By Michael McMullan FORMER Down star and manager James McCartan is back in inter-county management as part of Ger Brennan’s ticket with Louth. Former Dublin star Brennan, currently the GAA Executive with UCD, was ratified to take over as Mickey Harte as the Wee County’s senior football manager on Monday night, two weeks after Harte […]
By Kieran Lynch “They try to engineer a score from somewhere, to try and reclaim the prize they last held in 1988. But it’s all over, and Down have won the All-Ireland! They maintain a magnificent record; they have never lost an All-Ireland final… and the fans on Hill 16 are enjoying it enormously.” That […]
THIS week Conor Laverty was announced as the new Down senior manager for the 2023 season. Most outsiders looking in at Down football often wonder what is going on and why can a county with rich tradition and history not be able to compete at the top table. Let me take you back 15 years […]
FORMER Down forward Conor Laverty has been named as the new manager of the county’s senior football team. The Down County Board officially rubberstamped his appointment this evening, less than a month after previous manager James McCartan stepped down from the position. Still playing for reigning All-Ireland club champions Kilcoo, Laverty has already earned a […]
By Michael McMullan DOWN GAA will commence the search to find a new senior football manager after James McCartan stepped down on Monday from his second stint in charge. The two-time All-Ireland winning forward led the county to the cusp of their sixth All-Ireland in 2010 and was appointed at the eleventh hour ahead of […]
JAMES McCartan has stepped aside as manager of the Down senior football team. The two-time All-Ireland winner was reappointed for a second stint in charge of the side at the end of last year, but endured a tricky time of things, encapsulated by relegation to Division Three. They also struggled to leave an imprint on […]
By Michael McMullan TRANSITION is a dangerous word in sport. It’s often offering a safety blanket, unfurled to cushion failure. If used correctly, it manages realistic expectations. Advertisement Equally dangerous is talk of two, three, five and ten-year plans for development. It always passes the buck, unless there is substance. When James McCartan was appointed […]
National Football League Division Two Down v Offaly Saturday, Páirc Esler, 5pm By SHAUN CASEY JAMES McCartan hopes his Down side can “embrace” the relegation pressure that currently hangs over them to earn their first win of the season against Offaly on Saturday. The Mourne men sit on one point along with Offaly and Cork […]
By Michael McMullan JAMES McCartan’s first game in his latest stint as Down manager will be a trip to Ballybofey to face Donegal next week. The Dr McKenna Cup returns in the new year, with Armagh hosting Cavan in the first game on Thursday, January 6. Each county will have one home game and one […]
James McCartan talks about his earliest introduction to GAA, the challenges of playing county, and his approach to management.
