Armagh county football team facts for kids
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| Sport: | Football | ||
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| Irish: | Ard Mhacha | ||
| Nickname(s): | The Orchard men | ||
| County board: | Armagh GAA | ||
| Manager: | Kieran McGeeney | ||
| Captain: | Aidan Forker | ||
| Home venue(s): | Athletic Grounds, Armagh | ||
| Recent competitive record | |||
| Current All-Ireland status: | W in 2024 | ||
| Last championship title: | 2024 | ||
| Current NFL Division: | 2 (2nd in 2024; promoted to Division 1) | ||
| Last league title: | 2005 | ||
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The Armagh county football team ( ar-MAH) represents Armagh GAA, which is the group in charge of Gaelic games like Gaelic football in County Armagh, Ireland. This team plays in orange and white jerseys and is known as "The Orchard Men." They compete in big yearly competitions such as the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the Ulster Senior Football Championship, and the National Football League.
Their home ground is the Athletic Grounds in Armagh. The team's manager is Kieran McGeeney.
Armagh last won the Ulster Senior Championship in 2008, the All-Ireland Senior Championship in 2024, and the National League in 2005.
Contents
Team Colours and Crest
Armagh's team colours are orange and white. Long ago, they wore black and amber striped shirts. But in 1926, some nuns from Omeath in County Louth made them new orange and white kits. The team liked these new colours so much that they have worn them ever since!
Kit Changes Over Time
The Armagh team introduced a new kit design in November 2022.
Team Sponsors
In 2012, the Armagh County Board made new sponsorship deals. A company called Rainbow Communications became the main jersey sponsor. Simply Fruit sponsored the minor team (younger players). Before this, Morgan Fuels had been the main sponsor for 17 years.
A Look Back at History
Armagh was one of the first teams to win the Ulster Senior Football Championship, back in 1890. In the early days of the GAA, the club that won its county championship would represent the whole county. Armagh Harps played for Armagh in that Ulster final. They won against Tyrone but later lost to Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Even though Armagh had early success in Ulster and won national titles at junior and minor levels, it took a long time to win the main All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. They finally won it in 2002, led by manager Joe Kernan. The county also won the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship (for younger players) in 1949 and again in 2009.
Joe Kernan's Golden Era: 2002–2006
Joe Kernan is seen as Armagh's most successful manager. During his time, the team won one National League title, four Ulster Senior Football Championships, and one All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.
In 2002, Armagh reached their third All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final. They had lost the previous two, so this was a big chance. They were the first team from Ulster to win an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship since Down won in 1994. Kerry had a four-point lead at half-time, but Armagh fought back to win!
Managers After Kernan: 2007–2014
Peter McDonnell managed Armagh from 2007 to 2009. He led the team to one Ulster Senior Football Championship win. He stepped down after the 2009 season.
Paddy O'Rourke took over as manager from 2010 to 2012. During his time, Armagh won the National Football League Division 2 title.
Paul Grimley managed the team in 2013 and 2014. He resigned after Armagh lost a close game to Donegal in the 2014 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship quarter-final.
Kieran McGeeney's Time: 2015–Present
In August 2014, Kieran McGeeney became the new manager. He was given a five-year term to start.
In his first year, McGeeney helped Armagh get promoted to Division 2 of the National Football League. They beat Fermanagh in the final. In the Ulster Senior Football Championship, they lost to Donegal. They then played in the All-Ireland qualifiers, beating Wicklow but losing to Galway.
In 2016, Armagh was relegated to Division 3 of the NFL. Cavan knocked them out of the Ulster Championship. Laois then defeated them in the All-Ireland qualifier.
The 2017 NFL season saw Armagh miss out on promotion back to Division 2 after losing to Tipperary. In the Ulster Championship, Down defeated them. Armagh had some good wins in the All-Ireland qualifiers against Fermanagh, Westmeath, Tipperary, and Kildare. However, they lost to their rivals Tyrone in the All-Ireland quarter-final.
In 2018, Armagh earned promotion to Division 2 of the NFL. They lost to Fermanagh in the Ulster Championship quarter-final. They won qualifier games against Westmeath, Sligo, and Clare, but couldn't beat Roscommon.
The 2019 NFL season saw Armagh keep their spot in Division 2. In the Ulster Championship, McGeeney finally won an Ulster Championship game as manager, beating neighbour Down in a quarter-final. They drew with Cavan but lost the replay. Armagh then won an All-Ireland qualifier against Monaghan, but lost to Mayo by just one point in the next round. McGeeney's contract was extended for two more years in August 2019.
In 2020, Armagh had a tough game against Derry in the Ulster Championship quarter-final, which they won. However, they then lost their semi-final game. There were no All-Ireland qualifiers that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2021 NFL season was shorter because of the pandemic. Armagh played in Division 1 North. They won their first game against Monaghan. They then lost to Tyrone and drew with Donegal. In a relegation play-off, Armagh beat Roscommon to stay in Division 1. In the Ulster Championship, Armagh beat Antrim but then lost to Monaghan. In August 2021, McGeeney's contract was extended for the 2022 season.
