Fathers and their offspring. The lens trailed Jarly Óg Burns as he ascended the Hogan Stand steps to clutch his GAA chairman parent, whilst Pádraic Joyce watched from the pitch side with Charlie (8), his son, and seven-year-old Jodie, his daughter. The escalating pandemonium was overwhelming, leading Joyce to kneel to console his children, or perhaps to seek solace himself.
Chaotic celebrations erupted around them, the thunderous roar marking the end of All-Ireland’s dry spell, and the freedom of an unshackled county. Armagh, having secured the All-Ireland title for only their second occasion. Everywhere was a blinding blaze of orange, the Hill akin to the aftermath of a Fanta detonation on a rubber fortress.
With a total of 1-11 to 0-13, the final was defined by its conservative score, the lowest in an All-Ireland showdown since 2015. Typical commentary on such outcomes is generally dismissive of the means by which victory was seized, acknowledging only that it was. However, Armagh would refute this outlook – they deeply cared about the manner in which they triumphed, tailoring a strategic approach to produce this very outcome. As a result, they clinched the Sam Maguire trophy.
They were essentially weary of participating in narrow matches only to emerge as the defeated side. Case in point – the 2022 All-Ireland quarterfinal with Galway. Kieran McGeeney contended the team did not lose; they were conquered on penalties, an unfortunate pattern that repeated itself thrice in the intervening period. On this occasion, however, they stood tall as the victors, generating a palpable shift in their contemporary win rate.
“Adversity often strengthens resolve,” McGeeney reflected post-match. “This truth is irrefutable. It’s a challenging concept to articulate – the personal toll of either a win or a loss and the profound impact it bears on your being. Those instances where we faced defeat by penalties, those moments of utter despair – did they influence the game’s final minutes? Certainly.”
They never accepted defeat, even during those challenging five or six minutes when we were on the brink of besting ourselves. Players like Ben [Crealey], and others, demonstrated tremendous courage and determination to win, refusing to entertain thoughts of defeat once again. One hopes that, just as it invigorated us in the past, this resilience can incite a positive transformation and uplift the spirits of our county. But, a week of celebration is in order first.
The final however, is a tale punctuated by missed opportunities. Armagh’s missteps were few, with just six wides and a single lapse. Contrarily, Galway executed 25 shots, resulting in only 13 points. Shane Walsh’s scoring attempts from placed balls missed four times. The early exit of Rob Finnerty left them devoid of a crucial left-footed free kicker and mitigated their offensive power. Consequently, the midfielders assumed the scoring responsibility, a far from ideal situation.
Joyce made his disappointment clear upon his entry, saying, “We’re thoroughly disheartened. The dressing room is a mess. I would first and foremost like to extend my congratulations to Armagh and offer praise to Kieran McGeeney for his exceptional leadership. Their victory is well-deserved. Yet, let’s not shy away from the truth. We didn’t come close to demonstrating our full potential in the second half. Arguably, we fumbled more in this latter half than we have in all games this year.
Only a few years ago, Kerry easily outperformed us in the waning moments of the match. Today, we had numerous opportunities to turn things around, making the loss difficult to stomach. The coming days will be challenging as we attempt to regroup. We’ll likely seek refuge amid the chaos of the ongoing race week to recuperate, but it’s not going to be an easy feat.
Armagh has finally arrived at their dawn of gold, a summer they’d been longing for. Not a Kerry or a Dublin, they didn’t have the luxury of producing football players at convenience. Rory Grugan and Stefan Forker, just youngsters when McGeeney took over, probably thought their time would never come. Yet, McGeeney proved them wrong.
The credit goes to them, McGeeney stressed. “This all began when we dropped to Division 3. I called upon many to stand by the team, not everyone did, but they did. Despite their tender age, they demonstrated wisdom, they grasped what I was preaching. I also warned them of the long haul and the difficulties they’d face. Plenty of brutal words were coming their way, including from myself. Yet, they weren’t afraid of hard work. It’s truly amazing.
This is what it looks like for counties like ours,” he continues. “In waves, new players join us, and we strive to retain the experienced ones. This particular triumph, I’m hoping, would motivate them to stick around for one more year. Hopefully, this team will stay intact, championing the following crop until they themselves become seasoned players.”
At a touch past 6:30 pm, Armagh’s team coach parked outside the changing rooms. Daniel Quinn, the coach driver, appeared crisp in a spotless white shirt, shining with pride. He was responsible for chauffeuring the freshly crowned champions home. Eager since the match’s conclusion, he had already painted “All-Ireland Champions 2024” in vivid orange atop the coach.
When asked when he did it, Daniel replied, “Just now, beneath the Cusack Stand. I kept it ready on the coach, you never know.”
Daniel was prepared. So was Armagh. They were finally champions, after all the trials and tribulations.