Over the past number of years, Dowdallshill GF & AC has hit the headlines for their exploits on the field of play. However, the 2006 season will be remembered for a major event off the field of play. By Eunan Whyte. The Dowdallers have enjoyed an unprecedented spell of success on the field of play by collecting two Junior Championship titles in three seasons, but the main cause of celebration in 2006 was undoubtedly the opening of the new clubrooms at St Brigid's Park. Although yet to be officially opened the grounds were back in use for club championship matches. According to secretary, Donal Sheridan, it was a momentous achievement for all those involved in the club and a very proud day when the dressing rooms were available for use. There was also the added bonus of having the big championship games and inter-county matches returning to Dowdallshill. The last major game to be staged at St Brigid's Park was the 2003 Senior Final between St Patrick's and St Mary's, and the ongoing development meant that two full seasons passed without the club hosting another championship clash. As a result when the championship fare retuned at the beginning of July it was a cause for celebration. A double bill featuring Naomh Malachi and Stabannon Parnells in the Intermediate Championship and a thrilling encounter between St Patrick's and Oliver Plunketts provided a fitting programme for the return football. "It was absolutely brilliant to see the big championship matches back in Dowdallshill after a break of two years. The pitch has always been one of the best playing surfaces in the county and the clubrooms complement that perfectly as there is no doubt that the development is among the best in Louth and beyond," said the club secretary. He explained that the work involved knocking down the old dressingrooms which dated back to the 1950s, to be replaced by the stunning new facilities. Also gone is the bank that was behind the road goals which has been replaced by extended car parking facilities. The men from the press were also catered for in the new development with a refurbished press box, while the electronic scoreboard, kindly sponsored by Park Inn Hotel, was another welcome addition to the facilities. For Donal the icing on the cake was the return of Louth to St Brigid's Park and he is proud that the club played a role in the Wee County's Tommy Murphy Cup success. "It was great to see Louth back playing in St. Brigid's Park and after the two impressive displays they put in it would be great to see them return here for some National League fixtures in 2007." "It was a proud day for the club when Louth hosted Monaghan in the quarter-final of the Tommy Murphy Cup, and the following week we had Antrim in the semi-final." The club's vice-chairman, Liam O'Hagan, was also thrilled with the success of the development, especially the first championship night. "Everyone praised it from a height so we were delighted. I've been involved with the club for a long time and I never thought I would see anything like it. "The grants we got from the Lotto were a big help but nothing would have happened but for the great effort that everyone in the club and the surrounding area put in", he added. Although the club has put in a lot of effort over the past couple of years, the secretary reveals that they are planning more work to make the facilities even better over the coming years. "A lot has been done over the past couple of years but more is needed, but like everything else it all comes down to finances. We are hoping to carry out work on the stand as it needs to be upgraded, and we may look at putting in some terracing on either side. "It all depends on resources but it if we could manage to do that then it would be hard to compete with Dowdallshill as a venue for the big games at club and county level," added Donal. "What we have achieved so far is a great credit to our small but dedicated members, and I would like to thank them all for their efforts. "The development plan was initially started by current Chairman Michael Kerley and the likes of Liam O'Hagan and Billy O'Callaghan have been brilliant in driving it forward. Also a great deal of credit must also go to Plunkie Maguire, Fra Agnew and Pat Rogers who continue to put in a great effort in the upkeep of the grounds and buildings." Events on the football field were less memorable according to Donal as the team failed to retain its hard-won Intermediate status. It was the club's second season in the middle grade and despite a much improved display this time around, the introduction of the new structures made it very difficult to stay up. "Like many other clubs, we were facing an uphill struggle from the outset as the new league format for 2007 meant we had to win the league or championship to avoid the drop. "We were also hampered by the loss of a number of prominent players who were vital to our Junior Championship success. Last year's captain and our player of the year, Vincent McKevitt, was one of two key defenders unavailable after he moved abroad, while we also lost a couple of handy forwards in Declan Roe (retired) and Stephen Martin (working abroad). I suppose we will always wonder what might have been if we had kept everyone together. "However, on the positive side we did get a some new faces in and they proved to be a big addition to the team and we'd hope to build on this for next year and come straight back up again", explained Donal. In any other the league form would have been good enough to stay up, but unfortunately Dowdallshill's position means they will be back in the junior ranks for 2007. The championship saw the club turn in some impressive displays but in a tough group they were just unable to make the breakthrough. "Leslie Toal, Dixie Quinn and John Brady put in a big effort in managing the team, but again the draw wasn't too kind to us. We came up against Naomh Malachi who reached the Intermediate Final, and Dundalk Gaels who made the last four. We were close to them for much of the game, but in the end they just got away from us. We were unlucky not to beat Naomh Fionnbarra but salvaged something with a draw against Stabannon in the final outing." Donal is optimistic that the club has a good future with a number of young players coming through the ranks. "Tom Molloy is over the Junior II team and they have had a very good season and are in contention for honours. A major factor has been the introduction of some of the young players so that looks good for the future. "Although we have a small area to pick from, the underage set up is progressing and great credit for this goes to Paul O'Hanlon, Elaine Duffy, Nora Kerr and Thomas O'Connor. "It has been great for everyone to see the talent emerging at U-16 level and Gerry McShane and Fra Agnew have put in a lot of work so hopefully we will reap the benefits in the near future," explained Donal. The ladies side of the club is also making progress and the secretary expects this trend to continue. "Noel Loughran took over the ladies team and they have won a number of games. We also appeared in the Junior Championship Final but unfortunately were no match for a strong Roche side. Also the U-14 girls are progressing well in both league and championship so this bodes well for the ladies future". Tweet

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