Football Player of the Year
Paul Conroy exhibited extraordinary talent this year, especially considering the collaborative triumph of Armagh at the All-Ireland championship. Even though there was no standout star, Conroy’s performance in getting Galway across the finish line was impressive, particularly during the final match.
Match of the Year
On June 16th, the Dr Hyde Park hosted an intense match between Mayo and Dublin. The thrilling game ended up with a 0-17 stalemate, achieved by Dublin racing down the entire pitch to level the score in the final moments. Notable performances included Cormac Costello speeding for Dublin and Aidan O’Shea mounting a resistance for Mayo. Ryan O’Donoghue almost clinched the victory with a later free, however, Ciarán Kilkenny, Jack McCaffrey, and Costello had other ideas.
Unforgettable Moment of the Year
The standout moment this year was Donegal’s initial strike against Derry in April. Ryan McHugh’s successful attempt at retrieving a kick-out gave Donegal the advantage. Seizing the opportunity, Dara Ó Boaill bided his time before elegantly thrusting the ball into an empty net, scoring their first of four goals that day. This marked the downturn for Derry and the start of a successful campaign for Donegal.
The Biggest Letdown
Derry certainly disappointed this year. Although they entered as league champions, dual Ulster champions and potential All-Ireland contenders, they didn’t deliver on expectations. Their poor display was evident for everyone to see in a quiet group stage, followed by a penalty shoot-out victory over Mayo, and a lackluster performance against Kerry in the quarter-finals. They’re facing a future with key figures Mickey Harte and Gavin Devlin having departed.
Note to South Dublin GAA Club
The club has successfully acquired a playing field in the prime location of Foxrock.
News to Anne Enright on Edna O’Brien: Despite never leaving Ireland, she couldn’t adapt to living here.
Malahide’s homeowner wants back the house they offered to the State for refugees.
Claiming the All-Ireland championship title, Armagh have brought an end to their long wait, as they hadn’t featured in a final since 2003 or a semi-final since 2005. Despite consecutive losses in Ulster finals on spot-kicks, their resilience paid off, leading them to triumph, as few could have envisaged earlier in the season. Credit to them indeed.
The title of Footballer of the Year has been accorded to Kieran McGeeney of Armagh. Mirroring Kevin Heffernan’s recognition for revamping the Dublin football team, as decided by the Texaco sports awards jury half a century ago, and Brian Cody’s acknowledgment for the collective brilliance of Kilkenny by The Sunday Game in 2008, McGeeney’s selection this year follows a similar rationale. Having coached for a decade, he has nurtured an All-Ireland winning team devoid of players previously known for their persistent failings. Not allowing his ego to cloud his judgement, he hand-picked resilient personalities as coaches, executing minor yet crucial advancements to claim the All-Ireland victory that he firmly believed was achievable.
Zeroing in on the Game of the Year, the confrontation between Armagh and Kerry at Croke Park on July 13 stands out. The semi-finals marked Armagh’s journey towards victory in the All-Ireland championship. After finally succeeding in the quarter-finals, their lacklustre performance in the first half seemed to be excusable. However, a surge of energy propelled them out of the threat of defeat, leading the match into additional time, during which their substitutes managed to outpace the much-favoured competition.
Highlighting a special moment of the year, the GAA presidents’ tradition of presenting an All-Ireland to their home county has a unique twist this year. Current president, Jarlath Burns, had the honour of congratulating his son, Jarly Óg, who was part of the winning team. This was particularly poignant as Jarlath Burns Sr. had last captained Armagh 25 years ago and had retired from intercounty football after a defeat in the 1999 semi-finals. This memorable event brings a sense of nostalgia while also instilling a sense of satisfaction.
Beguiling Surprise
Cork’s stunning victory over Donegal: It was a glorious bank holiday Saturday in Cork when Donegal, the reigning Ulster Champions, with a stellar defensive history of not conceding a goal, were met with a stunning defeat. Brushing the shock apart, Donegal’s Jim McGuinness saw his team’s loss as a lesson for future games. Despite Cork’s resilience and thriving atmosphere, they failed to replicate their outstanding performance subsequently, both against Tyrone and noticeably, Louth.
Greatest letdown
Derry: Fours months prior, it was widely believed that Derry had reached the league of elite teams like Dublin and Kerry. Managed by Mickey Harte, the team however failed to live up to expectations and crashed and burned spectacularly, their season culminating in defeat and blame.
