Richard Bullick
Kerry made it third time lucky as they ended an All Ireland drought lasting over three decades by beating Galway in this month’s Croke Park showpiece after back-to-back decider defeats at the hands of Meath and Dublin.
Although the 12th All Ireland in their history, it was the Kingdom outfit’s first triumph since 1993 and they won by the emphatic margin of 12 points against Galway, who had dethroned Dublin at the last eight stage before beating Cork in the semis.
The Kingdom’s goals came from Aoife Dillane, newly-introduced sub Hannah O’Donoghue and finally full forward Emma Dineen, while 2023 All Ireland Player of the Year Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh had four frees in her six point haul.
Dillane’s goal just before the break gave Kerry a 1-8 to 0-3 interval lead after a dominant display in the opening period and the favourites never looked back as they marched on to a comprehensive 3-14 to 0-11 victory.
It had been a much closer contest against Armagh in the semis, when Kerry had been three behind after 14 minutes before capitalising on Orchard captain Clodagh McCambridge being off getting stitched by grabbing the game’s only goal during her absence.
Armagh were without ace markswoman Aimee Mackin, former skipper Kelly Mallon wasn’t fit to start and the iconic Caroline O’Hanlon was curtailed by a torn calf muscle, yet the orangewomen only lost by four points in Tullamore.
Especially given the sense of opportunity created by Dublin being knocked out, that strong start at O’Connor Park and manager Greg McGonigle’s great record of taking teams to All Ireland finals, it was a heartbreaking end to a fantastic season for Armagh.
The Orchard crew won the National League title for the first time ever, overcoming holders Kerry in April’s Croke Park final, and reclaimed the provincial crown from bitter rivals Donegal with a fourth Ulster Senior Championship success in five seasons.
The consecutive Sundays of All Ireland deciders which followed may have heightened the sense of what might have been as Kerry’s ladies and Armagh’s men respectively picked up the top trophies, but also how the promised land really is within touching distance.
Although both Armagh teams had decent credentials, a few weeks ago the women would likely have been considered a better bet than their male counterparts to bring All Ireland glory to the Orchard county this summer.
However, everything fell into place quite quickly in the end for Kieran McGeeney’s side, underlining how great rewards can come for a talented team who work hard and keep knocking on the door despite setbacks.
As it happens, there are close family links between the hierarchy of the ladies side and the men’s team including All Ireland Player of the Year contender Barry McCambridge being the brother of captain Clodagh and her younger sister Meabh.
The three vice-captains of the ladies set-up all have All Ireland-winning siblings now, with one of Aimee and Blaithin Mackin’s brothers, Connaire, starting in the Croke Park showpiece while Ciaran was a pivotal player before rupturing his cruciate.
Lauren McConville’s younger brother Cian didn’t make the matchday 26 but her cousins Rian and Oisin O’Neill both scored in the All Ireland final as did former skipper Kelly Mallon’s cousin Niall Grimley.
Being in Croke Park on both All Ireland Sundays following her own team’s elimination may have been painful for Clodagh McCambridge but also surely spurred her determination to reach the holy grail.
McCambridge had big boots to fill following Mallon’s successful spell as skipper and perhaps was a surprise pick over McConville on age grounds but she has proved an excellent and highly-articulate captain with so much unpretentious presence.
For her part, with 16 seasons of Orchard duty under her belt, Mallon may take inspiration from how fellow forward Ni Mhuircheartaigh realised her lifelong footballing ambition as a result of sticking around for a 17th inter-county campaign with Kerry.
Being in Croke Park watching the Armagh men win the All Ireland for the first time since 2002, the year she made her own Orchard debut, should have O’Hanlon fresh hope that the summit may be close enough for the team she has given 23 seasons of outstanding service.
She may also be mindful of how fellow veteran sporting all-rounder Louise Galvin agonisingly missed out on the Paris Olympics and All Ireland glory a week apart after being a key figure for the Irish rugby sevens side and Kerry ladies football team for so many years.
Nobody would deserve to be part of a ladies All Ireland win by Armagh more than O’Hanlon and, if her body can be patched up to go again, the triple All Star remains a great asset to the Orchard cause despite turning 40 last week.
Much hope will be pinned upon the expectation that Aimee Mackin will be back to spearhead the Orchard challenge next summer and it is hoped that both Blaithin Mackin and McConville come through the forthcoming AFLW season Down Under unscathed.
With two silverware wins, Armagh have done more than merely lay firm foundations in McGonigle’s first season back at the Orchard helm but there is unquestionably scope for a largely young squad to keep progressing further under this formidable management team.
