Downings family connections three decades on from their last intermediate crown 

Apples, they say, never fall far from the tree. It is very much the case when it comes to Downings GAA club. 

Thirty years ago, in 1993, Downings won the Donegal Intermediate Championship for the third time in the club’s history. 

They defeated the Bonner brothers powered Na Rossa 1-13 to 0-9 in the final in MacCumhaill Park. 

Five years earlier in 1988, in a replayed final they defeated St Nauls. 0-6 to 0-5, after they had drawn 1-6 to 0-9. They had won their first title in 1981 when they overcame Glenfin 0-13 to 0-8.

This  Sunday, Downings are back in their first Intermediate final in three decades when they face Malin in O’Donnell Park. 

That is where the apples falling not far from the trees come into the equation.

Five sons and four nephews of the 1993 winning team make up the current team that will face Malin in Sunday's showdown.  

The five sons are:

Lorcan Connor, the son of current manager Kevin’ Cookie’ Gallagher, the left half-back. 

Kealan McGroddy, left corner forward, son of Eddie McGroddy, left corner-forward, 

Johnny McGroddy, the son of Joe McGroddy, playing substitute. 

Ronan Gallagher, son of Mick Gallagher, the centre half-back.

Conor Boyce, son of Francie Boyce, the midfielder. 

There is one other father/son link with the 1993 team. Fiachra McClafferty is the son of Shane McClafferty, who was a member of the team right up to the final. But Shane was sent off in the semi-final and was suspended for the final. 

The four nephews are:

Allen and Ronan Pasoma are nephews of Seamus Doherty, the full-back in 1993.

Johnny McGroddy is the nephew of Eddie McGroddy.

Kealan McGroddy, is the nephew of Joe McGroddy. 

Another link to the 1993 side and the current team is Michael Coyle, the goalkeeper in ‘93, who is the current goalkeeper coach. 

The programme cover from 1993

Eddie McGroddy, father of the versatile Kealan, scored three points in the ‘93 final. Eddie was the team’s second highest scorer behind Liam Doherty, who scored a goal and five points from right half forward.

“We had a young lad from Mayo, David Burke. He had played minor Mayo, in an All-Ireland minor final a couple of years earlier,” says Eddie McGroddy. 

“He was working in the Rosapenna Hotel and a very good footballer and was a four or five points a game man.    

“Pat Boyce was our manager at the time and Pat was a shrewd tactician. For the final, I was named at corner-forward but my instruction was to move out the field which left just David Burke and Paddy McBride up front in a two-man full forward line.

“My marker didn’t follow me, he stayed back and tried to cover our two men inside. As a consequence, I was free and kicked the three points.

“And Paddy and young Burke scored a couple of points. I was surprised that my marker did not follow me in the second half,” says McGroddy.

“As for the game, I remember we got off to a good start and we were well up at half-time and it was fairly comfortable in the second half.  

“Another good tactical move Pat made on the day was to play Michael McBride, at centre-half-forward. Michael was a good man marker and his job was to stop Sean Bonner from driving forward from centre half-back which was a big part of Na Rossa’s game plan.

“Michael did a good job and restricted Sean’s influence on the game which was a big setback for Na Rossa. 

“We had a good team at the time and Pat Boyce had us in great shape, I’d say we were a lot fitter than Na Rossa on the day and we were probably the fittest team in the championship that year. 

“It’s funny you should contact me about scoring three points in the final. “We have a WhatsApp group here locally and a message went out during the week to Kealan ‘Beat three points in a county final’.” 

Eddie was winning his second intermediate championship in ‘93 as he was also on the 1988 team that beat St Naul’s in a replay.

“It is great to be back in the final. It is hard to believe we haven’t been in one since 1993.

“We have a good young side and they have put in a huge effort and they are very well prepared. 

“In Lorcan Connor, Johnny McGroddy and Paddy McElwee they have three quality forwards and they are strong in the middle of the field and a good tight marking defence. 

“But Malin has a good side too. We beat them in the Division Two final last year but we really stole that game.

“Johnny (McGroddy) scored an unbelievable goal from a free with the last kick of the game. If our boys play to their potential they have a great chance but they are really going to have to play to the top of their game to win.” 

Francie Boyce is the father of Conor and was in the middle of the field in  the 1993 final. 

Francie was one of the senior and experienced men in the team and was bidding to win a third intermediate medal having already been a winner from 1981 and 1988.

Seamus Doherty and Paddy McBride were the other men on the 1993 team that won their intermediate championship. They were also winners in 1981 and in 1988.

“I remember I just returned from my honeymoon a few days before the final. I was in the middle of the field. Vinnie Gallagher was my direct  opponent on the day. Vinnie was a good footballer and we had a good battle on the day.

“Apart from myself and Paddy Fenny (McBride) and one or two others we had a very young side.

“The rest were in their late teens or early 20s. We had a young lad from Mayo. He was a former Mayo minor.  David Burke was his name, he was a very good footballer and a very good forward. He was our top scorer in the championship.

“I remember we got off to a great start and we were well up at half-time and had the game more or less won.

“We were in great shape and very fit. My brother Pat was the manager and I remember he got permission from Frank Casey in the Rosapenna Hotel and he laid out a training track on the sand dunes at the back of the golf course. We spent the winter running up and down the sand dunes. 

“It was tough but we got into great shape and I believe we were by far the fittest team in the championship.

“It was my third championship myself and Paddy Fenny and Seamus Doherty and Denis McBride were all on the 1981 and 1988 winning teams. We beat Glenfin in the ‘81 final and St Naul’s, after a replay, in 1988. I watched the drawn game against St Naul’s recently and we were very lucky to draw the first day. St Naul’s were much the better team.” 

Francie is delighted to see the team finally get back to the intermediate after so many years.

“It is hard to believe it has taken so long when you consider we played and won three finals in the space of 12 years in my playing days. 

“Conor didn’t play the last day against Termon. He had the ‘flu that week  but he is fit and well again and hopefully he gets a run out on Sunday. 

“We’ve a very good young team with a number of class forwards and I have been very impressed with Oisin Boyce in the middle of the field over the last few years. 

“He is a very good midfielder and really hard worker and is a good distributor of the ball. He is an important cog in the team and covers acres of ground up and down the field.

“They were lucky to get through the last day against Termon and I watched them too against Red Hughs. I don’t think they have performed to the level they are capable of playing.

“Hopefully they can step up a gear or two on Sunday and they are going to have because Malin are a good side and they also have a couple of dangerous forwards. 

“They will be up for the final after last year’s league final and how it ended.   

“It is a 50/50 game as I see it. Hopefully we will get the result and bring the cup to Downings again after all those years,” says Boyce.

Former Mayo minor played his part for Downings in ‘93

Former Mayo minor David Burke was one of Downings leading scorers on their way to the 1993 Donegal Intermediate Championship title.

A native of Ballyhaunis he was, according to Eddie McGroddy, ‘a four to five points a game man and a very good footballer. 

He scored two points in the 1-13 to 0-9 win over Na Rossa in the ‘93 final. He was working in the Rosapenna Hotel at the time.

He played minor for Mayo and was a member of the Mayo minor team beaten by Cork in the 1991  All-Ireland Minor final. He scored three of Mayo’s seven points in the final. Cork defeated Mayo 1-9 to 1-7. 

The same Cork team had ended Donegal’s championship 0-12 to 1-6 in the All-Ireland semi-final. Kevin ‘Cookie’ Gallagher, the current Downings manager and a teammate of Burke in 1993, was a member of the 1991 Donegal minor team.

Burke, who was 20 at the time, played for  Donegal U-21s in 1993.