Armagh aim to cap off a famous year of Ulster dominance – The Irish Times

Ulster at the top

Should Armagh get their hands on Sam, it would be the crowning achievement of Ulster’s best season to date in any division of intercounty football.

The province has already won pretty much every major national football award this year. In January, Glen Watty Grahams (Derry), Cullyhanna (Armagh) and Arva (Cavan) won the All-Ireland club titles in the senior, intermediate and junior categories respectively.

Ulster University won the Sigerson Cup and in April Derry won the Division One National League title while Donegal secured the Division Two title. The All-Ireland Under-20 Championship went to Tyrone, who also boasted Hogan Cup winners Omagh CBS. The All-Ireland Minor Championship went to Derry, who beat Armagh in what was, incidentally, their second All-Ulster final in a row.

To put 2024 in context, Ulster’s most successful year to date was probably 2008, when Tyrone won the senior and minor All-Irelands, Derry won NFL Division One, UUJ took the Sigerson and St Pat’s, Dungannon took home the Hogan Cup, but no club or league titles went north, including the U21s.

Joyce wants to ban Ulster’s weapons again

Speaking of Ulster teams, Padraic Joyce’s record as a manager against them is excellent. Yesterday’s game was his 21st against Ulster opposition and further improved his record. His only two defeats were against Derry in this year’s league and Armagh last season, while he has also overseen draws against Donegal (2023 league) and Armagh (this year’s All-Ireland group stages).

A total of 17 victories were achieved against Monaghan (five times), Tyrone (four times), Donegal (three times), Derry and Armagh (twice each) and Down (once).

As a player, Joyce also had some great days against Ulster sides. He was part of the Galway minor team that beat Armagh in the 1994 All-Ireland final, captained St Jarlath’s to the Hogan Cup against Maghera that same year and defeated Derry in two All-Ireland SFC semi-finals en route to Sam Maguire.

New York defends junior title

New York retained their All-Ireland Junior Football Championship title yesterday with a 0-13 to 0-12 victory over London in the preliminary match at Croker. This competition was first held in 1912 and was quite prestigious in its early decades.

Most of the titles have been dominated by Cork and Kerry, who have 37 titles between them. The team was recently restructured and now comprises four teams, which this year consisted of a homegrown American team called the USGAA, All-Britain finalists Warwickshire, and London and New York.

Both semi-finals on Friday night were hard-fought. In the final, Shay McElligot, one of nine survivors from last year’s victory over Kilkenny, scored six points to help New York to a 0-13 to 0-12 victory.

McCambridge’s big contribution to Armagh’s success

Barry McCambridge’s handball-like goal on Saturday should come as no surprise to fans of the small ball game (which includes The Schemozzle).

McCambridge played youth handball for Lurgan’s Clann Éireann, the home club of former All-Ireland senior champion Charly Shanks, and Armagh.

He is not the only handball player competing in the All-Ireland final. Mark Rodgers, Patrick Crotty, Adam Hogan, Gearóid Sheedy, Peter Duggan and David McInerney from Clare are all handball aces, no pun intended.

In words

“I think the referee made the right decision. It was a free kick and a yellow card. He probably should have given Paul Murphy a yellow card for the pass in the first place.” – Peter Canavan on Peter McGrane’s tackle on Paul Geaney, which saw the Kerry striker brought down in spectacular fashion.

In numbers

4 – Points: Armagh trailed at half-time against Kerry in the 2002 All-Ireland final and again on Saturday.