DOWN have been dealt a blow with the news that they will be without Jerome Johnston for at least the duration of next year’s National League.
Mourne boss Éamonn Burns has confirmed to The Irish News that the Kilcoo forward would not be available until at least the end of March next year, if at all for his county in 2018, as he is set to go travelling.
Johnston was the county’s saviour back in April when his last-gasp free salvaged a draw in Cork that kept Down in Division Two, a result that was credited with kick-starting a run of summer form that took them to an Ulster final for the first time in five years.
He has had an injury-disrupted couple of years, however. A dislocated shoulder saw him miss the start of the 2016 season and a broken metatarsal at the tail end of the same year also ruled him out of Kilcoo’s run to the Ulster club final, as well as the early weeks of Down’s 2017 campaign.
His brother Ryan and Darragh O’Hanlon are back on board, while Magpies duo Dylan Ward and Aaron Morgan have also been linked with call-ups, though Burns said they are still in the process of finalising their squad.
Goalkeeper Mickey Cunningham is also set to take the year out to travel to the States, while Conaill McGovern is another believed to have opted out for 2018.
There is also speculation about the future of the long-serving Aidan Carr, whose 2017 was also disrupted by a badly-timed hamstring injury that curtailed his championship involvement.
Following their run to the Ulster intermediate final, in which they lost to Moy by a single point at the weekend, Rostrevor quartet Darren McElhinney, Johnny Parr, Piaras Kane and the established Caolan Mooney will all join up with the squad in the coming weeks.
They will also be without Mark Poland, who announced his retirement last month.
On the club front, Kilcoo have once more reappointed Paul McIver as manager. The Ballinderry man has guided the club to the last three of their six Down titles in a row, but their Ulster dream has foundered on the Slaughtneil rock the last two seasons.
Cushendall are going all out to regain the Antrim hurling title, with former Saffron boss Dinny Cahill joining a management team headed by Loughgiel native Eamon Gillan.
