Kilcoo's Eugene Branagan: ‘I have no ambition to play for Down’

Kilcoo's Club footballer of the year says he has not intention of playing for Down, as only two players from the All-Ireland champions are in the county squad 

Kilcoo footballer Eugene Branagan with his AIB GAA club footballer of the year award at Croke Park. Picture: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Kilcoo’s AIB club footballer of the year Eugene Branagan says he has no intention of playing for Down and claims the core of the county team don’t have a winning mentality.

Receiving his award in Dublin yesterday, 25-year-old Branagan argues the culture in the group who lost heavily to Monaghan in last Saturday’s Ulster quarter-final is a turn-off for Kilcoo players, only two of whom are part of the county squad.

“I think there’s a core of players, who don’t know how to win. They haven’t the winning mentality. I think that’s why a lot of Kilcoo boys don’t want to be involved – they’re just there but I don’t think they’re there to win. That’s the difference between Kilcoo and the county.

“Maybe if there was a different manager – Conor Laverty took the 21s (sic, U20s) and it was the first Ulster they’d won in maybe 20 years. He changed the mindset but I think it would take a different manager for a lot of Kilcoo players to come in.” 

Branagan doesn’t see himself playing for Down – “I have honestly no ambition to play for Down and I don't mind saying that.” He continues: "This past few years there’s boys coming back from the county and we feel they would be in a better place if they were training with us.

“At the end of the day for us, it’s all about winning. It’s not about going and getting beaten. That’s no good for us. If they’re going and winning, we’re happy if they’re becoming better players but if we think it’s putting them back, we don’t want them like that!” 

Branagan, who feels Down manager James McCartan was “thrown under the bus” after becoming manager, also believes Kilcoo’s stance has upset plenty of people in the county. 

“I think that really fuels our fire. Everyone seems to be on our backs and that’s really what keeps us going, that’s what we love. We feel everyone is against us, county board, the whole lot but that’s what we want.” 

2021-22 AIB GAA player awards.

Hurling.

Stephen O’Keeffe; Ian Kenny (both Ballygunner), Joey Holden (Ballyhale Shamrocks), Fintan Burke (St Thomas); Philip Mahony (Ballygunner), Richie Reid, Darragh Corcoran (both Ballyhale Shamrocks); Cormac O’Doherty (Slaughtneil), Paddy Leavey; Mikey Mahony (both Ballygunner), TJ Reid (Ballyhale Shamrocks), Billy O’Keeffe; Dessie Hutchinson (both Ballygunner), Brendan Rogers (Slaughtneil), Eoin Cody (Ballyhale Shamrocks).

Club hurler of the year: Dessie Hutchinson (Ballygunner).

Football.

Niall Kane (Kilcoo); Sam Ryan (St Finbarr’s), Ryan McEvoy (Kilcoo), Dan O’Brien (Kilmacud Crokes); Miceál Rooney (Kilcoo), Rory O’Carroll (Kilmacud Crokes), Daryl Branagan (Kilcoo); Craig Dias (Kilmacud Crokes), Niall Daly (Pádraig Pearse’s); Ceilum Doherty, Jerome Johnston, Eugene Branagan (all Kilcoo); Dara Mullin (Kilmacud Crokes), Steven Sherlock (St Finbarr’s), Paul Carey (Pádraig Pearse’s).

Club footballer of the year: Eugene Branagan (Kilcoo).