By Michael McMullan

AFTER climbing up the Donegal ladder, Downings step into uncharted territory with a trip to Butlersbridge in Cavan as the Ulster Junior Championship continues on Saturday.

For midfielder Julie Trearty, her life is about journeys. Both in football and in life.

Living in Drumcondra and teaching in Balbriggan, Friday means the trek back to Downings for training. Before that, it was mixing football with study in Coleraine.

Commitment goes beyond her own involvement. The trek from Dublin takes her home in time to lead the session with the club’s All-Stars group, offering spot to anyone with additional needs.

A few minutes into the conversation with Trearty and you can tell why the Downings girls have progressed since their inception in 2016.

Half their team is based at home. The rest are scattered over Ireland for work at college. If they aren’t at college training, they log into the running session set out for them.

“There’s a trust there, we know we’re doing it,” she points out. “We don’t need to be checking up, the girls are quite good at that in fairness.”

Downings’ league season wasn’t a priority. Peaking for the right time of the year was a focus.

There was still frustration at being relegated from the top flight on nine points, one point adrift from those who survived. On first glance, it was disappointing.

Below that, many of the results were defeats by the narrowest of margins. While using the league to blood new players, Downings were matching the big dogs. Their +35 score difference said as much. The previous year, they reached the semi-final.

Much like the season in Division One told Dungloe they had what it took to compete at Intermediate Championship level, Downings knew they were progressing.

“There has been a big change in Donegal,” Trearty said of the ladies’ landscape.

“For a long time, it was a two-horse race. That really started to change last year and I think we were a big part of that.

“It just really is growing. And it’s only going to get bigger and bigger every year, I can just tell.”

Termon are the benchmark but Trearty saw the shoots of hope. When the teams met, there were a few absentees on each side but Downings were far from out of their depth.

Four wins in the group stages took Downings into this year’s Junior A knockout stages where they saw off Naomh Columba and Muff to take the title.

It’s the latest in a line of successes. Since their reformation, there has been an annual step up the ladder.

Along with the men, they did the All-Ireland Gaeltacht double on home soil in 2018. There was promotion from Division Three. A Junior B title in 2019 was another signpost.

Downings reached the Junior A final 12 months later but Susanne White’s 2-9 led Killybegs to victory.

“We lost to a better Killybegs side on the day,” Trearty said. “You learn more from your losses than you do your wins. I think that’s a massive thing for us.”

Downings were back in the final last year but met a Dungloe team determined not to lose a third successive final. Below the pain of defeat was a realisation they weren’t just ready. There is almost a contentment they didn’t get over the line against Killybegs in 2020.

“I’ve seen huge changes in our girls, their maturity on and off the pitch. They’ve really grown as people and as players,” Trearty added.

“I don’t know if we would have been ready to be at the stage where we are now and play in Ulster and compete in Ulster.”

They are ready as they’ll ever be. The ‘babies’ of the team have stepped up. There are options from the bench and there is an eye for goal.

“I think this is just our time now,” she said. “We’re as ready as we’re ever going to be for it.”

That said, their next challenge is a walk in the dark. Knowing all the nooks and crannies of the Donegal scene, Butlersbridge is new ground. But it’s the same for everyone in Ulster.

“We’re just solely focused on getting through this next round,” Trearty concludes.

“I was told when I was younger, one of my teachers told me the only thing you can control is yourself,” she recalls. “Anything side of that is uncontrollable.”

VERDICT: DOWNINGS