Aaron Cunningham
THE HONOUR of being the first ever winner of the Gaelic Life Ulster Club Footballer of the Year award has fallen upon Crossmaglen’s exciting wing-forward, Aaron Cunningham.
The UUJ Marketing student enjoyed a superb run of form as the Rangers retained their Ulster Senior Club title, with his sterling performances and scoring input helping to ensure that the Seamus McFerran cup returned to Crossmaglen.
It was a 2011 which started with an All-Ireland Club Championship title win, assisted by a Cunningham goal in the All-Ireland final, and finished with Cunningham still on course for a second consecutive All-Ireland crown, with a debut summer with Armagh and another Armagh and Ulster title thrown in for good measure. Not bad for a player who is still just 22 years of age and with the footballing world at his feet.
Cunningham made his breakthrough onto the Crossmaglen senior side for the 2009 Armagh Championship, the season which saw them lose out to Pearse Og and their bid for 14 consecutive county titles brought crashing to an end. It was hugely disappointing, but it taught Cunningham and the rest of the young Cross contingent that nothing can be taken for granted.
For the 2010 Championship, Tony McEntee and Gareth O’Neill took over the reins. It’s the only senior pre-season he’s had to complete, and he wouldn’t wish that six weeks of hell on anyone. However, it brought them on as players and a return to winning ways was just around the corner.
Cunningham played every game through Crossmaglen’s triumphant Armagh Championship run. St Gall’s were the first round opposition in Ulster. The Rangers got off to a flyer, nine up before half time, with Cunningham to the fore in the attack. Then, his season was turned on its head.
“The number went up and I got the call to come off. I was wondering what the hell I’d done wrong. All I could see was that we were winning by nine points, we were going rightly. I lost my place for the Burren semi-final, got on late but it was hard to make an impact as a substitute in a game like that.
"I didn’t get the place back for the Ulster final against Glenties, came on again off the bench. We went to London for the All-Ireland quarter-final, and I didn’t even get a minute, didn’t feature at all that day.
“I didn’t let it get me down. I worked hard and got the place back for the semi-final against Kilmacud and for the All-Ireland final. You could throw the toys out of the pram, kick up a fuss, but that’s going to get you nowhere. For the sake of the team, you’ve got to keep going, and when that chance comes you’ve got to take it.”
It’s that strength of character which has made Cunningham a key component in the Crossmaglen attack. It’s a ruthless unit, and the wing-forward is in no doubt about the reason behind their constant strive for excellence.
“There’s certainly the competition aspect. There are boys sitting on the bench who would start on any other club team, certainly in the county and probably in Ulster. So competition is certainly one.
“I think the other reason is simply that we have no mercy. There’s a ruthless streak there and a determination there to keep others down and to keep us on top.
"It doesn’t matter if you’re winning by one, by 21 or by 31, you just have to keep going and to choke them to death. A win is a win, whether you win by one or by 61, but we’ll always keep trying to push on.”
To read the full story, buy the current issue of Gaelic Life - published January 12 - online or in your local newsagent
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