Down Junior Football Championship Explained

Down Junior Football Championship
First:1920
Sponsors:The Parador Lodge[1]
Irish:Cluiche Ceannais Péil An Dúin
Current: Teconnaught
Currentordinal:3
Super:th
Most: Ballykinlar
Drumaness
Mostordinal:6

The Down Junior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football competition contested by lower-tier Down GAA clubs. The Down County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association has organised it since 1920. The national media covers the competition.[2] [3]

Teconnaught are the title holders (2022) defeating Dromara in the Final.

History

In the 2016 final Drumgath held Teconnaught in what was a surprising result.[4] Drumgath then had a landslide win in the replay to secure their first ever JFC crown.[5]

Honours

The trophy presented to the winners is the ? The winners of the Down Junior Championship qualify to represent their county in the Ulster Junior Club Football Championship.[6] The winners can, in turn, go on to play in the All-Ireland Junior Club Football Championship. Also, the winners of the Down Junior Championship automatically qualify for the following season's Intermediate Championship.

Finals listed by year

(r) = replay

YearWinnerScoreScoreOpponent
1920 Castlewellan
1927 Kilcoo
1928Drumnaconnor
1929Ballylough
1930 Burren
1932 Warrenpoint
1933Kilkeel
1934Gargory
1935Burrenbridge
1936 Ballykinlar
1937 Glenn
1939Kilkeel
1940 Warrenpoint
1941 Ballykinlar
1942 Kilclief
1943ArdtoleBallylough
1944 Clann na Banna
1945 Ballykinlar
1946 Saul
1947 Tullylish* Kilclief
1948Barnmeen
1949 Tullylish*0–030–02Ballynahinch
1950Kilkeel
1951 Dromara
1952 Burren
1953Magheral
1954 Loughinisland
1955 Ballykinlar
1956Cabra Harps
1957 Dundrum
1958 Loughinisland
1959 Clann na Banna
1960Kilkeel
1961 RGU Downpatrick
1962 Bryansford
1963 Ballyholland Harps
1964 Saul
1965 Drumaness
1966 Liatroim Fontenoys
1967 Bryansford
1968 Tullylish
1969 Drumaness
1970 Saval
1971Greencastle
1972 Ballyholland Harps
1973 Newry Shamrocks II
1974 Clann na Banna
1975 Ballymartin
1976 Dundrum
1977Greencastle
1978 Newry Mitchels
1979 Atticall Longstone
1980 Annaclone
1981 Mayobridge
1982 Annaclone
1983 Annsborough Drumaness
1984 RGU Downpatrick
1985 Drumaness
1986 Carryduff
1987 St Michael's
1988 Liatroim Fontenoys
1989 Drumaness
1991 St Michael's
1993 Castlewellan II
1994 Ardglass Darragh Cross
1995 Ballykinlar Bright
1996 Kilclief Bright
1997 Glasdrumman[7] Dundrum
1998 Ballykinlar Darragh Cross
1999 Clann na Banna Bright
2000 Ardglass
2001 Newry Mitchels
2002 Ardglass
2003 Glenn
2004 St Michael's
2005 Dundrum Bright
2006 Bredagh[8]
1–08 (r)

0–05 (r)
Teconnaught
 
2007 Newry Bosco2–110–02 Drumaness
2008 St John's0–090–05 Bright
2009 Glenn1–121–08 Teconnaught
2010 Drumaness1–121–06 Newry Bosco
2011[9] Bredagh4–100–09 Dromara
2012[10] [11] Dundrum0–150–06 Aghaderg
2013[12] [13] Teconnaught
0–08
1–09 (r)
0–08
0–08 (r)
Dromara
 
2014[14] Drumaness0–140–08 Kilclief
2015[15] Glasdrumman2–112–07 Ardglass
2016[16] [17] Drumgath
1–07
4–16 (r)
0–10
0–05 (r)
Teconnaught
 
2017 Dundrum[18] 0–141–02 Bright
2018[19] Teconnaught0–080–07 Kilclief
2019[20] Bright1–140–15 Aughlisnafin[21]
2020[22] St Paul's2–060–10 Aughlisnafin[23]
2021[24] [25] Aughlisnafin2–112–08 Dundrum
2022 Teconnaught[26] 1–130–12 Dromara

