Sean Armstrong | Niall Bogue | Eoin Brosnan | Paddy Bradley | Sean Cavanagh Aidan Carr | Kevin Cassidy | Ronan Clarke | Bryan Cullen | Colm Cooper
Shane Curran | Brian Dooher | Kieran Donahy | Mattie Forde | Thomas Freeman
Raymond Gallagher | Paul Galvin | Leighton Glynn | Ciaran Hanratty
Stephen Kernan | James Masters | Andy McClean | Oisin McConville
Ciaran McDonald | Stephen McDonnell | Michael Meehan | Barry Monaghan
Finnian Moriarty | Adrian Morrissey | Conor Mortimer | Eoin Mulligan
Ross Munnelly | Nicholas Murphy | Eamon O'Hara | Stephen O'Neill
Tomas Ó Sé | Darragh Ó Sé | Declan O'Sullivan | Colm Parkinson | Tomás Quinn
Donal Shine | Ciaran Whelan | Fergal Doherty

After knocking Tyrone out of the Ulster Championship in an amazing replay, Down may have expected to go on to win the Provincial title. But it didn’t work out that way and they ended up being shown the exit door by surprise package Wexford in the qualifiers. Still, some of their players had a great year. One of them would be their free-taking centre-back, Aidan Carr. He managed to make his debut for Ulster and trained with the International Rules where he was a standby player. At a young age it already looks like he will follow in his famous father, Ross Carr’s footsteps.

What’s it like having your Dad as your manager?
It’s grand really. It may have been strange but he was my Minor county boss and for our club U-21 team. We also played Senior football together so we were used to having something outside of a normal father and son relationship.

What has been your greatest moment in sport?
Winning the Sigerson Cup in 2007 with Queens after losing 3 finals before, it was a great feeling. I also won the Ulster U-21 title with Down in 2005. It was the first time I won anything with my county.

Which is the toughest team you have faced?
Well I’d have to say Tyrone. When we played them earlier in the year it was the toughest game I’ve ever played in. Both teams went all-out to win it and it was very physically and emotionally draining.

Who was your toughest ever opponent?
From playing against him at club level it would be Benny Coulter. He is quick and strong, he can shoot and knows when to pass it. I don’t like when I see Benny running towards me! He is an exceptional forward. I marked Brian McGuigan too, from Tyrone, and I found it very hard to get near him. He is such an intelligent player.

Which players do you admire the most?
At the minute there are a lot of people, but after playing with Ulster and training with the International Rules you get to see players like Brian Dooher and Sean Cavanagh and see just how good they are. Ronan Clarke is also an exceptional player.

Who was your childhood sporting hero?
I’ve always admired Roger Federer and Tiger Woods. They are at the pinnacle of their sports. In Gaelic, players like Darragh Ó Sé, Trevor Giles and Padraig Joyce were my favourites.

What club do you play for and who are your biggest rivals?
I play for Clonduff and without doubt, Mayobridge are our biggest rivals. They are only 5 minutes up the road and the fact that they have been so successful makes it worse for us.

How do you balance your job and football?
When I came home from travelling I was very lucky as I got a job in banking with a boss who likes GAA. He understands about training. The main thing for me is being organised so I know what I have to do after work. I never really get to go straight home from work, there is always somewhere to go, like the gym.

Do you have any superstitions?
Not really, I’m fairly relaxed, but I only ever pack my gear bag the morning of the match and I always have the same breakfast.

What’s the most important skill in your opinion?
Having played most of the time as a defender I would say kicking the ball. The ability to kick the ball accurately over a distance is underestimated. At the same time, the high catch is just as important. We have Dan Gordon with us in Down and the way he can jump up in a crowd and get the ball is amazing.

What advice would you give to young players coming through the ranks?
Having fun is something that is still very important. Always listen to your mentors, even if you don’t agree with them, they are right. Believe in yourself and your ability and don’t listen to people who try to knock you.

Name: Aidan Carr
Age: 23
Team: Down
Debut: 2006
Position: Centre-Back
Honours:
1 Ulster U-21 title,
1 Down U-21 Football title,
1 Down U-21 League title,
1 Sigerson Cup title.
Club: Clonduff
Fav Food: Chinese
Fav Book: Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Fav Band: Snow Patrol
Fav Movie: Gladiator or Shawshank Redemption
Fav TV: Friends
Occupation: Commercial Banker.

CúlFACT
Aidan's dad Ross was one of the game's all-time great free-takers. He helped shoot the Mourne Men to 2 All-Irelands in 1991 and 1994.