When Armagh hit the hurling heights

By Niall McCoy

LAST weekend, Armagh started their second consecutive season in Division 3A of the National Hurling League – five years on from earning a sensational promotion to Division 2A.

Back in 2016, Orchard county hurling was on a high as they won four of their five group games before securing a famous victory over Down in the final at Dowdallshill.

The following season they would play current Division One teams like Antrim and Westmeath, and they were somewhat unfortunate to be relegated despite being competitive in the majority of their fixtures.

As it turned out, that 0-20 to 0-15 victory over Down was one of the last big successes for a group of players that helped bring Armagh to new heights – although they repeated the trick in the Ulster Championship semi-final a few months later. Over the next couple of seasons, a lot of that team would drift away.

That was evident last weekend in their league opener against Longford. Of the 15 who started in that win over Down in 2016, only Simon Doherty, Ciaran Clifford and Eoin McGuinness were in the first 15 against Longford. Artie McGuinness came off the bench.

One of those who has recently stepped away is Keady defender Stephen Renaghan, and the player spoke of the magnitude of that victory over the Ardsmen at the venue just outside of Dundalk.

“You wouldn’t really think it was five years ago. The time seems to have flown through,” said the talented dual player. “It was a great day for Armagh hurling, a great day for all the clubs involved as well.

“It probably was the pinnacle, definitely of what I can remember anyway, that Armagh hurling had ever gotten to.

“It was a very strong group of players and it was a great win, especially over Down who seven or eight years ago were coming to the Athletic Grounds and beating us by 15, 16 points.

“Over that time we had made a massive improvement and the squad gelled together very well for a three, four-year period of time.”

Down had started the brighter of the two teams, but Armagh fought back with Ryan Gaffney’s free-taking proving crucial. The sides were level three times in the second half before Renaghan pointed Armagh back in front and Sylvester McConnell’s side would not relinquisthe lead from there.

In Division 2A the following season, a couple of key moments went against them as they suffered relegation.In round one, Kildare’s 1-2 in additional time meant that Armagh suffered a loss when victory looked assured while they only managed a draw with London in round two. In the end they would be relegated ahead of the Exiles due to a worse scoring difference.

Once again they earned an Ulster semi-final win over Down only to lose heavily to Antrim in the final, whil their Nickey Rackard hopes ended at the final stage against a Derry side that had welcome back their dual players such as Brendan Rogers and Chrissy McKaigue.

McConnell stood down a few weeks later and for Renaghan, 2017 really was the end credits for that group.

“I’d definitely say that after the 2017 season Armagh hurling would have gone through a bit of a transition period. A lot of the experienced guys stepped down after putting four or five years of very hard work in to get that triumph in the 2B final.

“Even after that, a lot of the young guys stood up and we were narrowly beaten in a Nickey Rackard final in 2019 by Sligo. They basically scored a goal with the last puck of the game to beat us.

“Momentum is still building in Armagh hurling, it’s probably just that transition period where all the younger guys are gaining the experience at intercounty level.”

Although he is no longer involved, Renaghan is confident that Padraig O’Connor’s side are moving back on the right direction and he would not be shocked to see silverware accompanying their 2021 season. I have stepped down this year myself but I definitely know that one of Armagh’s main targets this year will be to try and get back into Division 2B. The last two years we have been beaten in the Division 3A final so they’ll definitely want to rectify that.

“In terms of the Nickey Rackard Cup, I know a lot of the guys are going back this year to try and get over the line having just missed out on it so narrowly over the last couple of years.

“I’d give Armagh a big chance, I’d put them down as one of the favourites for the Nickey Rackard Cup this year,” Renaghan added.