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Armagh GAA
Irish:Ard Mhacha
Nickname(s):The Orchard County
Province:Ulster
Dominant sport:Gaelic football
Ground(s):Athletic Grounds, Armagh
County colours:  Tangerine   White
County teams
NFL:Division 2
NHL:Division 2B
Football Championship:Sam Maguire Cup
Hurling Championship:Nicky Rackard Cup
Ladies' Gaelic football:Brendan Martin Cup
Camogie:Nancy Murray Cup

The Armagh County Board (Irish: Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Coiste Chontae Ard Mhacha) or Armagh GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in Ireland, and is responsible for the administration of Gaelic games in County Armagh, Northern Ireland.

The county board is responsible for preparing the Armagh Gaa teams in the various sporting codes; football, hurling, camogie and handball.

The county football team won an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in 2002; it was the fifth from the province of Ulster to win the Sam Maguire Cup, leaving only Antrim, Fermanagh and Monaghan.

Football

Clubs

The county's most successful football club is Crossmaglen Rangers. Crossmaglen have won the Armagh Senior Football Championship on 45 occasions, the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship on 11 occasions, and All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship on six occasions.

List of football clubs
Club Name Irish Name Senior Armagh Titles Provincial Titles All-Ireland Home Stadium
Annaghmore Pearses GFC CPG Na Piarsaigh Eanach Mór 0 0 0 Páirc an Phiarsaigh/Pearse Park
Armagh Harps GFC Cláirsigh Ard Mhacha 21 0 0 Páirc na Mainistreach/Abbey Park
Ballyhegan Davitts GAC Baile Uí hÁgáin 0 0 0 Páirc Baile Uí hÁgáin/Ballyhegan Park
Ballymacnab Round Towers GAC CLG na gCloigthithe, Baile Mhic an Aba 0 0 0 Páirc na nGael
Carrickcruppen St Patrick’s GAA (Armagh) CLG Naomh Padraig Carraig an Chropain 4 0 0 Pairc Naomh Padraig / St Patrick’s Park
Clan na Gael GAA (Armagh) CLG Clan na Gael 14 3 0 Davitt Park/Davitt Park
Clann Éireann GAC CLG Clann Éireann 3 0 0 Páirc Chlann Éireann/Clann Éireann Park
Clonmore Robert Emmet's GFC Cluain Mhor Roibeard Eimeid 0 0 0 Páirc Roibeaird Emmet/Robert Emmet Park
Collegeland O'Rahilly's GAA Cluain Mhor Roibeard Eimeid 1 0 0 Páirc an Athar Mhic Neachtain/Father McKnight Park
Crossmaglen Rangers GAC Raonaithe Crois Mhic Lionnáin 45 11 6 Páirc Naomh Oilibhéar Pluincéid/St Oliver Plunkett Park
Culloville Blues GAC CLG Na Gormacha, Baile Mhic Choll 0 0 0 Páirc na nGael/Gaelic Park
St Mochua Derrynoose GAC Naomh Mochua, Doire Núis 0 0 0 Páirc Naomh Mochua/St Mochua’s Park
Dorsey Emmet's GFC Eiméid na nDoirse 0 0 0 Páirc Ruairí Mhig Aoidh
Dromintee St Patrick's GAC CLG Naomh Pádraig, Droim an Tí 0 0 0 Páirc Uí Luachra agus Mhic Cathmhaoil
Éire Óg Craigavon GAA Éire Óg 0 0 0 Bruach na bPéine/Pinebank
Forkhill Peadar Ó Doirnín GAC CLG Pheadar Uí Dhoirnín, Foirceal 1 0 0 Páirc Pheadair Uí Dhoirnín/Peadar Ó Doirnín Park
Granemore GFC An Ghraínseach Mhór 0 0 0 Páirc Naomh Muire/Pairc Mhuire
Grange St Colmcille's GAC Naomh Colmcille CLG, An Ghráinseach 0 0 0 Páirc na Gráinsí/Grange Park
