# 2022 Down county football team season

The following is a summary of Down county football team's 2022 season, which was its 119th year. On 24 November 2021, James McCartan Jnr was reappointed Down manager, following a stint in the job between 2009 and 2014.

## Competitions
### Dr McKenna Cup

The McKenna Cup returned for the first time since 2019 following a cancelation in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The group draw took place on 15 December 2021.

#### Table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PR | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Donegal | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 26 | 1.192 | 4 | Advance to semi-final |
| 2 | Antrim | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 27 | 28 | 0.964 | 2 | |
| 3 | Down | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 27 | 31 | 0.871 | 0 | |

#### Fixtures
### National Football League Division 2

Down will compete in Division Two of the National League in 2022. The GAA released the fixtures for the league season on 21 December 2021.

#### Fixtures

Win  Draw  Loss  Postponed/Cancelled
| Date | Round | Home | Score | Away | Ground |
| Saturday 29 January | Group | Derry | 1-10 - 0-06 | Down | Celtic Park, Derry |
| Saturday 5 February | Group | Down | 0-09 - 1-12 | Galway | Páirc Esler, Newry |
| Sunday 20 February | Group | Meath | 2-06 - 2-06 | Down | Páirc Tailteann, Navan |
| Saturday 26 February | Group | Down | 0-10 - 1-18 | Roscommon | Páirc Esler, Newry |
| Saturday 12 March | Group | Down | 0-14 - 0-15 | Offaly | Páirc Esler, Newry |
| Sunday 20 March | Group | Cork | 1-16 - 1-12 | Down | Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork |
| Sunday 27 March | Group | Down | 1-09 - 2-14 | Clare | Páirc Esler, Newry |

#### Table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Roscommon | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 123 | 87 | +36 | 12 | Advance to NFL Division 2 Final and promotion to 2023 NFL Division 1 |
| 2 | Galway | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 141 | 100 | +41 | 12 | Advance to NFL Division 2 Final and promotion to 2023 NFL Division 1 |
| 3 | Derry | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 110 | 82 | +28 | 11 | |
| 4 | Meath | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 93 | 111 | −18 | 6 | |
| 5 | Clare | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 88 | 87 | +1 | 6 | |
| 6 | Cork | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 112 | 138 | −26 | 5 | |
| 7 | Offaly | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 98 | 133 | −35 | 3 | Relegation to 2023 NFL Division 3 |
| 8 | Down | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 78 | 115 | −37 | 1 | Relegation to 2023 NFL Division 3 |

#### Reports
### Ulster Senior Football Championship

The draw for the 2022 Ulster Championship was made on 28 November 2021.

#### Bracket

| Preliminary round 16 April | Preliminary round 16 April | Preliminary round 16 April | Quarter-finals 23/24/30 April, 1 May | Quarter-finals 23/24/30 April, 1 May | Quarter-finals 23/24/30 April, 1 May | Semi-finals 8/15 May | Semi-finals 8/15 May | Semi-finals 8/15 May | Final 29 May | Final 29 May | Final 29 May |
| | | | Donegal | Donegal | 1–16 | | | | | | |
| | | | Armagh | Armagh | 0–12 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Donegal | Donegal | 2–16 | | | |
| | | | | | | Cavan | Cavan | 0–16 | | | |
| | | | Antrim | Antrim | 0–10 | | | | | | |
| | | | Cavan | Cavan | 1–20 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Donegal | Donegal | 1–14 |
| | | | | | | | | | Derry | Derry | 1–16 |
| | | | Monaghan | Monaghan | 0–23 | | | | | | |
| | | | Down | Down | 2–7 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Derry | Derry | 3–12 | | | |
| Fermanagh | Fermanagh | 2–10 | | | | Monaghan | Monaghan | 0–17 | | | |
| Tyrone | Tyrone | 2–17 | Tyrone | Tyrone | 0–10 | | | | | | |
| | | | Derry | Derry | 1–18 | | | | | | |

### Tailteann Cup

Down's entry into the 2022 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship was dependent on their performance in the National League campaign. Because Down got relegated they did not qualify for the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship and instead will play in the inaugural Tailteann Cup. The draw for the first round was made on 15 May 2022 with Down being drawn against Cavan.

#### Bracket

| Preliminary round 21/22 May | Preliminary round 21/22 May | Round 1 28/29 May | Round 1 28/29 May | Quarter-finals 4/5 June | Quarter-finals 4/5 June | Semi-finals 19 June | Semi-finals 19 June | Final 9 July | Final 9 July |
| | | Leitrim | 2–14 | | | | | | |
| | | Antrim | 1–12 | | | | | | |
| | | | | Leitrim | 2–16 (3) | | | | |
| | | | | Sligo | 1–19 (4) | | | | |
| | | Sligo | 3–15 | | | | | | |
| | | London | 2–16 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Sligo | 1–14 | | |
| | | | | | | Cavan | 0–20 | | |
| | | Longford | 0–12 | | | | | | |
| | | Fermanagh | 1–12 | | | | | | |
| | | | | Fermanagh | 0–13 | | | | |
| | | | | Cavan | 2–16 | | | | |
| | | Cavan | 0–24 | | | | | | |
| | | Down | 1–12 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | Cavan | 1–13 |
| Wexford | 2–13 | | | | | | | Westmeath | 2–14 |
| Offaly | 3–11 | Offaly | 0–18 | | | | | | |
| Wicklow | 3–16 | Wicklow | 0–10 | | | | | | |
| Waterford | 1–10 | | | Offaly | 3–17 | | | | |
| | | | | New York | 0–11 | | | | |
| | | | | | | Offaly | 2–16 | | |
| | | | | | | Westmeath | 3–22 | | |
| | | Carlow | 1–12 | | | | | | |
| | | Tipperary | 1–10 | | | | | | |
| | | | | Carlow | 2–13 | | | | |
| | | | | Westmeath | 1–21 | | | | |
| | | Laois | 0–13 | | | | | | |
| | | Westmeath | 1–13 | | | | | | |