THE club-versus-club divide that dogged Down football for too long is steadily disappearing says Mourne county defender Niall McParland.
The appointment of Conor Laverty heralded the return of a group of players from 2022 All-Ireland club champions Kilcoo to the county fold and McParland says old rivalries and suspicions are quickly falling by the wayside.
“Down couldn’t attract a lot of the Kilcoo players because they were so involved with their club but Conor coming in opened everything up,” said McParland.
“He knows the Kilcoo players so well and they’re winners, they’ve been winning for 10 years so to have lads like that around training is brilliant. You have thoughts about people, like maybe you think ‘I don’t like him on the pitch’ or whatever but once you train with them and eat with them after training you realise that everybody is pretty similar, we’re all GAA people and normal lads and the walls quickly come down and you build good friendships.
“There are lads from Kilcoo I didn’t know until this year and now I would call them friends. That’s just the way it goes and it can only be positive for our squad.”
The rivalry between the Kilcoo and Burren clubs is as fierce as any in the country and when Laverty, who was in the thick of it on the pitch up until last season, was appointed county manager he contacted the players he wanted in his squad from the St Mary’s club personally.
“Conor made the phonecalls himself,” McParland explained.
“Declan Morgan rang the likes of me, who would have no problems with Kilcoo - because we’re not playing them often enough. Conor wanted to say: ‘I think you’re good enough, park the club and come and play for Down’.
“That’s what it is and I wouldn’t see any favouritism or anything. That craic is good with the Kilcoo lads, Conor is sharp enough and the likes of Niall Kane is the same. None of them are shy! The craic is great but when Conor needs to get serious it’s a very quick change and nobody would step across him.
“He rules with an iron fist but you wouldn’t get any of the Down lads saying a bad word about him, he’s been great for Down football. I’ve been in different set-ups and they’ve all been great but Conor has been able to pull it all together and it feels like more of a complete package. Obviously we’re not the complete package but we’re taking positive steps forward.”
It’s not where Down want to be but it’s where they’re meant to be says McParland as he looks ahead to the start of the Mournemen’s Tailteann Cup campaign against Waterford this weekend.
Beating Donegal in the Ulster Championship was a massive confidence boost for Down but losing to Armagh at the semi-final stage sent them on their way to the second tier championship.
“It’s great to have the Tailteann Cup because we have lofty ambitions for where we’d like to be in the future but right now this is exactly where we’re meant to be,” said the defender from the John Mitchel’s club in Glenn.
“We have a competition that we can realistically try to win, or compete in at least. There are some great teams in this competition that are well capable of turning us over. I’d say if you were looking at the betting we’re maybe second or third but it’s a great stage to be learning on.
“1994 was the last time Down won a (Championship) trophy and that’s far too long for a county like ourselves.
“Maybe where we think we should be and where we are are two very different places. As Armagh know, it’s not easy to win stuff. Every year it’s getting harder and harder and Ulster is so competitive – one of the big teams takes a step back and somebody else is in there so you have to be really on it to get a trophy.”
