{{Short description|Hurling team}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=October 2020}} {{Infobox Gaelic games county team | name = Down | crest = | sport = [[Hurling]] | irish = An Dún<ref name=Ulster_GAA/> | nickname = The Mournemen | county board = [[Down GAA]] | manager = | captain = | most appearances = <!-- Forename Surname (0) --> | top scorer = <!-- Forename Surname (0–0) --> | home venues = [[Páirc Esler]], [[Newry]]<ref name=Ulster_GAA/> | sfc = | last championship title = 2022 | nfl division = | last league title = <!-- home kit --> | pattern_la1 = | pattern_b1 = _adidas_shouldpipes | pattern_ra1 = | pattern_sh1 = _adidaswhite | pattern_so1 = _hoops_red | leftarm1 = 000000 | body1 = ee0000 | rightarm1 = 000000 | shorts1 = 000000 | socks1 = 000000 <!-- away kit --> | pattern_la2 = | pattern_b2 = _adidas_shouldpipes | pattern_ra2 = | pattern_sh2 = _adidaswhite | pattern_so2 = _hoops_red | leftarm2 = 000000 | body2 = 000000 | rightarm2 = 000000 | shorts2 = 000000 | socks2 = 000000 | current = 2023 Down county football team season }} The '''Down county hurling team''' represents [[Down GAA]], the [[County board (Gaelic games)|county board]] of the [[Gaelic Athletic Association]], in the [[Gaelic games|Gaelic]] sport of [[hurling]]. The team competes in the [[Joe McDonagh Cup]] and the [[National Hurling League]].
Down's home ground is [[Páirc Esler]], [[Newry]]. The team's manager is [[Ronan Sheehan (dual player)]].
The team last won the Ulster Senior Championship in 1997, but has never won the All-Ireland Senior Championship or the National League.
==History== Down played in the [[Leinster Minor Hurling Championship]] for three years in the 1970s, even playing [[Antrim county hurling team|Antrim]] in an unusual Leinster semi-final at [[Croke Park]] in 1979.
Although Down had not won the All-Ireland B championship in four final appearances, when the Ulster Senior Hurling Championship was revived, Down won titles in 1992, 1995 and 1997, losing the All-Ireland semi-finals by 14, 11 and 16 points.
Down defeated [[Kilkenny county hurling team|Kilkenny]] in a Division 1 match in 1993 by a scoreline of 1–12 to 1–11.
Down hurlers won the [[Christy Ring Cup]] for the first time in [[2013 Christy Ring Cup|2013]], their greatest All-Ireland level success to date. This entitled them to enter the [[2014 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship]]; however, Down opted to remain in the 2nd on this occasion.
In 2020, Down caused an upset in the Christy Ring Cup by knocking Offaly out in the semi-final. The team did so in a first ever inter-county hurling penalty shootout.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.balls.ie/hurling/down-offaly-christy-ring-cup-semi-final-penalties-2020-453280|title=Great Scenes In Newry As Down Shock Offaly In Christy Ring Semi-Final|publisher=[[Balls.ie]]|date=15 November 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://hoganstand.com/article/index/314183|title=Down hurlers pulled off shock of the year yesterday|work=[[Hogan Stand]]|date=15 November 2020}}</ref> The final against [[Kildare county hurling team|Kildare]] was scheduled for the one hundredth anniversary of [[Bloody Sunday (1920)|Bloody Sunday]], with promotion to the [[2021 Joe McDonagh Cup]] achieved by both finalists.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2020/1116/1178502-down-treasuring-poignant-christy-ring-cup-final-date/|title=Down treasuring poignant Christy Ring Cup final date|publisher=RTÉ|date=16 November 2020}}</ref>
==South Down==<!-- redirect target of [[South Down GAA]] --> In 2007, the GAA announced that a hurling team from "South Down" (i.e. excluding the Ards peninsula) would compete in parallel to the main Down team,<ref name="rackard2">{{cite news |title=Down, Dublin teams to compete in Rackard |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2007/0517/1179315435755.html |last=Cummiskey |first=Gavin |date=2007-05-17 |work=[[The Irish Times]] |access-date=2009-03-08 |page=Sport, p.24 |quote=The GAA confirmed yesterday that second teams from Down and Dublin would compete in the Nicky Rackard Cup in 2008 [...] non-Ards (Down) and Fingal (Dublin) sides will be entered "on a basis determined by the Central Competitions Control Committee". |archive-date=13 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013002249/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2007/0517/1179315435755.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> to encourage hurling in an area of growing population where the game had not been strong.<ref name="downgaa"> {{cite news |title=Hitting the Target – Ulster Council decision not to be taken light(ly) |last=Archer |first=Kenny |date=2008-05-28 |work=[[Irish News]] |page=58 |quote=The footballers are 'the Mournemen' while the hurlers are 'the Ardsmen', even though there are many Down footballers from outside the Kingdom of Mourne and a few decent hurlers on 'the mainland'.}} </ref> While players from all of Down were eligible for the main Down team, Ards players could not play for South Down. The new team competed in the [[2008 National Hurling League]], recording their first win by beating Cavan at [[Ballela GAC|Ballela]], scoring 4–15 to Cavan's 0–9. South Down then competed in the [[2008 Nicky Rackard Cup]] and in the [[Lory Meagher Cup]] until [[2011 Lory Meagher Cup|2011]].
