Armagh county football team
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2020) |
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| Sport: | Football | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish: | Ard Mhacha[1] | ||
| Nickname(s): | The Orchard men[2] | ||
| County board: | Armagh GAA | ||
| Manager: | Kieran McGeeney | ||
| Captain: | Aidan Nugent/Rian O'Neill[3] | ||
| Home venue(s): | Athletic Grounds, Armagh[1] | ||
| Recent competitive record | |||
| Current All-Ireland status: | QF in 2023 | ||
| Last championship title: | 2002 | ||
| Current NFL Division: | 2 (7th in 2023) | ||
| Last league title: | 2005 | ||
| |||
The Armagh county football team (
Armagh's home ground is the Athletic Grounds, Armagh. The team's manager is Kieran McGeeney.
The team last won the Ulster Senior Championship in 2008, the All-Ireland Senior Championship in 2002 and the National League in 2005.
Colours and crest
Armagh's county colours are orange and white. Originally they wore black and amber striped shirts until 1926 when Dominican nuns from Omeath, in County Louth knitted the team a pair of orange and white kits ahead of a Junior clash with Dublin which they have kept since.[4]
Kit evolution
Armagh launched a new kit in November 2022.[5]
Team sponsorship
The Armagh County Board negotiated a number of new sponsorship deals in 2012, including telecommunications company Rainbow Communications as principal jersey sponsor,[6] and Simply Fruit for the minor team. Previously, the county's main sponsor had been Morgan Fuels, but that 17-year relationship ended somewhat acrimoniously in 2012.[7][8]
History
Armagh was the second team to win the Ulster Senior Football Championship, doing so in 1890. In the early years of the GAA, a club that won its county championship went on to represent the county and would also wear the county colours. Armagh Harps represented Armagh in the Ulster final, beating Tyrone (Cookstown's Owen Roes), but losing to All-Ireland Champions Cork (Midleton) in the All-Ireland SFC semi-final.
Despite early success at provincial level, national success at junior and minor level and All-Ireland final appearances in 1953 and 1977, it took until 2002 for Armagh to win their first and only All-Ireland Senior Football Championship under manager Joe Kernan. The county won the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship (MFC), in 1949 and again in 2009, but lost the 1957 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship final to Meath.
The Era of the Two Brians: 1995–2001
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Joe Kernan's Golden Era: 2002–06
Joe Kernan is widely regarded as Armagh's most successful manager having won one League title, four Ulster SFCs and one All-Ireland SFC.
Appearing in the county's third All-Ireland SFC decider and having lost the previous two, the team was the first from
According to Eamonn Sweeney, "especially during their final years, Joe Kernan's Armagh came to epitomise a style of play with the emphasis on the physical, the kind of football which prompts machismo devotees in the media to break out phrases like 'grimly compelling' and 'ratcheting up the physical intensity.'"[10]
Kernan–McGeeney interim: 2007–14
Peter McDonnell was appointed Armagh managed for the 2007–2009 seasons. During his time as Armagh manager, McDonnell won one Ulster SFC. After a disappointing 2009 campaign which resulted in Armagh being defeated by Tyrone, Peter McDonnell stepped down as Armagh manager.
Paddy O'Rourke, from the neighbouring county of Down, replaced McDonnell as Armagh manager between 2010 and 2012. During this time O'Rourke won the National Football League Division 2 title.
Paul Grimley replaced O'Rourke as Armagh manager for the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Grimley resigned following a one-point defeat to Donegal in the 2014 All-Ireland SFC quarter-final.
Kieran McGeeney era: 2015–
In August 2014, Kieran McGeeney took over as manager for an initial five-year term.[11]
- 2015 season
In his first season as Armagh manager, McGeeney secured promotion to Division 2 of the National Football League after beating Fermanagh in the final.
In his first Ulster SFC game as manager, Donegal defeated Armagh on a scoreline of 0–8 to 2-11. Armagh's championship continued via the All-Ireland SFC qualifiers, in which the county defeated Wicklow but then Galway defeated it in Round 2.
- 2016 season
The 2016 NFL campaign ended with four teams finishing on the same points but by virtue of having a poor scoring difference Armagh were relegated to Division 3. In the 2016 Ulster SFC, Cavan defeated Armagh forcing Armagh to continue via the All-Ireland SFc qualifiers. This ended in defeat to Laois in Round 1.
- 2017 season
Armagh's 2017 NFL campaign ended with Tipperary beating Armagh in the last league game, this resulted in Armagh missing out on promotion back to Division 2.
In the 2017 Ulster SFC, Armagh went out to neighbouring team, Down. However, Armagh recovered with wins over Fermanagh, Westmeath, Tipperary and Kildare to book a place in an All-Ireland SFC quarter-final in which rivals Tyrone won through.
