County board thanks fans

Despite the pouring rain fans turned up at Abbey CBS to be met and greeted by the boys in red and black.

The players were delighted to see so many out to support them in their quest for All Ireland glory.

The Open Night had been planned for Pirc Esler but unfortunately severe weather meant that another venue had to be sought at a late stage. This made the job of controlling the crowds especially difficult in a much smaller arena but thankfully the evening ended successfully.

In a statement the board said, "Bearing in mind that there was something in the region of 5000 fans present to see 36 players it was a mammoth task to get everyone into the two halls to meet their heroes.

"Thankfully the fans were so co-operative and whilst some had to cue for almost an hour there wasn’t a word of discontent and we are indebted to them for their patience.

"A big thanks to all from Down GAA who contributed to the relatively smooth running of the night in difficult conditions."