Rian O'Neill's Armagh Return Confirmed But All-Star Not In 26 For Ulster SFC Final

The Ulster final was already an enticing prospect before the bombshell news on Saturday that Rian O'Neill had arrived with the Armagh squad in Clones.

O'Neill was an All-Star winner as Armagh won their second All-Ireland title last July, having played a pivotal role throughout the championship from corner forward.

However, the victory in last year's All-Ireland final against Galway remains the last time O'Neill togged out for Armagh.

After almost 10 months of uncertainty over O'Neill's future with Armagh, he was pictured arriving with a gearbag alongside the team for Saturday's Ulster final against Galway.

Rian O’Neill is in the house.

How about that then?

📸 Oliver McVeigh via @irishnewssport pic.twitter.com/g1ONGhqnsn

— Jack Madden (@jack_madden2001) May 10, 2025

Rian O’Neill just arrived with the Armagh team. Carrying a gear bag! pic.twitter.com/f4flXXX4Sv

— Maurice Brosnan (@m_brosnan) May 10, 2025

He was pictured with his Armagh teammates ahead of the game, as they cheered on their county's ladies football team in the Ulster final against Donegal.

As throw-in approached, it was confirmed that Rian O'Neill had not been added to the matchday 26 but that he was indeed back with the Armagh panel.

It was a spectacular way to start one of the biggest days of the football season, and came after months of speculation about the future for Rian O'Neill and Armagh.

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Rian O'Neill has not featured for Armagh yet in 2025, though he was with the squad for their league clash with Dublin in early March.

That came amid reports that O'Neill had been back in training, having missed the start of the league campaign.

Manager Kieran McGeeney explained at the time that O'Neill's break was for "personal reasons," and confirmed that the Crossmaglen man was indeed "in and out" of training with the county.

"He has trained with us before, so at the minute, I’m just giving him… he’s back in and out, but I wouldn't say he's fully back in yet," McGeeney said in March.

"I said before that he has his own personal things going on, and that’s one thing that the GAA is good at, we try and look after our own, so that’s the way we’re going to keep it."

O'Neill's uncle Oisin McConville had said earlier in the year that he expected his nephew to be back in action before too long.

Though O'Neill will not have any role to play in Saturday's Ulster final, it does seem as though his return to inter-county action is imminent, in a massive boost to Armagh's All-Ireland defence.