Sick of the sight of each other: the Armagh v Galway rivalry of the roaring '20s and before
Declan Bogue
PRIOR TO 2001, Armagh and Galway had never crossed paths in championship football.
And yet, the seven meetings they have since has packed in enough controversy, intrigue and high-wire action to be considered one of the greatest rivalries of this century.
Here, we take a look at the moments that have defined that rivalry.
2001Round 3 qualifier, Galway 0-13 Armagh 0-12
In the very first meeting between these counties, held in Croke Park, there were teething troubles for the new backdoor system and GAA infrastructure.
Armagh had won the previous two Ulster titles, but had been dethroned this time by Tyrone. After accounting for Monaghan and Down in the backdoor, they felt good about themselves.
Falling behind by seven points – a Garda escort that never arrived, along with having to change in a cramped Cusack Stand dressing room had Armagh in a panic, they staged a revival and were seeking an equaliser when Justin McNulty looked up the field to deliver a pass.
It was blocked down by the big hands of Michael Donnellan. He then took off on a typical skating run, sending Paul McGrane to the floor with a swivel of the hips before setting up substitute Paul Clancy to kick the winner.
Galway ended up with Sam Maguire, Joyce kicking ten points in the final.
Armagh immediately went about changing the management from the two Brians of Canavan and McAlinden to Big Joe. Sam would winter in Armagh the following year.
2013Round 3 qualifier, Galway 0-13 Armagh 0-12
An oddly bloodless encounter, but nonetheless scored as a major upset at the time because of the formlines. Galway had taken a tanking from Mayo in Connacht and struggled through tests against Tipperary and Waterford.
But a 24th minute goal from Danny Cummins set them on their way.
As a matter of interest, Paul Conroy of Galway, along with Armagh’s Mark Shields, Aidan Forker, Stefan Campbell, Ethan Rafferty and James Morgan are still trucking along, all these years later.
2015Round 2 qualifier, Armagh 0-12 Galway 1-12
The 12th of July has been the source of much joy and triumphalism for Orangemen in the north, but not in the Athletic Grounds in 2015.
Galway secured their first away win in the qualifiers since 2001, 1-12 to 0-12
The decisive blow came when David Gough advanced a Galway free – much too far for McGeeney’s liking. Paul Conroy took the free but it dropped short and who was there to punch to the net, only Damien Comer.
2022All-Ireland quarter final, Galway 2-21 Armagh 3-18 (aet, Galway 4-1 penalties)
Well, now.
After Armagh launched an incredible comeback in normal time, capped by a sensational Rian O’Neill equaliser, the two teams were set for extra-time. Coming off the pitch, Aidan Forker and Damien Comer had words and the situation flared up instantly and desperately.
The low point was reached when Tiernan Kelly – injured and not on the matchday squad, appeared to make an apparent eye gouge with Comer.
“I think they are scenes we cannot hide behind,” said Oisín McConville on the RTÉ analysis.
“People talk about unsavoury… It’s not – it’s disgusting.”
Pat Spillane then said, “That was disgraceful, scandalous and shame on all involved.”
Both counties were later fined €10,000 for their actions, with Kelly receiving a 24-week ban.
Armagh’s experience of penalty shootouts is grisly and dreadful, but they must have felt this loss especially keenly.
Level at the end of extra-time, Galway won 4-1 on penalties. Shane Walsh, Damien Comer, Rob Finnerty and Matthew Tierney all netted.
For Armagh, Rian Neill hit the net while Stefan Campbell shot wide and Conor Turbitt’s effort came back off the post.
And that wasn’t even the end to that day’s drama.
Afterwards, the assembled media made their way to the lecture room under the Cusack Stand that doubles up as a press room on double-header days.
Both managers kept reporters and journalists waiting, but when Kieran McGeeney arrived, just as Pádraic Joyce was, it was inevitable they would be asked questions about the row between both sides that flared up at the end of normal time.
As much as McGeeney wasn’t in the mood for backing down, neither was the Sidebottom in seeking the Orchard manager to condemn the scenes. It was gripping drama, but ultimately neither backed down.
2023Group 2 Round Robin, Armagh 0-16 Galway 1-12
One of the early and predictable complaints about the All-Ireland round robin system was that it took something like 7,645 games to eliminate half a team. Something like that.
But on the last round of games in 2023, Armagh and Galway found themselves facing each other on neutral ground. Pairc Seán MacDiarmaid in Carrick-on-Shannon got the nod after Croke Park was not available.
Naturally, this caused a bit of fallout from fans who felt that the 10,000 capacity stadium would never meet the demand, but in the end, just over 6,000 showed up, a fair few of them feeling the effects of one of the stag and hen capitals of Ireland.
"There's a lot of empty vessels out there"Kieran McGeeney addresses Armagh's critics after the win over Galway that has sent them directly into the All-Ireland quarter-finals
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Ethan Rafferty saved a Shane Walsh penalty in the first half but it was the final play in the 79th minute that everyone recalls this game for. From wide on the left wing, Walsh’s shot tailed wide and left Armagh as 0-16 to 1-12 winners.
That forced Galway into a preliminary quarter-final seven days later where they were only too delighted to meet Mayo, who dumped them out.
Armagh went through to a quarter-final proper, where they were beaten by Monaghan. On penalties.
2024 (Take 1)Group 1 Round Robin, Armagh 1-12 Galway 0-15
A brilliant story emerging in the lead-in to last year’s All-Ireland final came from the final round robin game between the two.
By now Tiernan Kelly was a critical part of the Armagh attack and scored 1-1 but Galway looked the better side for long stretches and, with the Markievicz Park wind at their back for the last fifteen minutes, went into the final stretch five points to the good.
The comeback was kick-started by Kelly’s goal, which came about by Conor Turbitt intercepting a Conor Gleeson kickout and in the fourth minute of time added, on, Stefan Campbell punched over to secure the draw, and leave Armagh topping the group.
A day or two later, a phonecall happened between McGeeney and Joyce, with Joyce warning that, ‘We’ll meet again in the All-Ireland final.”
2024 (Take 2)All-Ireland final, Armagh 1-11 Galway 0-13
Eventually, Armagh made it to the All-Ireland final.
Waiting for them were, inevitably, Galway, togging out for their second All-Ireland final in three years.
Of all the six games they have played against each other, this was the most cagey, cautious and nerve-ridden encounter. The greatest illustration of this is how a seagull spent a decent portion of the first half undisturbed on the pitch at the Cusack Stand end.
The decisive score came from a typical line-break from Stefan Campbell and full-back Aaron McKay advancing to palm a goal home as Armagh won 1-11 to 0-13.
A final word on that and how the Gaelic football world has changed.
Armagh’s winning tally would have been enough to have beaten the following teams in this year’s provincial championships; London, New York and Limerick, and only Cork scored less in this year’s group stages against Meath.
The two-pointer has changed football. But few could have predicted how it has freed up Armagh and Galway to show just how incredible they can be on their day.
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