ARMAGH HUNGRY TO WRITE NEW CHAPTER
Richard Bullick
Armagh go into this Saturday’s showdown with Donegal having been officially recognised as Ulster’s female Team of the Year across all sports for their exploits in 2024 but determined to kick on by achieving fresh success this season.
The Ulster champions put their provincial crown on the line against familiar rivals in the Clones showpiece (3pm), which is a curtain-raiser to the men’s decider between the same two counties so it should be a wonderful occasion with high hopes of an Orchard double.
The two Orchard sides have plenty of family links, including ladies captain Clodagh McCambridge’s brother Barry being a star for the men’s team and vice-captain Lauren McConville’s younger sibling Cian also set to feature on this double bill.
Both skipper McCambridge and Armagh LGFA Chairperson Sinead Reel are encouraging all Orchard followers to come to Clones early to get behind this hugely talented, incredibly dedicated ladies side who have consistently done the county proud.
While Armagh’s All Ireland champion men are out to end a provincial title famine stretching back to 2008, this is an eighth consecutive Ulster final for the orangewomen, with the previous seven including three wins and three defeats in deciders against Donegal.
Ironically, the last time the women in orange played an Ulster final ahead of a men’s match was in 2014 when James Daly’s Orchard side shocked a formidable Monaghan team managed by Armagh man John Morrison, who were going for their fifth title in a row.
This time too, there is an Armagh man in charge of the opposition with none other than the aforementioned Daly in his first season at the Donegal helm, and he will be hoping for another upset as this time the Orchard are defending champions and favourites.
However, Armagh will have to bounce back from relinquishing their National League title with a 15-point drubbing by Kerry last month at Croke Park, where they had made history 12 months earlier with victory in their first ever Division One showpiece.
The Orchard outfit followed up that triumph by reclaiming the provincial crown from Donegal and topped their All Ireland group before going on to lose in the semi-final against Kerry, and there has been further recognition for Armagh’s hugely successful season.
Armagh were crowned Overall Team of the Year at last Saturday night’s Local Women Sport Awards at the Europa Hotel, where the inspirational Lauren McConville, a 2024 All Star recipient, was rightly honoured as LGFA Player of the Year.
Also among those shortlisted for that individual award was Clann Eireann captain Niamh Henderson, whose hopes of a footballing birthday celebration a few days after turning 30 were shattered by the defeat against Kerry in last month’s NFL final.
Returning to Orchard duty after nine years out of county football, Henderson won Player of the Match in both her Ulster Senior Championship finals last year, in the respective orange jerseys of Armagh and her club Clann Eireann.
Niamh’s incredible niece Cassie Henderson did have some silverware as a sporting present ahead of her 16th birthday last Friday, having captained Armagh to victory in the Ulster Under 16 gold final against Antrim the previous Sunday and joint top-scored with 1-2.
On the theme of real rising stars receiving birthday bonuses for their endeavours, Ireland ace Aoife Dalton had the honour of being the youngest player from any country to be included in women’s rugby’s Team of the Six Nations last week a few days before turning 22.
The outstanding young Offaly woman is one of three Irish representatives in what is effectively the Guinness Six Nations All Stars side along with Ulster native Neve Jones and the brilliant Aoife Wafer, who has been shortlisted for Player of the Championship.
However, there was a horrible birthday blow for another of Ireland’s leading lights Dorothy Wall, with official confirmation that the Tipperary woman, who turned 25 on Sunday, suffered a ruptured achilles against Scotland which will keep her out of this summer’s World Cup.
