Down SFC Final: Clonduff bridge 26-year gap

Football Down 11 October 2026 - 5:36PM Joint captains Stephen McConville and Charlie Carr of Clonduff lift the Frank O'Hare cup, and hold a jersey in memory of former player Lorcán Branagan, after winning the Down County Senior Club Football Championship final match between Burren and Clonduff at Páirc Esler in Newry, Down.

Photo by Paul Phelan/Sportsfile. Morgan Fuels Down SFC Final Burren 1-10 Clonduff 1-14 By Steve Malone at Páirc Esler Clonduff bridged a 26-year gap to convincingly win the Down Senior Club Championship title. Played in Newry’s Pairc Esler, the Yellas were on top for much of the contest and were happy to keep Burren at arm’s length.

Clonduff had the edge at the break but there wasn’t much to choose between the sides and there would have been even less had Oisin McStay’s two-pointed free gone over with the last kick of the first half. Both teams came into this final with bustling semi-final wins, Clonduff stayed the course then overpowered Carryduff, while Burren had dumped out Down kingpins Kilcoo after another enthralling match.

But Sunday’s final between the two neighbours was a contrast in style and atmosphere. It was the first Down senior final without Kilcoo since 2011 and both clubs were trying to win the Frank O’Hare Cup since 2018 for Burren and 2000 for Clonduff, so it was perhaps understandable the sign of nervousness.

It seemed as if the fear of losing was winning the battle against the will to win and the expectation was for the game to liven up in the second half. That said, Charlie Carr’s goal on seven-minutes was nothing short of swashbuckling as he smashed home after cousin Senan Carr delivered the pass.

That gave Clonduff an early 1-02 to 0-01 lead as brothers Ross and Charlie tapped over for the Yellas and Odhran Murdock (free) replied for Burren. Both defences were on top, with Clonduff’s acute interceptions putting a spoiler on Burren, although Ryan Magill did break through to fist over.

Two converted two-point frees in a row from Eamon Brown stretched the Yellas lead before frees from Ronan McGrath and Murdock closed the gap. Half-time: Clonduff 1-6 Burren 0-4 The game did indeed liven up early in the second half, Senan Carr became the first player of the championship this season to win a throw-in against Odhran Murdock and Clonduff raced ahead with Stephen McConville, Charlie Carr and another two-pointer from Brown.

The game appeared to be running away from Burren when Niall Toner gratefully accepted Liam Kerr’s selfish pass and he lashed into the Clonduff net and with 20-minutes still to play it was game on. The Pairc Esler crowd had found its voice too and this felt like proper championship.

However, Burren failed to build on that goal. While Ryan Cunningham and Ronan McGrath tagged on scores it didn’t turn the game, instead Clonduff stayed calm and picked off scores including a stunning finish from the brilliant Senan Carr. The hour was up when Burren’s Connor Toner’s two-pointer made it a three-point game, but substitute Ben McConville, who replaced the injured Darren O’Hagan, made a huge fetch from the next kick-out and awarded a free for his trouble, which Stephen McConville converted to make it a four-point victory.

The Yellas fans and supporters where ecstatic, captains Charlie Carr and Stephen McConville lifted the Frank O’Hare Cup where thanked their manager Gearoid Adams and took time to remember their late team-mate Lorcan Branagan, who tragically died in Austraila in March 2024. Clonduff scorers: Eamon Brown (0-07, 3tpf), Charlie Carr (1-02), Stephen McConville (0-03, 0-2f), Arthur McConville (0-01, 0-1f), Senan Carr (0-01)Burren scorers: Ronan McGrath (0-05, 0-4f), Niall Toner (1-00), Connor Toner (0-2, 1tp), Odhran Murdock (0-01), Ryan Magill (0-01), Ryan Cunningam.

Burren scorers: Ronan McGrath (0-05, 0-4f), Niall Toner (1-00), Connor Toner (0-2, 1tp), Odhran Murdock (0-01), Ryan Magill (0-01), Ryan Cunningam. CLONDUFF: Aaron Sherry, Jamie O’Hagan, Shane Close, Paul Smith, Jayme Gribben, Darren O’Hagan, Dan Rafferty, Ross Carr, Senan Carr, Tom Close, Charlie Carr, Stephen McConville, Barry O’Hagan, Arthur McConville, Eamon Brown.

Subs: Ben McConville for D O’Hagan (20’), Conor Murray for P Smyth (56’), Patrick O’Hagan for A McConville (56’)., Conor Ward for Barry O’Hagan (57’). BURREN: Oisin McStay, Patrick Burns, Peter Fegan, Steven Fegan, Cian Cunningham, Ryan Magill, Patrick McCarthy, Aaron Laverty, Odhran Murdock, Donagh Murdock, Ronan Kelly, Ronan McGrath, Liam Kerr, Niall Toner, Dara Mussen.

Subs: Ryan Cunningham for Laverty (16’), Ryan Treanor for Darren Mussen (43’), David McEntee for Donagh Murdock (43’), Connor Toner for Ronan Kelly (56’). Referee: Conor Curran (RGU Downpatrick).