Down the latest county to show progress but hurling pretenders need help

Following a dramatic win over Kerry at the weekend, Down have guaranteed a place in the Division 2A hurling final and now stand just one game away from the top-flight.

If they do go ahead and win the 2A final, the prize will be Division One hurling for the first time in 15 years.

After earning promotion from Division Two B in 2020, consolidation was the name of the game for many involved, but their manager Ronan Sheehan and his tight-knit squad form an ambitious group.

Their steady progression is no shock, merely the culmination of incredible commitment from a small group, good organisation, and an emphasis on developing the skills of the game at a high level from an early age.

Although drawing from an extremely small playing pool these are fruitful times for Down who have played five league games this year and won four.

The seeds of their steady graduation were sown many years ago. Under Sheehan's guidance several years ago they won the Ulster section of the Celtic Challenge (All-Ireland under-17) before beating Dublin Plunkett in the Division 3 Corn William Robinson final.

During that campaign players like Diarmuid O'Sullivan and Dónal Óg Cusack from Cork to give coaching sessions to the young players, creating an acknowledgement, buzz and awareness of what the Down hurling project was managing.

JP Napier and Jamie Fowler took over managerial duties in that competition from there and in their first season topped Group H of the Celtic Challenge with five wins from five and accumulated a massive 40-point total with a scoring difference which was way ahead of their rivals.

The point is that Down are inhibited by limited playing numbers compared to other counties, but it hasn’t stopped them re-energising their relationship with