BENNY COULTER has ended speculation he is set for a shock return to inter-county action for Down’s Championship campaign.
The Mayobridge Allstar called time on his career at the end of last season, but there were whispers that he might be willing to pull on the red and black jersey for a last hurrah this summer. However, speaking at yesterday’s launch of the GAA Open Ulster versus Rest of Ireland charity game at Bryansford GAC on May 25, Coulter said the only possible new recruit to Jim McCorry’s squad would be Marty Clarke.
“Don’t get me wrong, you’d always love to be playing Championship football,” he said.
“But my time is up and, even when I was part of the squad, boys coming in at this stage were at a disadvantage no matter how good they were. I think it’s too late now for anybody to get involved.
“It’s too close to the Championship. June 7 is just over three weeks away and I think anybody coming in at this stage would just upset the applecart. The only man I can see coming in is Marty (Clarke) and he was out through illness. He’s the only one I can see being involved because the best players are there.”
Clarke hasn’t featured for Down since he was diagnosed with Addison’s Disease and is working his way back to fitness with his club An Riocht. Coulter says Mourne fans shouldn’t expect too much of his 2010 All-Ireland final team-mate.
“It’s going to be very hard for Marty to get up to the pace of the game,” he said.
“He’s coming into new surroundings and it’ll be different from when he played four or five years ago. If people expect him to come back and make Down click, it’s just not going to happen. The fans need to be patient with him. He’s a great player, but he’s been out of the game for four years and you can’t expect him to come in and win Ulster titles for Down.”
Jim McCorry guided Down to promotion to Division One this year, but despite that expectations are low in the county. The Mourne men are preparing for their Ulster quarter-final with Derry and neither side is being mentioned prominently in discussions on who will win this year’s Anglo-Celt race.
“The fact that they were beaten in the (Division Two) final (by Roscommon) has lowered the hope the fans had,” said Coulter.
“But the fact that Derry were so poor this year makes it a very hard game to call. I think Down will win the game, but it’ll be a tight affair. I know Brian McIver (Derry manager and former member of the Down management team) will be planning the Down downfall – he knows quite a lot of them.
“At times, there just seems to be that wee spark in our team missing, I don’t know what it is. But there’s just a wee spark that, when you need it, isn’t there.”
Coulter was at Royal County Down Golf Club, Newcastle yesterday to launch the GAA Open. Ulster will be managed by James McCartan, with Seán Boylan looking after the Rest of Ireland select.
“It’s good for the GAA that we’re involved in some part in the Irish Open,” Coulter added.
“There’s a lot of talk about the Open and we’re opening it up on the Monday night. It’s great for Down to be involved.”
ULSTER’S clash with the Rest of Ireland in the May 25 GAA Open will see a stellar cast strut their stuff at St Patrick’s Park, Newcastle, the home of Bryansford GAC.
The Ulster squad will include stars like Benny Coulter, Aaron Kernan, Brendan McVeigh, Paddy Bradley, Stevie McDonnell and Enda Muldoon.
Meanwhile, the Rest of Ireland team, managed by Seán Boylan and John O’Mahony, will feature Dublin All-Ireland winners Barry Cahill, Bryan Cullen and Mossy Quinn, possibly Kerry legends like Darragh and Tomás Ó Sé and a host of other household names. Kildare's Johnny Doyle and Meath's Anthony Moyles and Nigel Crawford could also feature.
Proceeds from the game will go to the Daisy Lodge charity and Bryansford GAC chairman Ronan McVeigh said hosting the game was an honour for the club.
“To have this game at our pitch is wonderful for our club and our parish,” he said.
“We embrace it and, as soon as it was suggested, we were on board straight away. Daisy Lodge are going to be getting benefit out of it as well and to get the big buzz of the big game back in Newcastle will be powerful for us. Our kids are all on a high about it, everybody wants to be part of it.”
The GAA Open is on Monday, May 25 at St Patrick’s Park, throw-in 7pm. Admission is £5 and proceeds will go to Daisy Lodge.
