‘We will be on one side of the Hill they will be on the other’

After upsetting hot favourites Donegal last week, Down have reignited an age-old rivalry when they take on Armagh in the Ulster Senior Football Championship semi-final this Sunday.

The game in Clones is expected to draw a huge crowd, but this rivalry goes much deeper than one day.

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If you want to understand the origins, the best place to go is Newry where the city is is divided between the two counties – with south Down on one side and south Armagh on the other.

This is a place where people from both counties live, work and socialise together.

But because of the county-based structure of Gaelic Games, school is the only place where they play together.

Match mayhem

This year Abbey Grammar in Newry won the MacRory Cup – the Ulster senior school’s championship – with a squad comprised half of Armagh players and half Down.

Ahead of Sunday’s match the school held a colour day, with the playing fields a flood of red and orange, the county colours.

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Daniel McKernan from Down was one of those winners, he said the build-up has “been mayhem”.

“The lads are looking at each other knowing that come game time we are going to be on one side of the Hill (at Clones) and they are going to be on the other with the two counties going at it on the pitch.”

His teammate Michael O’Neill is from Armagh, and, because of previous results against Donegal, he is glad not to be facing them.

“I was happy to see Down beat Donegal to be honest but I’ll be against them now.”

His fellow countyman Diarmaid O’Rourke was less diplomatic.

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“Down have been pretty useless for the last ten years so it’s good to see they’re not so bad now and there can be a bit of a rivalry again.”

There has been talk of joint buses of supporters travelling to Clones, but Daniel Carr from Down isn’t sure about that: “I think that’s probably a bad enough idea.”

“But it’s been a good buzz for the Down ones because we pulled off a good win (against Donegal) but it’s going to be a tough challenge,” he said.

While Newry is surrounded by clubs playing in the Down and Armagh Leagues, historically all clubs within the town boundary have played in Down.

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That changed a decade ago when Thomas Davis GAC moved from rural Corrinshego to new grounds inside the city boundary.

According to chairman Karl Kimmins there is a growing Armagh support in the city, in part because of the county’s greater success in recent years.

“I grew up in Barcroft and we had an Armagh flag and my neighbour had a Down flag,” he said.

“I remember going to a game and when I got back he’d replaced my flag with his. But it’s good natured.

“You have to remember that the whole of the west side of Newry is in Armagh – but it’s not straightforward.”

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“We have players and coaches that support Down but we are an Armagh club. I think people mostly associate Newry with Down because their county ground is here – even though part of it is in Armagh.”

And this comment is a particular sore point for many Down fans.

That’s because although Pairc Esler sits on what’s perceived to be the County Down side of the Clanrye River, official maps show that nearly three quarters of the 20,000 capacity stadium is in fact in Armagh.

This makes it the only county ground in Ireland to largely be located in the wrong county.

Further up the river the Town Hall sits on top of a bridge helpfully named The Armagh Down and on the city’s main street the game is the main talking point.

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Finn Rooney is a local taxi driver who lives on the County Down side of the divide in Mayobridge. His wife is from County Armagh.

“All I know is they’ve been queuing up at SuperValu for tickets. I was very surprised last week (when they beat Donegal) but why not?”

Ciara McAteer may have a surname synonymous with the County Down village of Ballyholland, but she said she’s Armagh through and through.

“Armagh are going to hammer them. They will definitely win.”

“I’ve got my ticket already,” Colleen McDonald agreed. “I think Armagh will pull through.”

But Joan Ferrick from Rostrevor is dreaming of a Down win.

“They have to do it for the Down people. They owe it to Down to win this game,” she said.

No pressure.