The 2022 season was memorable, especially when Armagh played Galway in an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship quarter-final. There were some on-field incidents during that game that caused a lot of discussion. The team faced challenges related to these events.
Current Management Team
This is the team of coaches and staff who help manage the Armagh football team. Kieran McGeeney has been the manager since August 2014.
- Manager: Kieran McGeeney
- Assistant manager: Ciarán McKeever
- Assistant manager until end of 2020 season: Jim McCorry
- Goalkeeping coach: Ciaran McKinney
- Others in backroom team: Kieran Donaghy (from December 2020), Conleith Gilligan
- Strength and conditioning coach: Julia O'Neill
Current Panel
This is the list of players who were part of the Armagh team for the 2024 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final against Galway on July 28, 2024.
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Managerial History: Wins and Losses
This section shows how different managers performed over the years.
- The era of the two Brians
- 1995–2001
| NFL | Provincial | All-Ireland | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games played | 38 | 13 | 5 | 56 |
| Games won | 18 | 7 | 2 | 27 |
| Percentage won | 47.37% | 53.85% | 40.00% | 48.22% |
- Joe Kernan's Golden Era
- 2002–2006
| NFL | Provincial | All-Ireland | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games played | 38 | 18 | 14 | 70 |
| Games won | 23 | 14 | 10 | 47 |
| Percentage won | 60.53% | 77.77% | 71.43% | 67.14% |
- Peter McDonnell
- 2007–2009
| NFL | Provincial | All-Ireland | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games played | 21 | 6 | 3 | 30 |
| Games won | 10 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| Percentage won | 47.62% | 50.0% | 0.0% | 43.33% |
- Paddy O'Rourke
- 2010–2012
| NFL | Provincial | All-Ireland | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games played | 22 | 5 | 7 | 34 |
| Games won | 10 | 2 | 1 | 13 |
| Percentage won | 45.45% | 40.00% | 14.29% | 38.23% |
- Paul Grimley
- 2013–2014
| NFL | Provincial | All-Ireland | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games played | 14 | 4 | 7 | 25 |
| Games won | 4 | 1 | 5 | 10 |
| Percentage won | 28.57% | 25.00% | 71.43% | 40.00% |
- Kieran McGeeney
- 2015–present
| NFL | Provincial | All-Ireland | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games played | 46 | 8 | 14 | 68 |
| Games won | 25 | 2 | 9 | 36 |
| Percentage won | 54.6% | 25% | 64.29% | 53% |
Players
Notable Players
For more details on individual players, see list of Armagh inter-county footballers.
Records
- Stevie McDonnell is Armagh's top scorer in the National Football League history. He scored 33 goals and 282 points (381 total points) in his career in that competition.
All Stars
Template:Armagh All Stars record
Competitive Record: Major Wins
Here are some of the national titles won by the Armagh team, showing the final score and the squad that played.
| Year and competition | Scoreline |
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| 2002 All-Ireland SFC final | Armagh 1-12 Kerry 0-14 |
| Year and competition | Scoreline |
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| 2005 National League | Armagh 1-21 Wexford 1-14 |
| Year and competition | Scoreline |
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| 1926 All-Ireland JFC final | Armagh 4-11 Dublin 0-04 |
| Year and competition | Scoreline |
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| 2004 All-Ireland Under-21 FC final | Armagh 2-08 Mayo 1-09 |
| Year and competition | Scoreline |
|---|---|
| 1949 All-Ireland MFC final | Armagh 1-07 Kerry 1-05 |
| 2009 All-Ireland MFC final | Armagh 0-10 Mayo 0-07 |
Honours: What Armagh Has Won
This section lists all the official championships and cups Armagh has won.
National Titles
- All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
Winners (2): 2002, 2024
Runners-up (3): 1953, 1977, 2003
- National Football League
- Winners (1): 2005
- Runners-up (3): 1982–83, 1984–85, 1993–94
- All-Ireland Junior Football Championship
- Winners (1): 1926
- All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship
- Winners (1): 2004
- All-Ireland Minor Football Championship
- Winners (2): 1949, 2009
Provincial Titles (Ulster)
- Ulster Senior Football Championship
- Winners (14): 1890, 1903, 1950, 1953, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008
- Runners-up (22): 1891, 1901–02, 1904, 1912, 1917, 1920, 1927, 1928, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1938, 1939, 1949, 1954, 1961, 1981, 1984, 1987, 1990, 2023, 2024
- Ulster Under-21 Football Championship
- Winners (2): 1998, 2004, 2007
- Ulster Minor Football Championship
- Winners (11): 1930, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1957, 1961, 1968, 1992, 1994, 2005, 2009
- Ulster Junior Football Championship
- Winners (6): 1925, 1926, 1935, 1948, 1951, 1985
- Dr McKenna Cup
- Winners (9): 1929, 1931, 1938, 1939, 1949, 1950, 1986, 1990, 1994
- Dr Lagan Cup
- Winners (3): 1954, 1955, 1956
See Also
- Armagh GAA
