Football

Eamonn Burns to run the rule over Down hopefuls in Dr McKenna Cup opener

Darren O'Hagan will anchor the Down defence this season
Darren O'Hagan will anchor the Down defence this season Darren O'Hagan will anchor the Down defence this season

DOWN’S traditional powerhouses are notably absent from the county’s Dr McKenna Cup squad for this weekend’s opener against Queen’s as Eamonn Burns takes the opportunity to run the rule over hopefuls from 16 different clubs.

Divisions one, two and three from the 2016 season are represented in the panel, with top flight outfit Clonduff supplying the most players with four - Darren, Patrick and Barry O’Hagan and Aidan Carr. However, there are no representatives from five in-a-row county champions Kilcoo, only two from Burren and just Cathal Magee from Mayobridge.

Gary McMahon, Ryan McAleenan and Ryan Mallon are included from the emerging Cumman Peadar Naofa club in Warrenpoint and there is also a trio of players from Down Intermediate champions Bredagh - Conor Francis, Alan Davidson and Donal Hughes.

After scoring heavily throughout the successful county campaign, Hughes and Davidson contributed a combined 1-14 of the south Belfast side’s total of 1-17 in their Ulster Intermediate Championship quarter-final loss to Monaghan’s Donaghmoyne.

They will both hope to see some action against Queen’s University this weekend as will Rostrevor’s Caolan Mooney who missed the League and Championship campaigns last year.

While there is an inexperienced look to his panel, manager Burns, now in his second year at the Down helm, has included 13 players - nine of them starters - who saw action in the loss to Longford in last year’s Qualifiers in his panel.

The experienced personnel includes Aidan Carr - the only player from the 2010 All-Ireland final campaign named - as well as Peter Turley, Benny McArdle and Darren O’Hagan, who was a member of Pete McGrath’s Ulster panel for the recent Interprovincial Football Championships.

The Clonduff defender started the semi-final against Munster and the final against Connacht that saw the northern province win the competition for a record 32nd time.

Losing to Longford brought the curtain down on a well-documented and miserable 2016 for the Mourne men but, with a mouthwatering Ulster Championship clash with Armagh to look forward to in early June, the Down faithful are hoping for something to celebrate in 2017.

Down begin their McKenna Cup campaign at the RGU Downpatrick grounds on Sunday against a Queen’s side that will include a number of Mourne natives on the field and former county player and manager James McCartan in the dugout.

Two-time All-Ireland winner McCartan has named 10 of his fellow county men in his squad, including Marty Clarke - whose inter-county days appear to be over - and Aaron Morgan from Kilcoo.

Also involved are John O’Hare, Donal McKeever, Ciaran McCartan, Anthony Doherty, Aaron McClements, Aiden Fegan, Ciaran Harney, Conor McGrady, while Ryan Cup winners Ulster University include former Down full-forward Niall Madine and Damien McKeown, Sean McGonigle and Kory Colgan.

Elsewhere, Kevin McKernan is expected to feature for St Mary’s, while Conor Maginn is working his way back from injury and Kilcoo’s Jerome and Ryan Johnston, Darryl O’Hanlon and Paul Devlin are expected to come into contention for the start of the National Football League Division Two campaign.

Down begin the league by hosting Fermanagh before travelling to Ennis to face Clare a week later.

DOWN PANEL 


(subject to change) 


G McMahon (Warrenpoint), M Cunningham (Castlewellan), P Turley (RGU, Downpatrick), D O’Hagan (Clonduff), R McAleenan (Warrenpoint), G McGovern (Burren), G Collins (RGU, Downpatrick), B McArdle (Annaclone), C McGovern (Burren), A Carr (Clonduff), D McKibbin (Bryansford), C Mooney (Rostrevor), D Turley (Cnoc na Mí), J Flynn (Loughinisland), J Murphy (Ballyholland), S Millar (Glenn), A Davidson (Bredagh), N Donnelly (Tullylish), P O’Hagan (Clonduff), C Francis (Bredagh), S Dornan (Castlewellan), B O’Hagan (Clonduff), C Harrison (Glasdrumman), D Hughes (Bredagh), R Mallon (Warrenpoint), C Magee (Mayobridge)