Keady Michael Dwyer's GFC Ceide Micheal Mac Dubhurs 4 0 0 Páirc Ghearóid Mhic Giolla Fhinnéin/Gerard McGleenan Park
Killeavy St Moninna's GAC Naomh Moninne, Cill Shléibhe 3 0 0 Páirc Chuimhneacháin Chill Shléibhe/Killeavy Memorial Park
Lissummon GAA Lios Iomána 0 0 0 Entry needed
Madden Raparees GAC Ropairí na Madan 0 0 0 Páirc na Ropairí/Raparee Park
Maghery Sean MacDermott's GAC Seán Mac Diarmaida an Mhachaire 2 0 0 Páirc Fheilimí Uí Adhmaill/Felix Hamill Park
Middletown GAA Eoghan Rua 0 0 0 Páirc P.J. Uí Néill/P.J. O'Neill Park
Mullabrack O'Donovan Rossa GFC Ó Donnabháin Rossa an Mhullaigh Bhric 0 0 0 O’Donovan Rossa Park
Mullaghbawn Cúchullain's GFC Cú Chullain an Mhullaigh Bháin 2 1 0 Páirc Chú Chulainn/Cúchulainn Park
Pearse Óg GAC Na Piarsaigh Óga 4 0 0 Páirc na Piarsaigh Óga, Baile Chromhtha/Pearse Óg Park, Ballycrummy
Phelim Bradys Unknown 0 0 0 Páirc scoile Dhearclaí/Darkley school field
Redmond O'Hanlon’s Unknown 0 0 0 Páirc Uí Anluain/O’Hanlon Park
High Moss Sarsfields GFC CLG Sáirséiligh na Móinte Arda 1 0 0 Páirc an Athar Dónal Mac Eoghain/Father Dan McGeown Park
Shane O'Neill's GAC CLG Sheáin Uí Néill 2 0 0 Páirc Sheáin Uí Néill/Shane O'Neill's Park
Silverbridge Harps GFC Clársigh Bhéal Átha an Airgid 0 0 0 Páirc Uí Chaollaí/Keeley Park
St Michael's Killean GFC Naomh Micheál , An Cillín 0 0 0 McKeever Park Killean, Armagh LGFA County board
St Michael's GAC, Newtownhamilton CLG Naomh Micheál, Baile Úr 2 0 0 Páirc Naomh Micheál/St Michael’s Park
St Patrick's GFC, Cullyhanna Naomh Pádraig, Coilleach Eanach 0 0 0 Páirc Padraig/Park Padraig
St Paul's GFC, Lurgan Naomh Pól CLG 0 0 0 Na Páirceanna Imearthea/The Playing Field
St Peter's Naomh Peadar's 1 0 0 Páirc Naomh Peadar/St Peter’s Park
Tir na nÓg[1] To be completed 0 0 0 Páirc an Athar Uí Raifeartaigh/Father Rafferty Park
O'Connell's GAC, Tullysaran Tulach Saráin 0 0 0 Páirc Uí Chonaill/O’Connell Park
St Killian's GAC CLG Naomh Cillian, Crois Bán 1 0 0 Páirc Naomh Cillian/St Killian’s Park
Wolfe Tone GAC, Derrymacash De Bhulbh Ton Dhoire Mhic Cais agus Naomh Éanna 0 0 0 Páirc na Ropairí/Raparee Park

County team

Main article: Armagh county football team

Armagh has a long tradition of football. Several clubs were already in existence before the formation of the County Board in 1889.[2]

Armagh became only the second team to win the Ulster Senior Football Championship in 1890. In the early years of the GAA, a club that won its county championship went on to represent the county and would also wear the county colours. Armagh Harps represented Armagh in the Ulster final, beating Tyrone (Cookstown's Owen Roes), but losing to All-Ireland Champions Cork (Midleton) in the All-Ireland Semi-Final.

Despite early success at provincial level, national success at junior and minor level and All-Ireland final appearances in 1953 and 1977, it took until 2002 for the Armagh county team to win their first and only All-Ireland Senior Football Championship under manager Joe Kernan. The county won the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship, in 1949 and again in 2009, but lost the 1957 All-Ireland Minor final to Meath.

