Henry Downey

Henry Downey

Personal information
Sport	Dual player
Football Position:	Centre back
Hurling Position:	Half-forward
Born	(1966-12-27) 27 December 1966 (age 57) Lavey, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Club(s)
Years	Club
	Lavey
Club titles
	Football	Hurling
Derry titles	4	12
Ulster titles	2	0
All-Ireland titles	1	0
Inter-county(ies)
Years	County
1988–2001 (F)	Derry (F) Derry (H)
Inter-county titles
	Football	Hurling
Ulster Titles	2	0
All-Ireland Titles	1	0
League titles	4
All-Stars	1	0

Henry Downey (born 27 December 1966) is a former dual player of Gaelic games, who played as a Gaelic footballer at senior level for the Derry county team in the late 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, where he usually played in at centre half back. He was part of Derry's 1993 All-Ireland Championship winning side, where he was captain. He also won two Ulster Senior Football Championships (1993 and 1998) and four National League (1992, 1995, 1996 and 2000) medals with Derry. He also played hurling.

Playing career

Downey played club football and hurling with Erin's Own GAC Lavey, with whom he won the 1991 All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship. He was one of very few players in Ireland to complete this unique double of club and inter-county All-Irelands and almost did the extreme rarity of winning both competitions in the same year in 1993, but Lavey were defeated in the All-Ireland club after winning the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship for the second time. Downey also won four Derry Senior Football Championship and 12 Derry Senior Hurling Championship medals with Lavey.

Some of his key attributes included his leadership qualities and his surging runs up the field from the half back line.^[1]

Inter-county

Downey was part of the Derry side which won four national leagues in eight years (1992, 1995, 1996 and 2000), captaining the team in 1992 and 1996. Downey and Derry finished runners-up to Offaly in the 1998 National League decider.^[2]

In addition to his All-Ireland Club medal and two Ulster Club Championship medals he had massive success at Derry Championship level. He won four Derry Senior Football Championship, two Derry Minor Football Championships and twelve Derry Senior Hurling Championships.

Downey won an All-star in 1993 at centre back and was named 1993 Texaco Footballer of the Year. He also won Footballer of the Year at the 1993 Ulster GAA Writer's Association Awards.^[3]

School/college

Downey attended school at St Patrick's College, Maghera, for whom he won two consecutive MacRory Cups (1984 and 1985). The school went on to be runners-up in the 1984 Hogan Cup final. He attended Queen's University Belfast, where he won the Sigerson Cup.^{[citation needed]}

Hurling career

Among Downey's hurling honours was winning the Ulster Under 21 Hurling Championship with Derry in 1986, defeating Antrim and Down along the way. He scored 0-12 against Antrim in the semi-final at Loughguile, with his brother Seamus scoring 1-03 in a 2-20 to 1-06 victory. They beat Down in the final after a reply; 3-09 to 1-02.^[4]

Honours

Football

County

• All-Ireland Senior Football Championship - Winner (1): 1993 (c)
• National Football League - Winner (4): 1992, 1995, 1996, 2000
• National Football League - Runner up: 1998
• Ulster Senior Football Championship - Winner (2): 1993 (c), 1998
• Ulster Senior Football Championship - Runner up: 1992, 1997, 2000
• Dr McKenna Cup - Winner (1): 1993, 1999

Club

• All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship - Winner (1): 1991
• Ulster Senior Club Football Championship - Winner (2): 1990, 1992
• Derry Senior Football Championship - Winner (4): 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993
• Derry Senior Football Championship - Runner up: 1998
• Derry Minor Football Championship - Winner (2): 1983, 1984
• Numerous underage awards

Province

• Railway Cup - Winner (?) – 1998, 2000 (captain), more?

School/College

• Sigerson Cup - Winner (1): 1990?
• MacRory Cup - Winner (2) – 1984, 1985
• Hogan Cup - Runner up: 1984

Individual

• Texaco Footballer of the Year: 1993
• All Star - Winner (1): 1993
• All Star - Nominated (runner up): 1992, more?
• Captain Derry Ulster and All-Ireland winning side: 1993
• Captain Derry National League winning sides: 1992, 1996
• Derry Senior football captain: 1991-1994, 1996

Hurling

County

• Ulster Under 21 Hurling Championship - Winner (1): 1986, 1987?????

Club

• Ulster Senior Club Hurling Championship - Runner up: 1986?, 1988?, 1994?, 1997?, 2001?
• Derry Senior Hurling Championship - Winner (12): 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002
• Derry Senior Hurling Championship - Runner up: 1993?, more?
• Numerous underage awards

Individual

• Combined Universities - Winner (1): Year?

Note: The above lists may be incomplete. Please add any other honours you know of.

References

External links

• QUB Profile

Gaelic games
Preceded by Anthony Molloy (Donegal)	All-Ireland SFC winning captain 1993	Succeeded by D. J. Kane Down
Preceded by Mickey Linden (Down)	Texaco Footballer of the Year 1993	Succeeded by Martin McHugh (Donegal)
Preceded by ?	Derry senior football captain 1991–1994	Succeeded by Tony Scullion
Preceded by Tony Scullion	Derry senior football captain 1996	Succeeded by Kieran McKeever