Dan McCartan, a monumental figure in Down football, was buried on Wednesday at 84, having dedicated his life to the game as a player, handballer, coach, advisor, and official. A scion of a distinguished football pedigree, Dan and his late brother Jim, who passed away in 2021, were instrumental in highlighting Down’s emergent strength in the 1960s.
In spite of recent successes, with the Down team making it to the 2010 All-Ireland final under James, Dan’s nephew, the influence of the team from the 60s is unprecedented. Coming to forefront as a modern competitive force in regards to fitness, strategy and orientation, Down’s maiden victory in Ulster was in 1959. The following year, they triumphed in the league and championship double, defeating Kerry in both events, and establishing a name across the border.
Paddy Downey, in an article, depicted a typical Down training session during the All-Ireland week. The resonance of colliding bodies or a ball, short and sharp instructions from the coach, deep breaths from exertion, the soft tapping of boots on concrete, and whispers from spectators – these were the primary elements of a team preparing for All-Ireland. A Down session was more than this – it encapsulated a pervasive sense of skilled proficiency, bordering professionalism while upholding amateur values.
The victory over Cavan in 1960 drew in an all-time high league final crowd of 49,451. This record was then broken during the All-Ireland finals against Kerry, which boasted an audience of 87,768, and later in 1961 with an unbeatable attendance of 90,556.
Starting off as centre back, Dan was pivotal to Down’s early success. His name came up, along with his brother’s, citing their performance in the 1960 All-Ireland semi-final replay win over Offaly – Jim even earning consecutive Footballer of the Year awards as centre forward. Offaly’s strong offence made Dan’s defensive role crucial, with PD Mehigan writing, “Every member of the Down defensive line was reliable, but Dan McCartan was especially good.”
He was amongst the esteemed quartet of Down players credited with triumphing in three All-Ireland championships. His predecessor as captain in 1968, Joe Lennon, had passed away, leaving the extraordinary forwards Paddy Doherty and Seán O’Neill as the remaining survivors.
By the time of the third All-Ireland triumph in 1968, which was also against Kerry, McCartan had transitioned to the full back position. Speaking to the late Micheál McGeary in 2003, McCartan expressed, “I had initially joined the county team as a centre-half-back and played in that role for eight years before switching to full back – it was a joy to participate in both positions and to be part of such a memorable era.”
He showed exceptional prowess in the three jersey, particularly having a strong impact on the decisive match of the year’s league final, with the match acting as a preview to yet another dual success.
Contending against the formidable team Kildare, which was formulated from the 1965 under-21 winners and had a significant physical force at full forward. Paddy Downey’s report detailed the result – “Dan McCartan, one of the remaining three from the resplendent team from the early 60s, was instrumental in leading the team to victory by denying the colossal Kildare captain Pa Connolly from scoring and almost entirely depriving him of ball possession.”
Once McCartan’s playing days were over– he along with Seán O’Neill hung up their boots in 1975 upon competing in 16 Ulster finals, McCartan then joined efforts with his brother Jim to steer the seniors team to an Ulster championship title in 1978.
He also worked with junior teams, coaching the under-21 team in 1979, leading them to their first All-Ireland championship victory in the category and assisting Peter McGrath’s team in gaining the 1987 All-Ireland minor championship title.
The two All-Ireland Under-age victories played a key role in advancing the Senior teams to victories in 1991 and ‘94, under McGrath’s management, with teams that boasted of players like the ‘91 captain Paddy O’Rourke, Greg Blaney, McCartan’s son, Mark, who was part of the 1991 crew and his nephew, James, who was a part of both senior teams.
Following his retirement, McCartan remained busy with running his dental practice in Belfast while also contributing time to assist in administrative duties.
The tribute from Down GAA poignantly captured the loss stating: “His demise leaves a great void in our ranks.”
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