By Niall Gartland THE Tailteann Cup doesn’t seem to have captured the imagination of the paying public, and Down selector Mickey Donnelly believes the GAA need to look at ways of making the competition more palatable for fans. Plummeting football championship attendances hit a new low a fortnight ago when fewer than 100 spectators watched the […]
Donnelly well aware of Orchard talent as neighbours set to meet
April 27, 2024
By Shaun Casey NO one has to inform Mickey Donnelly of the talent that’s inside the Armagh changing room. He’s got to witness it first-hand having worked closely with a number of their players and even helped develop them as footballers. During his years teaching at St Ronan’s College, Lurgan, he’s got to witness up close […]
All-Ireland selection process has element of unfairness says Down coach Donnelly
April 11, 2024
By Niall Gartland DOWN coach Mickey Donnelly believes that the process of splitting teams between the All-Ireland series and Tailteann Cup is overly complicated and doesn’t necessarily reward teams who have excelled in the early part of the season. The Mourne County have been left in a precarious position following their Division Three final defeat […]
Donnelly: Division Three final remains the Mourne main focus
February 23, 2024
By Michael McMullan DOWN still have their sights firmly on a place in the league final and a shot at promotion, insists selector Mickey Donnelly. After winning their first three games, the Mourne County host Offaly on Saturday evening at Páirc Esler and Donnelly highlights the importance of winning their home games. Down also have Sligo […]
Savage a shining light for Mourne men as they prepare for Wicklow test
January 27, 2024
By Shaun Casey A FEW Down players caught the eye in the McKenna Cup and may well be in with a chance of pulling on a starting red and black jersey in Aughrim this weekend as the Mourne men kick start their Division Three league campaign. Wicklow, managed by Armagh’s All-Ireland winning goal scorer Oisin McConville […]
Harte will blot out any criticism says Donnelly
September 21, 2023
By Niall Gartland MICKEY Harte has been synonymous with Tyrone football for decades so this week’s news that he’s crossing the frontier into Derry has come as a considerable surprise to many in the GAA world. The appointment came very much out of the blue and prompted wholesale debate over the last few years – […]
Making its mark
June 23, 2023
By Shaun Casey SINCE the attacking mark was added to the GAA rulebook a few years ago, it probably hasn’t been used and abused as much as Down and Cavan adapted the rule in last week’s Tailteann Cup quarter-final. Both teams utilized the mark very differently. The Mourne men’s adaptation was very much old school, […]
Mickey Donnelly added to Down management team
October 23, 2022
FORMER Tyrone minor manager Mickey Donnelly has been added to Conor Laverty’s backroom team. The Kilcoo man, who also has Martin Clarke and Declan Morgan in his coaching panel, has snagged a man who has been involved in the Mourne County previously having managed Mayobridge. As well as the Tyrone minors, Donnelly has been manager […]
Donnelly: it’s better to play by the rules as restart looms
March 25, 2021
With the clock ticking down to April 12 restart, no one needs to step out of line
Donnelly defends Derry decisions
July 14, 2019
Donnelly explains why he thinks his tenure has been a success.