2018 has seen a change of management for the Cumann Pheadaír Naofa senior hurlers, with Conor Tinnelly & Tom Daly taking the reins this year. Both Tom and Conor have had success on and off the field, Conor hails from the Rostrevor and has won county titles with the reds before hanging up his boots and switching codes and colours for the blue of Cumann Pheadaír Naofa senior footballers and being instrumental in guiding them on to lifting a county intermediate title as manager. Tom hails from the Charleville area of north Cork, he too has won county titles with his native parish before moving to County Down to play for Cumann Pheadaír Naofa just over four years ago. After defeat in the Betsy Gray final last year and playing their hurling in Division 2 of the Down leagues, Cumann Pheadaír Naofa will be looking to finish in the top half of the league. It was decided that the hurlers won’t be entering the Ulster League this year and with an increase in league fixtures it was agreed to concentrate on the county leagues and use this as a build up to championship in August. Both Tom and Conor welcome back a few old faces to the fold along with some new ones too and together with the spine of last year’s team still intact a few surprises could be instore over the summer months.
Training is well under way with Tom bringing in fitness coach Jerome McCrickard to put the team through a rigorous fitness regime. Tom & Conor will have an experienced and dedicated backroom staff of Gerry O’Neill, Aileen McAteer, Dermot Donnelly, Liam Boyle and Conan O’Neill to call upon this year and all eyes are focused on the opening fixture away to Castlewellan on 9th April, before facing two stiff challenges back to back, in Bredagh and Carryduff. The management have also organised a few challenge games, the first of which sees them taking on Clonduff this Sunday, in what will be a tough opener. Clonduff, last years’ junior championship runners up will most likely have their two-county panellist, Rian & Paddy Jnr to call on. It promises to be a stiff opener for the blues as the team will have to at their best if they are to meet the challenge.
