All Ireland Final Armagh v Galway 28 July 2024

[Armaghtothebone]

Why did the Armagh team go back to a hotel in Louth.

I know its just across the border but is it an Armagh owned hotel?

Because the McParlands have put millions into Armagh over the years.
Current  title sponsor of the ladies team.
Mad Armagh fans
I could go on...

[AustinPowers]

Why did the Armagh team go back to a hotel in Louth.

I know its just across the border but is it an Armagh owned hotel?

Because the McParlands have put millions into Armagh over the years.
Current  title sponsor of the ladies team.
Mad Armagh fans
I could go on...

They sell  the northern Tayto, I heard

[David McKeown]

The more I read/listen to about the game and the season in general the more I think there's a lack of respect for this Armagh team.

Armagh were the best team in the country this year not the 5/6 as some suggested and have only been beaten in 90 minutes in the championship twice in the last three years and one of those followed a controversial sending off in a group game. I'm not saying penalties don't count but it shows how difficult they are to beat.

Despite that everything I've read has been some sort of excuse for why they won. Easy draw against Roscommon, Kerry were out of sorts, Galway missed chances or had injuries etc.

I can't remember a single other season were the winners have drawn so few plaudits.

Having now watched the game back (more than once) Armagh were fantastic. Galway had very few easy chances, Armagh's intensity was unreal, their discipline fantastic and the implementation of their strategy superb.

When was the last time a team won a match let along a final scoring only from play?  In fact they only missed one mark and one free from inside the scoring zone and only had one other advantage played in that area all game. Galway won the Connacht final largely due to frees in the scoring zone. 

Galway are a great team and yes they had injuries but so did Armagh. I don't think the result would have been different had neither team had injuries but of course we will never know.

Galway's much bigger failing was the lack of ruthlessness in not changing things that weren't working. Comer for example or where they were getting Walsh on the ball. Armagh though have to take immense credit for that. Their ability to shut down oppositions strengths this last couple of years has been superb and it was again on Sunday.

A fully deserved win. That said returning to the top will be difficult. It's hard to maintain that intensity over many years. Particularly when you become the hunted. Some of Armagh's most important players, Grugan, Soupy, Murnin and Forker etc have a lot of miles in the legs. Will they all want to go again? Will they be able?  If they don't or aren't will they be replaceable?  Will Geezer and the back room stay etc.

Only time will tell but that's a discussion for another day. Armagh are and forever will be All Ireland champions 2024.

[Keyser soze]

Dunno what the Armagh men think but for me the return of Grimley was the critical factor in Armagh's improvement to AI winners.

[general_lee]

Absolutely correct, David McKeown. I am delighted with that win. In 2002 it was just pure elation as a supporter, but my joy this year is for the players and management. For years they've been told how shite they are, how they'll never win x, y or z. Every time they face a "big" county the pundits always back the opposition. Everyone backed Galway on Sunday.  Geezer has been slated more than any other manager, even from within this county.

Not even 24 hours after the final whistle and I see clips from OTB with Darran O'Sullivan basically ridiculing Armagh saying there's 6/7 teams ahead of them for Sam '25 and that they'll be thinking they left one behind this year. f**k him and f**k every single pundit in the country who continue to show this team zero respect.

I hope the players get a really good blow out, celebrate around the county with their people, and when the dust settles and the men (hopefully all of them) come back to pre-season that they go at it again; because seemingly winning the All Ireland isn't enough to convince some people that they deserve respect.

[tonto1888]

to be honest, I couldnt care what Darran OSullivan says. Its irrelevant and always will be. We won because we were the best team this year. Not because other teams had injuries or were out of sorts or anything else. Thats it. Thats all that matters

[David McKeown]

Dunno what the Armagh men think but for me the return of Grimley was the critical factor in Armagh's improvement to AI winners.

I think it was a lot of little things. Grimley's return a factor, the influence of Gilligan, the way they prepared, Hughes return and accuracy of his kicks etc.

All those small things combined.

