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Armagh v Galway: Tight game beckons with winner hard to call

Sunday’s decider will be the first since 2010 not to feature any of Dublin, Kerry or Mayo

Armagh's Rian O'Neill and Cein Darcy of Galway will be among the panels heading to Croke Park on Sunday. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho
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Gordon Manning
Wed Jul 24 2024 - 06:00
Orange is the new black

Armagh will wear their traditional orange jersey in Sunday’s All-Ireland senior football decider. Armagh’s striking all-black kit was on show in their semi-final win over Kerry. They also wore the black strip for their Ulster SFC opener against Fermanagh and the All-Ireland round-robin win over Derry. However, Croke Park officials have confirmed to The Irish Times that they will be reverting to their orange geansaí against Galway on Sunday. The sides have donned their traditional colours in all recent meetings — including last month’s group game at Markievicz Park and the championship clashes in 2022 and 2023 — with Galway togging out in their familiar maroon and white kit.

Armagh boss Kieran McGeeney was asked about the issue of jersey choice at Armagh’s pre-All-Ireland final media night.

“They [the GAA] are very funny about that, don’t ask me why, you have to get special permission,” he said.

“We have two players with colour blindness, that’s an issue at different times, so when you have full block colours it can be an issue for two of them. Listen, I don’t know, that sort of stuff goes way over my head. You’d think it’s a simple enough thing, like wear what you want as long as you can distinguish between the two teams.”

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Football’s holy trinity makes way, for now

Sunday’s final will be the first since 2010 not to feature any of Dublin, Kerry or Mayo. The 2010 decider was contested by Cork and Down, with the Rebels coming out on top in that fixture 14 years ago. But every All-Ireland senior football final since has included at least one of the aforementioned trio, and often both. Dublin played finals against Kerry in 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023. The Dubs met Mayo at the final stage in 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2020. Dublin’s dominance of football during that period resulted in nine All-Ireland triumphs, including an unprecedented six in a row between 2015 and 2020.

With that stranglehold now broken, Sam Maguire will be reacquainting itself with either Galway or Armagh this winter. Galway’s most recent All-Ireland success was in 2001, while Armagh’s only senior title arrived 12 months later when Joe Kernan managed the Orchard County to glory.

Robert Finnerty is Galway’s top scorer with 1-33. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
Scoring power

The respective top scorers for Galway and Armagh are perhaps not who you would first imagine. Shane Walsh and Damien Comer have had their injury issues again this season, so that has curtailed their influence at times, but thankfully for Galway Robert Finnerty has stood up to shoulder the scoring responsibilities. Finnerty is Galway’s top scorer with 1-33 (0-15 frees, 0-1 mark), Walsh is second with 1-26 (0-14f) and midfielder Paul Conroy is third with 2-13, all from play. Rian O’Neill’s deeper role for Armagh has been pivotal to their run, but Conor Turbitt is their top scorer with 3-22 (0-9f, 0-1m). O’Neill is next up with 1-12 (0-1f, 0-1m) while Rory Grugan is third with 0-14 (0-9f).

In numbers: 5

This will be Armagh’s fifth appearance in an All-Ireland senior football final. Their only triumph was in 2002 when the Orchard County beat Kerry. Armagh lost the 1953 final to Kerry, the 1977 decider to Dublin and the 2003 showdown to Tyrone. Galway have played in 25 All-Ireland finals, winning nine, losing 14 and drawing two.

In quotes

“He says, ‘we’ll meet in the final’. He actually predicted two or three things that have all [happened]. I have asked him who did he see winning the final but he hasn’t told me that one yet!” — Kieran McGeeney talks about the text message he received from Pádraic Joyce the night Armagh and Galway played out a draw in the group stages of the All-Ireland SFC in June.

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