In 1950, Carey was selected for the county minor side, along with Kevin Mussen, P.J. McElroy, Sean Spiers, Stephen McKay and the O’Hagan brothers from Warrenpoint. But they were beaten in the first round of the championship by Antrim, after missing a penalty.

A dubious honour was how many players regarded selection for the county senior squad, being advised to keep themselves eligible for the junior side, where success seemed more promising. The fact that a Mourne county team had only once reached an Ulster Senior Final, and been trounced by Monaghan, did not encourage many talented players to welcome such an invitation.

About the same time the Ballymartin club was revived. As Jarlath had qualified as a teacher, and was appointed to Glassdrumman school in his home parish, he joined the new club.

Meanwhile, a transformation had taken place at county level, and with an increasing supply of sporting talent, Down reached the Lagan Cup Final in 1957, losing in the Ulster Senior Final to Derry in the following year. In that game, Jarlath was marking his former college teammate, Jim McKeever.

But the Mournmen came back in 1958 to annihilate Cavan; and the sporting public began to realise for the first time the real potential of that multi-talented Down squad. The climax came in 1960, when the burly midfielder found himself marching around Croke Park behind the Artane Boys Band, representing a humble little club in lower Mourne.

Pitched against the legendary Mick O’Connell, he explained: “I had watched him in action against Galway, when Frank Eivers had marked him out of the game. While `Micko` could win or lose a game, he lacked total commitment.” And a human aspect of that complex character was revealed in that All-Ireland Final. The ball was in the Down goal-mouth, and Jarlath was waiting for the backs to clear it, when he suddenly felt a kick on the posterior.

Swinging around, he discovered that the culprit was none other than the celebrated `Micko.` He was obviously venting frustration at his inability to master Carey, and maybe hoping to provoke Jarlath into retaliation, which would result in his sending-off Jarlath’s immediate impulse was to strike back, and he made a rush for his opponent, but captain Paddy Doherty intervened.

Paddy `Mo` himself would land in serious trouble, some years later, due to an after-match clash with a referee. Suspended, he turned to soccer, and seemed to be ending a glorious career `Outside the Pale.` Fortunately he came back, and ended up as county team-manager.

The Ballymartin star did strike out on that historic occasion, not at an opponent, but against his own supporters. It happened in the dying minutes of the All-Ireland Final, when a section of the jubilant Down fans rushed on to the pitch, in the mistake belief that the final whistle had been blown.

He explained: “My immediate fear was that the game would be abandoned, after we had humiliated the Kerry side, and almost won the Sam Maguire Cup. There would have had to be a replay.”

Incidentally, two teachers from Glassdrumman school were on teams, which played against Kerry in All-Ireland Senior Football Finals at Croke Park. Apart from Jarlath Carey there was Malachy McEvoy from Killeavy in South Armagh, who resided on the outskirts of Kilkeel, beside the school of which he was later principal.

Big Mal, or `Style’ as he was known, due to his elegant displays for the Abbey CBS, Killeavy, Longstone, Armagh, Ulster and Ireland, was `Man of the Match` in the controversial 1953 All-Ireland Final against Kerry. Legendary radio commentator, Micheal O’Hare, described the gregarious red-haired midfielder, - who had scored a brilliant goal, - as “majestic and magnificent.” The Orchard county had a goal disallowed, and missed a penalty, losing by just four points.

When I interviewed Malachy at his home, some years ago, he was in a wheel-chair, being hand-fed by his devoted wife. He had suffered a stroke. The hero in red, black and amber, whom we had cheered at the Abbey grounds, and watched with pride, dominating the Kerry stars at Croke Park, was now an object of compassion and sadness. The world was suddenly a very cold, uncertain and unjust place!

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