Down will play Armagh in the Ulster Senior Football Championship semi-final on Sunday in Clones. The match follows Down's win over Donegal last week.

Newry lies divided between south Down and south Armagh. Residents there live and work across the county line. Gaelic games structure requires county-based teams, so pupils from both counties play together only at school.

Abbey Grammar in Newry won this year's MacRory Cup, the Ulster senior schools championship. The winning squad had players from both Down and Armagh.

The school held a colour day event before the match. Pupils wore red and orange, the counties' colours. Daniel McKernan from Down called the build-up chaotic. He noted that schoolmates will support opposing sides at Clones. Michael O'Neill from Armagh welcomed facing Down instead of Donegal. Diarmaid O'Rourke from Armagh said Down had struggled in recent years but improved.

Daniel Carr from Down questioned plans for joint supporter buses to Clones. Karl Kimmins, chairman of Thomas Davis GAC in Newry, recalled childhood flag rivalries between neighbours. The club moved to grounds inside Newry a decade ago and fields Armagh players despite some Down supporters.

Pairc Esler stadium in Newry hosts Down games. Official maps place most of its 20,000 capacity in Armagh. Finn Rooney, a taxi driver from Mayobridge, reported ticket queues at a local supermarket. Ciara McAteer and Colleen McDonald expect Armagh to win. Joan Ferrick from Rostrevor wants a Down victory.