit of the Andy Merrigan Cup, a trophy they left behind them at the same venue ten months ago against Kilcoo. “We’ll see if Santa delivers a nice Christmas present and gets Paul Mannion back for the All-Ireland semi-final,” Brennan added. Good luck is all I can say to any defence having to cope with both Walsh and Mannion, never mind a plethora of other top-class players.

Sunday was a tough lesson for The Downs, but their youth and the aforementioned resilience, allied to the wisdom and man-management skills of a manager who has greatly impressed me, Lar Wall, will surely see them challenge again for top honours inside and outside of the county in the years ahead. Sporadic displays of his mercurial talent by Luke Loughlin apart, in addition to another fine performance by wing backs Joe Moran and Conor Coughlan, it was a fairly forgettable evening for most of the starting XV.

The subs improved The Downs’ lot and competition for places will be a great starting point for Wall and his backroom team when the onerous task of retaining the Flanagan Cup for the first time in 53 years takes precedence in 2023. It was imperative that they did not ship an embarrassing beating last Sunday. They will be back.

And the rights and wrongs of Walsh – who still refers in interviews to Galway as “home” – moving to a massive Dublin club with which his connections are very tenuous? I say: “Loyalty, my a**e!”