Footballer of the year
Look no further than Rian O’Neill (Armagh): Notwithstanding the fact that the Footballer of the Year typically comes from the All-Ireland championship title holder, none of the other competitors quite match up to O’Neill. Even though his final performance left room for improvement, among Armagh’s players set to win the coveted title, O’Neill arguably performed the best. His exemplary performance against Kerry in the semi-final, with its stellar display of leadership and kicking skills, was a sight to behold.
Match of the year
Armagh v Kerry (Croke Park, July 13th): Out of seven knock-out matches held at Croke Park in the season’s final month, this one offered the highest degree of drama and intrigue. The championship had other intriguing matches such as Mayo v Dublin and Cork v Donegal, yet the majority of the games were unrewarding despite the high stakes surrounding the 63 games.
Dylan McHugh’s equaliser against Dublin undoubtedly played a crucial role in Galway’s fortune at a time during the All-Ireland quarter-final when they appeared to dominate Dublin, turning the tide of the game in their favour. Their successful takedown of the reigning All-Ireland champions injected a much-needed shock into a championship season that was rapidly losing steam.
However, the provincial championships were a major letdown. Even though two out of the four finals managed to exceed low expectations whilst the other two provided edge-of-the-seat action, keeping the schedule stalled for a valuable five weeks for these matches in an overstretched GAA calendar was not worth it. The football championship urgently needs a third tier, more scheduling flexibility, and a focused attention on matches among evenly matched teams rather than routine rivalry-based matches.
Armagh’s victory in the All-Ireland championship emerged as the most unexpected event. Their track record leading up to the season closely mirrored that of the Clare hurlers in 1995 – they had lost several significant matches in the prior years. But just like Clare, Armagh turned things around by overcoming a series of internal battles leading to their eventual momentous victory.
Aficionados, on the other hand, were unanimously in favour of Barry McCambridge from Armagh as the Footballer of the Year. Although he did not grace the starting line-up in any Ulster Championship games, he quickly became a crucial player starting from the first round of the All-Ireland group stages until the final round. Despite being trusted as the primary man-marker tasked with tackling opponents like Shane McGuigan, David Clifford, and Shane Walsh, he still managed to contribute a crucial 2-5 in the championship, ultimately leaving a lasting impact towards the end of the season.
The game between Armagh versus Kerry held on July 13th at Croke Park was the match to remember. This game was the pivotal point that cemented the belief within the Armagh squad that they were capable of playing the long game. Despite Kerry’s numerous opportunities to clinch the game, once Armagh seized the momentum, they effortlessly maintained control over the match, even excelling in the extra time round.
Louth triumphed over Cork to secure a spot in the All-Ireland quarter-final for the first time. Though the game lacked a certain charm, the atmosphere at the closing whistle and throughout the match was magical. Amid the enchanting environment of Grattan Park in Inniskeen, the Louth players and managers were engulfed by fans expressing their love and admiration at the end of the match. Touched, some could not hold back their tears. The players were swarmed by eager young fans wanting autographs and selfies, which they granted with delight. There was a clear bond and gratitude shared between the team and their supporters. With the sun in the sky and no rush to leave Inniskeen, it felt good for the spirit.
However, the year also held disappointment. Despite leading Derry to a league title after a spectacular final against Dublin in March, Mickey Harte’s tenure was short-lived as the team started to crumble soon after. They faced losses against Donegal, Galway, and Armagh that turned their season upside down. Having begun his journey as the Derry manager with a McKenna Cup victory over Cavan on January 3rd, Harte tendered his resignation on July 8th. Despite the glories of the league title, the subsequent developments overshadowed this accomplishment.
In contrast, the biggest surprise was Armagh clinching the All-Ireland championship. While it was not startling that Armagh emerged victorious, not many would have backed Kieran McGeeney’s team as potential champions at the beginning of the year. Oddly enough, the day Derry took down Dublin to win the Division One league final, Armagh lost the Division Two final to Donegal. The majority of championship forecasters had predicted Dublin, Kerry or Derry to win the Sam Maguire trophy. Armagh’s fate seemed sealed when they lost the Ulster final to Donegal in a penalty shootout. It didn’t seem like it was going to be Armagh’s year. But then, it was.