BBC SPORT | BBC Pundits | Armagh reach promised land



By Jerome Quinn BBC Sport

Sincere congratulations to Armagh people everywhere.

Your team refused to buckle under the strain and your manager has led you to the promised land.

Armagh are framed

It is a time of great joy for all, and rightly so.

Messages flooded in to the BBC television programme from all over the world.

Armagh fans went wild with delight in Mulligans Bar in Amsterdam and in the Aussie Rules Club in Kings Cross in Sydney, while the staff of Ulster Carpets in Portadown celebrated in Durban, South Africa.

As a player, Joe could be a handful to manage

Former Armagh boss Father Sean Hegarty

Closer to home, I received a poignant note from a former Armagh manager unable to travel to Croke Park because of ill health.

Father Sean Hegarty led the team for most of the eighties.

He introduced Jarlath Burns to the county scene, and all of the Armagh managers that followed him had been players under him - Paddy Moriarty, Jim McCorry, the two Brians, and Joe Kernan.

Now, Father Sean offers an interesting insight into the Messiah from Crossmaglen.

"Joe has a big personality and character, and does not harbour fools lightly," says Father Sean.

Joe Kernan won the All-Ireland title in his first year in the Armagh job
Joe Kernan is embraced after the game

"As a player, he could be a handful to manage but we always parted laughing and he believed in the unity of the panel.

"He was a massive figure and leader to have, and even then he encouraged and motivated players around him - a born leader and loyal at all times.

"I think the current squad has been injected by Joe's confidence and never-say-die character".

On Sunday evening in Dublin, Kieran McGeeney described Kernan as "a legend".

No-one can argue with that, certainly not me.

I have to admit that I was one of the many doubters, but Armagh have proved me wrong.

I'm delighted to say that some of the players I was concerned about were among the biggest performers on the day.

Justin McNulty and Francie Bellew overcame the odds in defence, John Toal got through a mountain of work, and Ronan Clarke was simply immense.

Armagh have come out of the shadows of their illustrious neighbours

Jerome Quinn

I wondered whether the 19-year-old could do to Seamus Moynihan what Peter Withnell did to Mick Lyons in 1991. He did that, and more.

I met Seamus Mallon after the match and told him that he had read the match better than I had.

The politician felt that the character of the players would carry them through.

That was the case during the match and after it.

All of the players behaved like All Ireland champions through all of the celebrations on Sunday evening.

Best of all, Armagh have come out of the shadows of their illustrious neighbours in Down.

Life will never be the same again.

Kieran McGeeney celebrates after the final whistle
Kieran McGeeney: Allstar cert

Jarlath Burns made that point so well on the telly, and wasn't he a star!

I've given the big fella a fair amount of slagging on the programme.

But let me put the record straight - Jarlath is a man apart, and I am delighted for him.

I stopped in Doyle's Pub in Camlough on the way home, to congratulate the locals on leaving Tyrone 'on their own'.

We've always had an affinity with Armagh because of our respective near-misses, but that's come to an end, until next year...

A few other quick points - Oisin McConville continued the penalty curse I referred to in my last column, but he then buried it in the best way possible.

The telly - thanks for watching and for all of the messages of support for Armagh and the craic.

It's been a magical ride, with Armagh's last four games ending in one draw and three one-point wins.

The All Stars - McGeeney, McGrane and McConville must be certs, followed closely by Tierney, Enda McNulty, McDonnell and Clarke.

Email me at: jerome.quinn@bbc.co.uk


	Links to more BBC Pundits stories