Today is the twentieth anniversary of Armagh's maiden and only All-Ireland final victory. This is an extract from a new book by that famous Armagh team called Kings for A Day by Niall McCoy, which is published by The O’Brien Press. The book is available on bookshops 3rd October, and can be purchased here.
The early 1990s belonged to other counties in Ireland’s northern province, but building blocks were being put in place that would ultimately provide the most solid of foundations for their momentous 2002 Sam Maguire success.
It can be traced all the way back to that horrible 1991 day in Newry, when Mickey Linden sent Tierney the wrong way from the penalty spot for what would prove to be the match-winning goal.
Before that tasteless main, the Armagh minor team had slammed home six goals against Down in a sizzling starter course. Des Mackin scored a hat-trick, while Barry O’Hagan dominated at midfield. Their teamsheet also included goalkeeper Darren Whitmarsh and Pat McGibbon.
The former would play in front of 30,000 fans at Old Trafford the next year as a Manchester United side featuring Paul Scholes, David Beckham and the Neville brothers faced Leeds in the Youth Cup final. In 1995, McGibbon would also play at the Theatre of Dreams alongside Beckham and Eric Cantona as Alex Ferguson’s side suffered a shock League Cup loss to York City.
Whitmarsh was still in goals for the Armagh minors in 1992 when they got agonisingly close to an All-Ireland crown. Leading by two points a couple of minutes into additional time, Trevor Giles – destined for a glorious career in the green and gold of Meath – played the ball into Royal substitute Michael Farrelly. With his marker Kevin O’Hagan slipping on the turf, the Kells man blasted beyond Whitmarsh.
Leading by two points a couple of minutes into additional time, Trevor Giles – destined for a glorious career in the green and gold of Meath – played the ball into Royal substitute Michael Farrelly. With his marker Kevin O’Hagan slipping on the turf, the Kells man blasted beyond Whitmarsh.
Barry O’Hagan was presented with a chance to equalise from a ‘45’, but, the wind, it dropped short. Though the ball was flicked onto the crossbar, the full-time whistle had already sounded.
That tormenting experience was crucial though. Many of the players from that team remained close to manager Brother Larry Ennis until his death in 2021, particularly Paul McGrane. The coaching received from Liam McCorry was also banked and called on for years to come.
Two years later, the Orchard minors were back on the All-Ireland stage after claiming another Ulster title. In that 1994 clash at Croke Park, the class of 2002 would again be represented, with Aidan O’Rourke, Enda McNulty, John McEntee, Barry Duffy and Tony McEntee – listed as Anthony in the match programme – in the first 15.
It was Kerry who ended their hopes then, Armagh’s dream dying in the last four.
‘Mike Frank Russell and Kerry beat us in the semi-final in Croke Park,’ says Aidan O’Rourke. ‘That minor team could and should have won an All-Ireland, but we didn’t have the belief that we could do that.’
Sigerson football was also providing a launchpad for expectation, with legendary college coaches such as Jordanstown’s Adrian McGuckin, Jim McKeever of St Mary’s and Queen’s Dessie Ryan having a massive impact on some future Armagh stars.
There had been highlights before – Ger Houlahan won the Player of the Tournament award in 1986 as Jordanstown won the colleges’ title, and John Rafferty collected the accolade three years later when St Mary’s prevailed. Benny Tierney was goalkeeper for the Ranch, the moniker of St Mary’s in 1989.
In the 1993 season, when Queen’s defeated St Mary’s in the final, Armagh’s power-packed potential was there for all to see. Kieran McGeeney, Andrew McCann, Cathal O’Rourke and Paul McGrane were all key members of that QUB team.
22 September 2002; The Armagh team in the pre-match parade prior to the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Final match between Armagh and Kerry at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile
On 22 September 2002, 12 members of the Armagh squad that arrived at Croke Park for the All-Ireland final against Kerry had tasted success at Sigerson level with various universities. At the media night before the game, Queen’s coach, and a former Tyrone selector, Dessie Ryan made a presentation to Armagh captain Kieran McGeeney to recognise the county’s contribution to the Malone Road institution. Geezer received the memento on behalf of the 13 panellists who had played at Queen’s.
‘Dessie’s training sessions were notorious. You could be on the training pitch two and a half, three hours on a Wednesday, and at stages of the session you’d be fucking froze, because he’d stand for 20 minutes and explain why you don’t put your foot there when you’re turning; this is why you step; the man is a genius,’ O’Rourke continued.
‘We would have rehearsed, repeated, rehearsed, repeated – repetition, repetition, repetition. I bring a lot of that into my own coaching now. That just builds into people’s muscle memory. I know what he is going to do; I can see the flight of this ball before it’s kicked; I know where to move and when. Dessie would drill that into the Queen’s boys and that was crucial for how we played for Armagh.
‘Joe Kernan’s tactics were very similar with and without the ball and I benefited from Dessie’s coaching because I already had what Joe wanted from his wing-backs.
‘What Joe did was give us a simple, workable plan that didn’t need a lot of elaboration. The ball went into the forward line a certain way and it went early.
‘If people had asked at that time about my strengths, no one would have said I was a brilliant kick passer. I developed as a kick passer in 2001, ’02 and ’03 because Dessie Ryan wanted that strategy, the diagonal ball to the back post.’
Even at schools’ level, future stars were making their mark. Diarmaid Marsden, who would become perhaps the most idolised Orchard player inside the four dressing room walls by that 2002 group, starred as St Colman’s won a Hogan Cup in 1993.
Two years earlier, Kieran Hughes had won a MacRory Cup with St Pat’s, Dungannon, against a St Colman’s side containing Marsden and Paul McGrane on the same day as Barry O’Hagan took home a MacLarnon Cup title with St Michael’s, Lurgan.
When Down captain DJ Kane lifted the Sam Maguire in 1994, ideas of an Armagh challenge looked more fanciful than ever. Below the surface, however, the roots were taking hold.
Kings for A Day is in bookshops 3rd October, priced €19.99/£17.99. You can preorder it from bookstores or purchase it here.