- 2018 season
Armagh started the 2018 season with promotion to Division 2 of the NFL but the county's Ulster SFC ended with a loss to Fermanagh at the quarter-final stage. Armagh continued its championship via the All-Ireland SFC qualifiers, in which the county defeated Westmeath, Sligo and Clare but was unable to overcome 2018 Connacht SFC finalists Roscommon.
- 2019 season
The 2019 campaign began with Armagh securing its Division 2 status. Armagh's 2019 Ulster SFC started off with a quarter-final win against neighbours Down, which would mark McGeeney's first win in Ulster as manager of Armagh. In the quarter-final Cavan and Armagh were inseparable in the first game but Cavan took the victory in the replay. In the All-Ireland SFC qualifiers, Armagh faced Monaghan, winning the game by a scoreline of 2–17 to 1–12. In Round 3 of the All-Ireland SFC qualifiers, Armagh lost to Mayo by one point.
In August 2019, McGeeney was given a two-year extension to his term as manager.[12]
- 2020 season
Despite approaching the game as favourite, Armagh struggled to overcome Derry in a "gruelling" 2020 Ulster SFC quarter-final.[13] The county then exited the Ulster SFC once more, this time after a "poor" showing at the semi-final stage, ten points down at half-time (Armagh only managed two points in the entire half) and twelve points the difference at the end.[14] No All-Ireland SFC qualifiers occurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus ended Armagh's season.
- 2021 season
The 2021 season started with a reduced league where Armagh played against Monaghan, Tyrone and Donegal in the North division. Their first game back in division one was against Monaghan where Armagh would win 1-16 to 1-12 at Brewster Park. Next up Armagh played Tyrone losing by five points on a score of 2-10 to 2-15 and having to use five of their seven subs in the first half. In their closing match Armagh drew 1-16 a piece with Donegal who have managed to rack up big scores against Armagh in recent meetings. Although Armagh put in some good performance in division one it did not save them from having to go up against Roscommon in a relegation playoff. Armagh secured their division 1 status with a comfortable 1-17 to 0-11 win.
In August 2021, Armagh triggered the one-year option to retain McGeeney as manager for the 2022 season.[15]
- 2022 season
The 2022 season had Armagh playing Galway in a 2022 All-Ireland SFC quarter-final at Croke Park. Tiernan Kelly and the eye-gouging incident caused uproar.[16][17][18][19][20] Colm O'Rourke described Armagh as the "common denominator" after two earlier brawls in 2022, making this their third of the year.[21][22] Joe Brolly condemned Armagh (like O'Rourke, he referred to Armagh's previous that season): "They are out of control and it is only a matter of time before someone gets very seriously injured. This was deliberate goading, deliberate assaults during the course of the game, way beyond what is acceptable. I invite the GAA to look at all the camera footage. They should be asking RTÉ for all of the camera footage, because a lot was missed yesterday. It's not good enough… There is, unfortunately, a culture within this Armagh squad and it's difficult to know if it is encouraged, but it is certainly being tolerated. This is the third time this season. And the most disappointing thing about (Sunday's) game is the number of occasions when you could clearly see an Armagh player setting out to injure an opponent… The eye-gouger, no doubt, will get 12 months as a minimum… Possibly longer than that. It is a scandal to see that in our games, deeply depressing. That is the third riot on the pitch that there has been associated with [Armagh's] games and it is not a coincidence."[23][24]
Current management team
- Appointed in August 2014, given two-year extension with one-year extra option in August 2019, some additions noted.
- Manager: Kieran McGeeney
- Backroom team:
- Assistant manager until the end of the 2020 season: Jim McCorry[27]
Current panel
Team as per Armagh vs Cavan in the Ulster SFC quarter-final, 22 April 2023
Managerial history
- The era of the two Brians
- 1995–2001
| NFL | Provincial | All Ireland | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games played | 38 | 13 | 5 | 56 |
| Games won | 18 | 7 | 2 | 27 |
| Percentage won | 47.37% | 53.85% | 40.00% | 48.22% |
- Joe Kernan's Golden Era
- 2002–2006
| NFL | Provincial | All Ireland | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games played | 38 | 18 | 14 | 70 |
| Games won | 23 | 14 | 10 | 47 |
| Percentage won | 60.53% | 77.77% | 71.43% | 67.14% |
- Peter McDonnell
- 2007–2009
| NFL | Provincial | All Ireland | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games played | 21 | 6 | 3 | 30 |
| Games won | 10 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| Percentage won | 47.62% | 50.0% | 0.0% | 43.33% |
- Paddy O'Rourke
- 2010–2012
| NFL | Provincial | All Ireland | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games played | 22 | 5 | 7 | 34 |
| Games won | 10 | 2 | 1 | 13 |
| Percentage won | 45.45% | 40.00% | 14.29% | 38.23% |
- Paul Grimley
- 2013–2014
| NFL | Provincial | All Ireland | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games played | 14 | 4 | 7 | 25 |
| Games won | 4 | 1 | 5 | 10 |
| Percentage won | 28.57% | 25.00% | 71.43% | 40.00% |
- Kieran McGeeney
- 2015–present
| NFL | Provincial | All Ireland | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games played | 46 | 8 | 14 | 68 |
| Games won | 25 | 2 | 9 | 36 |
| Percentage won | 54.6% | 25% | 64.29% | 53% |
[As of 13 June 2021]
National title-winning teams
| Year and competition | Squad[28] | Scoreline |
|---|---|---|
2002 All-Ireland SFC Final[29]
|
Benny Tierney, Francis Bellew, Aidan O'Rourke, Kieran McGeeney, A. McCann, Paul McGrane, J. Toal, P. McKeever, John McEntee, Oisín McConville, Stevie McDonnell, Rónán Clarke, Diarmaid Marsden . Subs: B. O'Hagan for McEntee, T. McEntee for McKeever.