==Managerial history== *{{c.}} 2009: Jim McKernan<ref>[https://hoganstand.com/article/index/111347 McKernan welcomes 'Magic's' return , May 11, 2009]</ref>
==Players== ===Notable players=== {{For|individual player details|Category:Down inter-county hurlers}}
===Awards=== *'''[[GAA All Stars Awards winners (hurling)|All Stars]]:''' Down has 1 All Star. '''1992''': [[Gerard McGrattan]] *'''[[Champion 15 Awards|Champion 15]]:''' {{Div col|colwidth=30em}} Down has 29, as of 2024. 17 different players have won, as of 2024. '''2005''': [[Gareth Johnson (hurler)|Gareth Johnson]], [[Martin Coulter]]<br> '''2007''': [[Graham Clarke (hurler)|Graham Clarke]]<br> '''2009''': [[Fintan Conway]], [[Sean Ennis]], [[Ruairi McGrattan]]<br> '''2010''': [[Paul Braniff (hurler)|Paul Braniff]]<br> '''2011''': Paul Braniff<sup>2nd</sup><br> '''2012''': Paul Braniff<sup>3rd</sup><br> '''2013''': Paul Braniff<sup>4th</sup>, Gareth Johnson<sup>2nd</sup>, [[Conor Woods]], [[Patrick Hughes (hurler)|Patrick Hughes]]<br> '''2014''': Conor Woods<sup>2nd</sup><br> '''2015''': [[Danny Toner]], Fintan Conway<sup>2nd</sup><br> '''2016''': [[John McManus (hurler)|John McManus]], [[Caolan Taggart]]<br> '''2017''': [[Michael Hughes (hurler)|Michael Hughes]], [[Eoghan Sands]]<br> '''2018''': [[Daithí Sands]]<br> '''2019''': Caolan Taggart<sup>2nd</sup>, Daithí Sands<sup>2nd</sup><br> '''2020''': [[Stephen Keith]], Caolan Taggart<sup>3rd</sup><br> '''2021''': Stephen Keith<sup>2nd</sup>, Conor Woods<sup>3rd</sup><br> '''2023''': [[Pearse Óg McCrickard]]<br> '''2024''': Daithí Sands<sup>3rd</sup><br> *'''[[Ulster GAA President’s Awards|Ulster GAA President’s Awards Hurler of the Year]]:''' '''2025''': [[Matthew Conlan (hurler)]]<br> {{div col end}}
==Honours== :''Official honours, with additions noted.''<ref name=Ulster_GAA>{{cite web|url=https://ulster.gaa.ie/county/down/|title=Down — Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Uladh|publisher=[[Ulster GAA]]|access-date=15 June 2022}}</ref>
===National=== *'''[[All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship]]''' **{{Bronze3}} '''Semi-finalists (2):''' [[1992 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship|1992]], [[1995 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship|1995]] **'''Quarter-finalists (1):''' [[1997 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship|1997]] *'''[[All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship]]/[[Joe McDonagh Cup]]''' **{{Silver2}} '''Runners-up (6):''' 1988 * '''[[All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Championship]]/[[Christy Ring Cup]]''' **{{Gold1}} '''Winners (1):''' [[2013 Christy Ring Cup|2013]] **{{Silver2}} '''Runners-up (4):''' [[2005 Christy Ring Cup|2005]], [[2009 Christy Ring Cup|2009]], [[2019 Christy Ring Cup|2019]], [[2020 Christy Ring Cup|2020]] *'''[[All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship]]/[[Nicky Rackard Cup]]''' **{{Gold1}} '''Winners (1):''' 1964 **{{Silver2}} '''Runners-up (1):''' 2004 *'''[[National Hurling League|National Hurling League Division 2]]''' **{{Gold1}} '''Winners (2):''' [[2004 National Hurling League|2004]], [[2025 National Hurling League|2025]] *'''[[National Hurling League|National Hurling League Division 2B]]''' **{{Gold1}} '''Winners (1):''' [[2020 National Hurling League|2020]]
===Provincial=== *'''[[Ulster Senior Hurling Championship]]''' **{{Gold1}} '''Winners (4):''' 1941, 1992, 1995, 1997 **{{Silver2}} '''Runners-up (19):''' 1930, 1939, 1940, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2015 *'''[[Ulster Intermediate Hurling Championship]]''' **{{Gold1}} '''Winners (4):''' 1968, 1971, 1972, 1998 *'''[[Ulster Junior Hurling Championship]]''' **{{Gold1}} '''Winners (7):''' 1956, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1967, 1992, 1993 *'''[[Ulster Under-21 Hurling Championship]]''' **{{Gold1}} '''Winners (11):''' 1969, 1971, 1975, 1977, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1990, 2003, 2004 *'''[[Ulster Minor Hurling Championship]]''' **{{Gold1}} '''Winners (13):''' 1930, 1932, 1934, 1957, 1971, 1972, 1976, 1978, 1984, 1985, 1989, 1994, 2012 * '''[[Conor McGurk Cup]]''' ** {{Gold1}} '''Winners (2):''' 2019, 2022 ** {{Silver2}} '''Runners-up (3):''' 2018, 2020, 2021
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Down GAA}} {{Joe McDonagh Cup}} {{GAA National Leagues}}
[[Category:Down county hurling team| ]] [[Category:County hurling teams]]