The current manager of the county football team (since 2015) is Kieran McGeeney, who had a five-year contract that was extended by a year in 2019 to 2020.

Hurling

County team

Main article: Armagh county hurling team

Like most counties outside of the game's heartland of Munster and south Leinster, hurling has tended to live in the shadow cast by Gaelic football in Armagh, with the exception of border areas such as Keady, Middletown and Armagh City.

Armagh won the 2010 Nicky Rackard Cup, defeating London by a scoreline of 3–15 to 3–14 at Croke Park on 3 July. The county's minor team won the Ulster Minor Hurling League Division One title and reached the final of the Ulster Minor Hurling Championship. The county's under-21 team also reached the final of the Ulster Under-21 Hurling Championship. In 2011, Armagh reached the Ulster Senior Hurling Championship final for the first time since 1946 and advanced to the Ulster Under-21 Hurling Championship final for a second consecutive year, the first time in team history. Armagh won the 2012 Nicky Rackard Cup, its second time to lift the trophy, defeating Louth by a scoreline of 3–20 to 1–15 at Croke Park on 9 June.[3][4]

Camogie

The high point in Armagh's camogie history was an appearance in the National Camogie League final of 1995 against Cork, beating Galway and Wexford's first teams en route to the final. It came just one year after they qualified for senior status having won the All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie Championship in 1994, the "Premier Junior" championship for the Kay Mills Cup just twelve months earlier in 1993. The bulk of that team had emerged from an under-16 squad who reached the All Ireland final of 1988.

Armagh won Division 2 of the National Camogie League four times, 1980, 1988, 1993 and 1994, and the Nancy Murray Cup in 2006.[5] Armagh qualified for the All Ireland Minor B final of 2003[6] and won the Minor C championship in 2011.[7]

Crossmaglen won the 2005 All Ireland junior club title.[8] Keady Lámh Dhearg qualified for the finals in 2006 and 2007.[9][10] Keady Lámh Dhearg and St Brenda's Ballymacnab have won divisional honours at Féile na nGael. Notable players include young player of the year for 2005 Colette McSorley.

Under Camogie's National Development Plan 2010-2015, "Our Game, Our Passion",[11] five new camogie clubs were to be established in the county by 2015.[12]

Michael Murphy and Pauric Dowdall resigned as managers of the county camogie team; Mattie Lennon was appointed manager in March 2021.[13]

Armagh have the following achievements in camogie.

Ladies' football

Armagh has a ladies' football team. They reached one all-Ireland final, losing to Cork in 2006. They will contest the 2024 national league final against Kerry.

References

  1. ^ "Slipping through the cracks: Tír na nÓg GAA club needed for more than just sport". BBC Sport. 19 May 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  2. ^ Newry Memoirs feature on GAA
  3. ^ "Tyrone & Armagh earn Nicky Rackard and Lory Meagher Cup titles". BBC Sport. 9 June 2012.
  4. ^ "Nicky Rackard final: Orchard blooms against Louth". Hogan Stand. 9 June 2012.
  5. ^ a b 2006 Jun A Armagh 0-7 Laois 0-1 in Drogheda scorers in Irish Independent
  6. ^ 2003 minor b Waterford 6-11 Armagh 1-4 report in Irish Independent
  7. ^ a b "Minor C final Armagh 3-5 Meath 1-10 report on camogie.ie". camogie.ie.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ 2003 Junior Crossmaglen 2-5 Drumcullen 0-6 report in Irish Independent
  9. ^ 2006 junior club final Harps 1-7 Keady 0-5 report in Irish Independent and Irish Times Archived 21 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ 2007 Junior club final Harps 2-8 Keady 2-7 report in Irish Independent, Irish Times Archived 21 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine and on camogie.ie[permanent dead link]
  11. ^ "Final goal for camogie". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. 29 March 2010. Retrieved 29 March 2010.
  12. ^ National Development Plan 2010-2015, Our Game, Our Passion information page on camogie.ie Archived 2010-09-01 at the Wayback Machine, pdf download (778k) from Camogie.ie download site Archived 2011-09-16 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ "Lennon named new Armagh camogie manager". Hogan Stand. 6 March 2021.

External links

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