Ronan Sheehan: It is not the glory Cork or Tipp are pursuing but it is real progress for Down

This is a seismic weekend for Down hurling. Promotion and a place in Division 1B is on the line as they take on Laois in Portlaoise on Saturday.

JOY OF SIX: Ronan Sheehan is six years in the Down job, having previously been minor boss and originally asked to assist in assembling a list of
candidates. The dream was always a spot in the top tiers. Picture: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

The gag around Duhallow whenever they played Banteer was a repetitive question. Had the train arrived? If it did it meant the Sheehans were around. If they were in town, they were hurling.

“We never considered ourselves anything other than Banteer people,” says Down hurling manager Ronan Sheehan, the youngest of seven. “Both our parents were teachers, so we spent every summer down there. They were more innocent times. No one objected to us playing.”