Wins listed by club

TeamWinsYears won
1 Ballykinlar1936, 1941, 1945, 1955, 1995, 1998
Drumaness1965, 1969, 1985, 1989, 2010, 2014
3 Dundrum1957, 1976, 2005, 2012, 2017
4Kilkeel1933, 1939, 1950, 1960
Clann na Banna1944, 1959, 1974, 1999
6 Glenn1937, 2003, 2009
Tullylish
* as St Patrick's, Laurencetown[27]
1947*, 1949*, 1968
St Michael's1987, 1991, 2004
Ardglass1994, 2000, 2002
Teconnaught2013, 2018, 2022
11 Burren1930, 1952
Warrenpoint1932, 1940
Kilclief1942, 1996
Saul1946, 1964
Loughinisland1954, 1958
RGU Downpatrick1961, 1984
Bryansford1962, 1967
Ballyholland Harps1963, 1972
Liatroim Fontenoys1966, 1988
Greencastle1971, 1977
Newry Mitchels1978, 2001
Annaclone1980, 1982
Glasdrumman1997, 2015
Bredagh2006, 2011
25 Castlewellan1920
Kilcoo1927
Drumnaconnor1928
Ballylough1929
Gargory1934
Burrenbridge1935
Ardtole1943
Barnmeen1948
Dromara1951
Magheral1953
Cabra Harps1956
Saval1970
Newry Shamrocks II1973
Ballymartin1975
Atticall1979
Mayobridge1981
Annsborough1983
Carryduff1986
Castlewellan II1993
Newry Bosco2007
St John's2008
Drumgath2016
Bright2019
St Paul's2020
Aughlisnafin2021

Notes and References

  1. News: Teconnaught just hang on to clinch crown. Down Recorder. 17 October 2018. 3 December 2022.
  2. News: Previews: Down Senior, Intermediate and Junior Football finals. Gaelic Life. 13 October 2022. 3 December 2022.
  3. News: Dundrum up against it in 'Fin final date says John Clarke. The Irish News. 5 November 2021. 3 December 2022. Neil. Loughran.
  4. News: Teconnaught denied by late flourish. Down Recorder. 5 October 2016. 3 December 2022.
  5. News: Teconnaught are torn asunder by Drumgath. Down Recorder. 12 October 2016. 3 December 2022.
  6. News: Belnaleck too good for lively Dundrum. 1 November 2017. 3 December 2022.
  7. News: Glasdrumman reign over brave Ardglass. Down Recorder. 14 October 2015. 3 December 2022. Connaire Harrison's virtuoso display brought the Down Junior Football Championship title back to Glasdrumman for the first time since 1997..
  8. News: Bredagh claim junior football title in style. 13 October 2011. 3 December 2022. David. Mohan. This is the first time the South Belfast men have claimed the title since their maiden success back in 2006 and they will now enter the Ulster Junior Championship on October 30 when they will play the Donegal champions..
  9. News: Bredagh claim junior football title in style. Belfastmedia.com. 13 October 2011. 3 December 2022. David. Mohan.
  10. News: Dundrum celebrate. 17 October 2012. 3 December 2022.
  11. News: Dundrum marksmen humble Aughlisnafin. 3 October 2012. 3 December 2022.
  12. News: Dromara leave it late. 16 October 2013. 3 December 2022.
  13. News: Wait over for Teconnaught champions. Down Recorder. 23 October 2013. 3 December 2022.
  14. News: Drumaness aces in JFC dreamland. 15 October 2014. 3 December 2022.
  15. News: Glasdrumman reign over brave Ardglass. Down Recorder. 14 October 2015. 3 December 2022.
  16. News: Teconnaught denied by late flourish. 5 October 2016. 3 December 2022.
  17. News: Teconnaught are torn asunder by Drumgath. Down Recorder. 12 October 2016. 3 December 2022.
  18. News: Belnaleck too good for lively Dundrum. 1 November 2017. 3 December 2022. Just as in the county final against Bright, Dundrum sent for Paul McComiskey at this stage of the game, but Belnaleck continued to plunder scores through Bryan Owens, Dermot Lewsley, Darragh McGurn and the accurate McBrien to take an eight-point lead..
  19. News: Teconnaught just hang on to clinch crown. Down Recorder. 17 October 2018. 3 December 2022.
  20. News: By George he's got it as Bright come good. Down Recorder. 9 October 2019. 3 December 2022.
  21. News: Dundrum up against it in 'Fin final date says John Clarke. The Irish News. 5 November 2021. 3 December 2022. Neil. Loughran. The 'Fin have reached the junior final in the last two years, losing on both occasions, but have looked a real force to be reckoned with en route to tonight's clash..
  22. News: Historic Down final win for St Paul's, Holywood as they edge out Aughlisnafin. The Irish News. 19 September 2020. 3 December 2022.
  23. News: Dundrum up against it in 'Fin final date says John Clarke. The Irish News. 5 November 2021. 3 December 2022. Neil. Loughran. The 'Fin have reached the junior final in the last two years, losing on both occasions, but have looked a real force to be reckoned with en route to tonight's clash..
  24. News: Aughlisnafin make history. Down Recorder. 10 November 2021. 3 December 2022.
  25. News: Dundrum up against it in 'Fin final date says John Clarke. The Irish News. 5 November 2021. 3 December 2022. Neil. Loughran.
  26. News: Stewartstown Crush Teconnaught in Ulster. 5 October 2022. 3 December 2022.
  27. Web site: Tullylish GAA History. 1 January 2022. tullylishgaa.com. 1 October 2022.