2010 heroes helping to put Down ladies on the map

As she prepares for her second appearance in a TG4 All-Ireland decider at Croke Park next weekend, Orla Boyle has waxed lyrical about the transformative effect that two members of the Down management team have had on ladies football within the Mourne County.

Just three weeks ago at the same venue, Conor Laverty fell just short in his bid to guide the Down men's footballers towards a maiden Tailteann Cup title – goals from Ronan Jones and Jack O’Connor helping their opponents Meath to claim the spoils on a 2-13 to 0-14 final scoreline.

Eight days from now, his former team-mates Mark Poland and Kevin McKernan will be hoping to go a step further with their female counterparts in the All-Ireland Junior showpiece showpiece against Limerick.

Both of these players were starters on the last Down team to reach the Sam Maguire Cup final in 2010.

Despite chipping in with a point apiece, Poland (who was replaced by Laverty in the closing stages of the action) and McKernan were on the losing side that day as Cork emerged with the spoils by the slenderest of margins. Yet this passionate duo still have a strong feel for inter-county football and have been working alongside Down LGFA joint-managers Peter Lynch and Caoibhe Sloan as coaches throughout the current campaign.

"Peter and Caoibhe are brilliant, don't get me wrong, but having Mark and Kevin there. Two senior men that have played football in Down for a long time and their names are out there, they’ve definitely got Down ladies on the map in a way," Boyle acknowledged.

"There’s people now actually talking about us. Before we were a sleeping giant as Mark Poland would always say, but they’ve definitely got us out there. Male footballers now want to actually come and watch Down ladies,