Down Junior Football Championship

Down Junior Football Championship
Irish	Cluiche Ceannais Péil An Dúin
Founded	1920
Title holders	Teconnaught (3rd title)
Most titles	Ballykinlar Drumaness (6 titles)
Sponsors	The Parador Lodge[1]

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 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

Year	Winner	Score	Score	Opponent
1920	Castlewellan
1927	Kilcoo
1928	Drumnaconnor
1929	Ballylough
1930	Burren
1932	Warrenpoint
1933	Kilkeel
1934	Gargory
1935	Burrenbridge
1936	Ballykinlar
1937	Glenn
1939	Kilkeel
1940	Warrenpoint
1941	Ballykinlar
1942	Kilclief
1943	Ardtole			Ballylough
1944	Clann na Banna
1945	Ballykinlar
1946	Saul
1947	Tullylish*			Kilclief
1948	Barnmeen
1949	Tullylish*	0–03	0–02	Ballynahinch
1950	Kilkeel
1951	Dromara
1952	Burren
1953	Magheral
1954	Loughinisland
1955	Ballykinlar
1956	Cabra Harps
1957	Dundrum
1958	Loughinisland
1959	Clann na Banna
1960	Kilkeel
1961	RGU Downpatrick
1962	Bryansford
1963	Ballyholland Harps
1964	Saul
1965	Drumaness
1966	Liatroim Fontenoys
1967	Bryansford
1968	Tullylish
1969	Drumaness
1970	Saval
1971	Greencastle
1972	Ballyholland Harps
1973	Newry Shamrocks II
1974	Clann na Banna
1975	Ballymartin
1976	Dundrum
1977	Greencastle
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
1990	Annsborough	0-11	0-7	Castlewellan II
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 Bosco	2–11	0–02	Drumaness
2008	St John's	0–09	0–05	Bright
2009	Glenn	1–12	1–08	Teconnaught
2010	Drumaness	1–12	1–06	Newry Bosco
2011[9]	Bredagh	4–10	0–09	Dromara
2012[10][11]	Dundrum	0–15	0–06	Aghaderg
2013[12][13]	Teconnaught	0–08 1–09 (r)	0–08 0–08 (r)	Dromara
2014[14]	Drumaness	0–14	0–08	Kilclief
2015[15]	Glasdrumman	2–11	2–07	Ardglass
2016[16][17]	Drumgath	1–07 4–16 (r)	0–10 0–05 (r)	Teconnaught
2017	Dundrum[18]	0–14	1–02	Bright
2018[19]	Teconnaught	0–08	0–07	Kilclief
2019[20]	Bright	1–14	0–15	Aughlisnafin[21]
2020[22]	St Paul's	2–06	0–10	Aughlisnafin[23]
2021[24][25]	Aughlisnafin	2–11	2–08	Dundrum
2022	Teconnaught[26]	1–13	0–12	Dromara
2023 [27]	Drumaness	3-08	1-10	Ardglass
2024	Dromara	2-08	1-09	Aughlisnafin

Wins listed by club

#	Team	Wins	Years won
1	Drumaness	7	1965, 1969, 1985, 1989, 2010, 2014, 2023
	Ballykinlar	6	1936, 1941, 1945, 1955, 1995, 1998
3	Dundrum	5	1957, 1976, 2005, 2012, 2017
4	Kilkeel	4	1933, 1939, 1950, 1960
	Clann na Banna		1944, 1959, 1974, 1999
6	Glenn	3	1937, 2003, 2009
	Tullylish * as St Patrick's, Laurencetown[28]		1947*, 1949*, 1968
	St Michael's		1987, 1991, 2004
	Ardglass		1994, 2000, 2002
	Teconnaught		2013, 2018, 2022
11	Annsborough	2	1983, 1990
	Burren		1930, 1952
	Warrenpoint		1932, 1940
	Kilclief		1942, 1996
	Saul		1946, 1964
	Loughinisland		1954, 1958
	RGU Downpatrick		1961, 1984
	Bryansford		1962, 1967
	Ballyholland Harps		1963, 1972
	Liatroim Fontenoys		1966, 1988
	Greencastle		1971, 1977
	Newry Mitchels		1978, 2001
	Annaclone		1980, 1982
	Glasdrumman		1997, 2015
	Bredagh		2006, 2011
25	Castlewellan	1	1920
	Kilcoo		1927
	Drumnaconnor		1928
	Ballylough		1929
	Gargory		1934
	Burrenbridge		1935
	Ardtole		1943
	Barnmeen		1948
	Dromara		1951
	Magheral		1953
	Cabra Harps		1956
	Saval		1970
	Newry Shamrocks II		1973
	Ballymartin		1975
	Atticall		1979
	Mayobridge		1981
	Carryduff		1986
	Castlewellan II		1993
	Newry Bosco		2007
	St John's		2008
	Drumgath		2016
	Bright		2019
	St Paul's		2020
	Aughlisnafin		2021

References

1. "Teconnaught just hang on to clinch crown". Down Recorder. 17 October 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
2. "Previews: Down Senior, Intermediate and Junior Football finals". Gaelic Life. 13 October 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
3. Loughran, Neil (5 November 2021). "Dundrum up against it in 'Fin final date says John Clarke". The Irish News. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
4. "Teconnaught denied by late flourish". Down Recorder. 5 October 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
5. "Teconnaught are torn asunder by Drumgath". Down Recorder. 12 October 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
6. "Belnaleck too good for lively Dundrum". 1 November 2017. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
7. "Glasdrumman reign over brave Ardglass". Down Recorder. 14 October 2015. Retrieved 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. Mohan, David (13 October 2011). "Bredagh claim junior football title in style". Retrieved 3 December 2022. 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. Mohan, David (13 October 2011). "Bredagh claim junior football title in style". Belfastmedia.com. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
10. "Dundrum celebrate". 17 October 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
11. "Dundrum marksmen humble Aughlisnafin". 3 October 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
12. "Dromara leave it late". 16 October 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
13. "Wait over for Teconnaught champions". Down Recorder. 23 October 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
14. "Drumaness aces in JFC dreamland". 15 October 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
15. "Glasdrumman reign over brave Ardglass". Down Recorder. 14 October 2015. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
16. "Teconnaught denied by late flourish". 5 October 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
17. "Teconnaught are torn asunder by Drumgath". Down Recorder. 12 October 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
18. "Belnaleck too good for lively Dundrum". 1 November 2017. Retrieved 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. "Teconnaught just hang on to clinch crown". Down Recorder. 17 October 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
20. "By George he's got it as Bright come good". Down Recorder. 9 October 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
21. Loughran, Neil (5 November 2021). "Dundrum up against it in 'Fin final date says John Clarke". The Irish News. Retrieved 3 December 2022. 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. "Historic Down final win for St Paul's, Holywood as they edge out Aughlisnafin". The Irish News. 19 September 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
23. Loughran, Neil (5 November 2021). "Dundrum up against it in 'Fin final date says John Clarke". The Irish News. Retrieved 3 December 2022. 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. "Aughlisnafin make history". Down Recorder. 10 November 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
25. Loughran, Neil (5 November 2021). "Dundrum up against it in 'Fin final date says John Clarke". The Irish News. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
26. "Stewartstown Crush Teconnaught in Ulster". 5 October 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
27. https://downnews.co.uk/drumaness-win-junior-cup-final-against-ardglass/
28. "Tullylish GAA History". tullylishgaa.com. 1 January 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.