McGonigle managed to keep more than 30 of the biggest panel in Orchard history on board right until the end of the campaign, helped by being prepared to sacrifice a more respectable result in the final regular league game against Dublin to give game-time to fringe players.
As a small county which repeatedly punches above its weight, Armagh hasn’t a deep playing pool but squad depth has increased in the season just ended thanks to the emergence, transformation or return of various individuals.
Young newcomer Roisin Mulligan may be branded Armagh’s find of the season but Dearbhla Coleman, a previously peripheral figure, has been a real revelation and her great friend Meabh McCambridge is someone McGonigle clearly rates.
Their Clann Eireann club captain Niamh Henderson has seamlessly slotted back into county football after a nine-year absence and the versatile Sarah Quigley from Armagh Junior champions Clonmore has established herself as a capable player at this level.
There are a few players outside the present set-up such as Catherine Marley who would undoubtedly bolster the panel next season if available and the Armagh men’s win shows that All Ireland glory isn’t necessarily dependent of a county’s underage record.
That’s just as well for the female Armagh Minors were unable to salvage consolation silverware at the end of another disappointing season as a spirited fightback in their All Ireland C final against Waterford fell just short at Kinnegad last month.
Over recent seasons, Armagh have alternated between finishing fifth and sixth in their own province which is quite unsatisfactory considering the adult team has reached at least the All Ireland Senior Championship quarter-finals ever year since 2016.
Perhaps partly because not enough former players from Armagh’s original golden generation have gone into coaching, unlike for example Ireland’s women’s rugby’s Grand Slam squad of 2013, there has been an over-reliance on parents to take age group county teams.
Cork were relegated from NFL Division One this spring but have 86 clubs active in ladies football compared to some 30 in Armagh and sent no fewer than FIVE teams of aspiring Rebelettes to the LGFA’s Under 17 National Festival Day last month.
The ambitious Armagh Ladies County Board have done a stunning job bringing the McKeever Park project to fruition over the past number of years but coaching and player development may now need to take priority over facilities in the period ahead.
At club level, it is hoped that McGonigle’s Clann Eireann, who won the All Ireland sevens title earlier this month, can challenge for All Ireland Senior Club Championship success after their historic capturing of the provincial crown last autumn.
The flip side is that the outcome of the forthcoming Orchard club championship, which gets underway this Friday, looks like a foregone conclusion though there is still much to look forward to over the next few weeks as domestic matters take centre stage.
There is plenty of feelgood factor around Armagh gaelic football because of the men’s All Ireland win but also on the back of a very successful season for the ladies county team which can be built upon in the years ahead.
As steps towards integration with the GAA and Camogie Association continue, the LGFA is still flourishing as a standalone organisation, though in Dublin’s absence the crowd for All Ireland finals day was considerably down on the record attendance of 56114 five years ago.
Newly promoted to NFL Division One, Tyrone were hot favourites for the Intermediate decider against a Leitrim team who have failed to get out of Division Four this season but they ended up on the losing side despite a late flourish.
Unfancied Leitrim actually led by seven at one stage before Tyrone captain Aoibhinn McHugh netted and sub Emma Conroy, the 2019 All Ireland-winning captain for St Catherine’s Under 16s, closed the gap to a single point in the closing stages.
But the underdogs held on to win 3-11 to 3-10 on what was a good afternoon for sides in green as Fermanagh had earlier seen off Louth 1-11 to 0-12 in the opening game of a triple header of finals at headquarters.
Having opted out of the Erne panel last season, Eimear Smyth scored all but two points of her team’s tally, though manager CJ McGourty’s ‘world-class’ claims afterwards felt way over the top considering the comparatively mediocre standard of the third tier competition.
In some ways it is a positive thing that the minnows get the chance to grace Croke Park in the finals of these secondary competitions but branding Leitrim or Fermanagh as ‘All Ireland winners’ is infuriating, false and disrespectful to the actual champions, in this case Kerry.
Spare a thought for Galway, whose teams suffered a hat-trick of All Ireland decider defeats in the men’s football, ladies football and camogie showpieces on consecutive weekends but to be in the frame for the top prize in three codes at the same time is outstanding.
They lost the weekend’s All Ireland camogie final to Cork, whose ladies football manager Shane Ronayne has stood down after three seasons at the helm while it remains to be seen whether Mick Bohan will remain as Dublin boss for a ninth inter-county campaign.