|
Armagh 1-12 Kerry 0-14 |
| Year and competition | Squad | Scoreline |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 National League | P. Hearty; Francis Bellew, P. McCormack 0–1; Aaron Kernan 0–1, Kieran McGeeney, C. McKeever; J. Toal, Paul McGrane; M. O'Rourke, John McEntee 0–1, Oisín McConville 0–2; Stevie McDonnell 0-10, Rónán Clarke 0–2, B. Mallon 0–4. Subs - P. McKeever 1–0, A. McCann, J. McNulty, P. Loughran, A. O'Rourke.
|
Armagh 1-21 Wexford 1-14 |
| Year and competition | Squad | Scoreline |
|---|---|---|
| 1926 All-Ireland JFC Final | C. Morgan, H. Cumiskey, Gene Hanratty, J. Vallely, Joe Harney, J. Maguire, Owen Connolly, J. Corrigan, F. McAvinchey, F. Toner, P. Fearon, J. Kernan, H. Arthurs, J. Donaghy, J. McCusker. Sub - J. McEntee for McAvinchey. | Armagh 4-11 Dublin 0-04 |
| Year and competition | Squad | Scoreline |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 All-Ireland Under-21 FC Final | G. Wilson, G. Smyth, F. Moriarty, Andy Mallon, Aaron Kernan, Ciarán McKeever, B. McDonald, M. Mackin, G. Swift, G. Loughran, S. Kernan, P. Toal, M. McNamee, R. Austin, B. Mallon. Subs - P. Duffy, B. Toner, J. Murtagh, M. Moore, S. O'Neill. | Armagh 2-08 Mayo 1-09 |
| Year and competition | Squad | Scoreline |
|---|---|---|
| 1949 All-Ireland MFC Final | L. McCorry, E. McCann, J. Brattan, J. McKnight, F. Kernan, B. O’Neill, T. McConville, E. Mee, S. Collins, T. Connolly, S. Blaney, J. Cunningham, S. Smith, P.J. McKeever, B. McGrane. Sub - M. McKnight for Collins. | Armagh 1-07 Kerry 1-05 |
| 2009 All-Ireland MFC Final | S. O'Reilly, K. Downey, R. Finnegan, K. Nugent, D. McKenna, N. Rowland, J. Morgan, P. Carragher (0-1), J. Donnelly, R. Grugan (0-1, 0-1f), A. Murnin (0-1), C. King, R. Tasker (0-3), E. McVerry (0-3, 0-1f), G. McParland. Sub - C. McCafferty for Finnegan '53, T. McAlinden (0-1) for McVerry '54. | Armagh 0-10 Mayo 0-07 |
Players
Notable players
Records
- Stevie McDonnell is the team's top scorer in National Football League history, finishing his career with 33–282 (381) in that competition.[30]
All Stars
Armagh has 24 All Stars, as of 2008. 15 different players have won, as of 2008. No player has won more than three All Stars. denotes that a player also won
1972: Paddy Moriarty
1977: Joe Kernan, Jimmy Smyth, Paddy Moriarty2nd
1980: Colum McKinstry
1982: Joe Kernan2nd
1993: Ger Houlahan
1999: Kieran McGeeney, Diarmaid Marsden
2000: Kieran McGeeney2nd, Oisín McConville
2002: Enda McNulty, Aidan O'Rourke, Kieran McGeeney 3rd, Paul McGrane, Stevie McDonnell, Oisín McConville2nd
2003: Francie Bellew, Stevie McDonnell 2nd
2005: Andy Mallon, Paul McGrane2nd, Stevie McDonnell3rd
2006: Rónán Clarke
2008: Rónán Clarke2nd
Honours
- Official honours, with additions noted.[1]
National
- All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
- National Football League
- All-Ireland Junior Football Championship
Winners (1): 1926
- All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship
- Winners (1): 2004
- All-Ireland Minor Football Championship
- Winners (2): 1949, 2009
Provincial
- Ulster Senior Football Championship
- Winners (14): 1890, 1903, 1950, 1953, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008
Runners-up (21): 1891, 1901–02, 1904, 1912, 1917, 1920, 1927, 1928, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1938, 1939, 1949, 1954, 1961, 1981, 1984, 1987, 1990, 2023
- Ulster Under-21 Football Championship
- Winners (2): 1998, 2004, 2007
- Ulster Minor Football Championship
- Winners (11): 1930, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1957, 1961, 1968, 1992, 1994, 2005, 2009
- Ulster Junior Football Championship
- Winners (6): 1925, 1926, 1935, 1948, 1951, 1985
- Dr McKenna Cup
- Winners (9): 1929, 1931, 1938, 1939, 1949, 1950, 1986, 1990, 1994
- Dr Lagan Cup
- Winners (3): 1954, 1955, 1956
References
- ^ a b c "Armagh — Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Uladh". Ulster GAA. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
- ^ "Ulster SFC: Dominant Donegal crush Orchard men". Hogan Stand. 14 November 2020.