[David McKeown]

A

to be honest, I couldnt care what Darran OSullivan says. Its irrelevant and always will be. We won because we were the best team this year. Not because other teams had injuries or were out of sorts or anything else. Thats it. Thats all that matters

Agreed

[Maroon Manc]

I've heard it from plenty of people that Armagh aren't in the top 5 and Galway threw it away and thats not from Galway people. Plenty of clowns in the media, you'd swear Armagh won by 7/8 points the way Paddy Andrews and James O'Donoghue were talking on their podcast.

The game isn't like a premier league season where there's 38 games and think pundits forget that especially the Kerry ones. As Ciaran McKeever said Kerry will always have an aura but this Kerry team is nowhere near as special as previous era's.

There is a lack of respect for Armagh from some pundits, Darren O'Sullivan is an appalling pundit as is Anthony Moyles; A pair of bluffers.

Armagh have a brilliant bench, its better balanced then anyone elses. Galway have a strong squad but definitely lacking a game changed like Campbell.

As for Culhane he's not played a lot of football this year due to injury so suspect Joyce didn't think he'd last 60 minutes. Something that needs putting right for next year but the likes of Curraoin & O'Conghaile aren't 21 so would like to think they'll have bigger impacts next year

[dec]

On the front page of Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page the All Ireland final is the top item in the "In the News" section at the moment

[SouthOfThe Bann]

Why did the Armagh team go back to a hotel in Louth.

I know its just across the border but is it an Armagh owned hotel?

Because the McParlands have put millions into Armagh over the years.
Current  title sponsor of the ladies team.
Mad Armagh fans
I could go on...

Makes sense then so.

Logistically speaking only an hour from Dublin too.

[borderfox]

Also, technically the Carrickdale is in Dromintee parish and traditionally players from that area play club football in Armagh rather than in Louth even though its 200 yards into the south... just another problem the boundary commission never envisaged in 1922!

[balladmaker]

Ah Lads, no idea where to start other than say words are hard to come by to explain the euphoria of winning another All Ireland.  What an outcome for Geezer and team, spectacular.  Leaving Clones after yet another penalty defeat in a final, I had a thought that yet another heartbreaking defeat would potentially drive that team onto something much greater, and thankfully it did.  The amount of resilience built up from so much heartbreak made this Armagh team very difficult to beat.  Despite what the multiple pundits say, Armagh are the best team in Ireland in 2024, they are deserving All Ireland Champions, and we're going to enjoy this one massively.  2025 discussion is for another year, but I hope everyone stays together to defend the title and I think they will.  Geezer will be aware that the team he captained 22 years ago, should have had at least 2, possibly 3 All Ireland titles, his current team have the potential for more as well.

Galway, we do actually know how you felt on Sunday, the devastation was clear on all Galway faces.  But you were superb in defeat, and the amount of congrats offered by Galway supporters to Armagh was amazing.  One Galway fella in the row in front of me was in tears, as was I for opposite reasons, we gave each other a big bear hug at the end lol special moments on a special day. 

Was great see the younger generation witness it, and the inspiration will fuel Armagh well into the future.

Last year before a league game at the Athletic Grounds, Jarlath Burns had just won the vote to be next president, and was operating as a steward outside of the ground.  I shook his hand to congratulate him and said I looked forward to an Armagh President presenting Sam to an Armagh captain. Jarlath just said we'll settle for the points here tonight first.  I really wasn't expecting it in his first year, but what a moment for him and Jarly Og, you couldn't have written it.

Last night's homecoming in Armagh was epic and exactly what the team deserved, there'll be plenty more of that in the weeks ahead!  Ard Mhacha Abu!

Any word when Sam will arrive into north Armagh again this week?

[bennydorano]

Maghery this evening I hear but haven't noticed anything online

[johnnycool]

Why did the Armagh team go back to a hotel in Louth.

I know its just across the border but is it an Armagh owned hotel?

Because the McParlands have put millions into Armagh over the years.
Current  title sponsor of the ladies team.
Mad Armagh fans
I could go on...

Makes sense then so.

Logistically speaking only an hour from Dublin too.

The McParlands have also put quite a lot of money into Down as well over the years.