- ^ "'It was bonkers, that's the only word to describe it' — Ex-Galway star Joe Bergin on melee red cards". independent.ie. 29 June 2022.
However, a greater issue that caught Bergin's eye was the decision for referee David Coldrick to send off both Kelly and Nugent, feeling it was a far harsher punishment to Galway than Armagh considering the latter player shares the captaincy role with Rian O'Neill.
- ^ Neville, Conor (17 May 2016). "6 Counties Who Have Changed Their GAA Kit Colours And The Reasons Why". Balls.ie.
- ^ "Armagh launch new kit". Hogan Stand. 2 November 2022.
- ^ "Grimley welcomes new Armagh sponsors". Hogan Stand. 2 November 2012.
- ^ Keys, Colm (8 November 2012). "Morgan adds fuel to Armagh sponsor row". Irish Independent. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
- ^ O'Riordan, Ian (8 November 2012). "Sponsor ends ground deal with Armagh". The Irish Times. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
- ^ a b "Armagh are champions". BBC. 22 September 2002.
- ^ Sweeney, Eamonn (8 August 2010). "McGeeney does a Clough on Kildare". Sunday Independent.
- ^ "Kieran McGeeney handed five-year term at Armagh". RTÉ. 28 August 2014.
- ^ "McGeeney extends stay with Armagh for further two years". RTÉ. 5 August 2019.
- ^ "Armagh march on after gruelling Derry battle". Irish Independent. 2 November 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
- The42.ie. 14 November 2020.
- ^ "Kieran McGeeney: Armagh boss to stay on as manager for 2022". BBC Sport. 3 August 2021.
- ^ "Spillane condemns 'disgraceful' Armagh–Galway brawl". 26 June 2022 – via www.rte.ie.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ "The Sunday Game panel react to scenes of striking and apparent eye-gouging in the aftermath of the full-time whistle in Croke Park". The Sunday Game. 26 June 2022
- ^ "Pat Spillane rips into Galway and Armagh for giant brawl". 26 June 2022.
- ^ "Armagh v Galway: 'No room for that in any sport' – Taoiseach condemns Croke Park eye-gouging incident as 'shocking'". Irish Independent.
- ^ Delaney, Luke. "Taoiseach And Minister For Sport Condemn Armagh Eye Gouge Incident". Balls.ie.
- ^ "O'Rourke on brawl: Armagh the common denominator". 27 June 2022 – via www.rte.ie.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ "O'Rourke blames Armagh for violent scenes - HoganStand". hoganstand.com.
- ^ Connaughton, Gary. "Joe Brolly Slams Armagh 'Culture' After Unsavoury Galway Scenes". Balls.ie.
- ^ "'They are out of control' – Joe Brolly criticises Armagh players over melee at Croke Park". independent.
- ^ "Donaghy joins Armagh backroom team". Hogan Stand. 14 December 2020.
- ^ "GAA: Kieran Donaghy joins Armagh's backroom team for 2021". BBC Sport. 16 December 2020.
- ^ "Derry win very special — Armagh assistant boss McCorry". BBC Sport. 1 November 2020.
- ^ "Armagh are champions". BBC Sport. 22 September 2002.
- ^ "Armagh are champions". BBC. 22 September 2002.
- ^ "Banner hero David Tubridy already has more history in his sights after becoming highest league scorer of all time". Irish Independent. 1 June 2021.
