The real McCoy kicks Armagh to Ulster Championship glory

Aoife McCoy bagged two goals as Armagh retained their Ulster title on Saturday in Clones. She spoke with Michael McMullan

AOIFE McCoy’s smile said it all. The cheers are filtering through the corridor outside the victorious Armagh dressing room.

Nothing can replace that winning feeling. The fact she has over a decade of days in the Armagh jersey makes little difference.

Her joy is twofold. Another Ulster title is one half. The other, an improvement from a league final humbling at the hands of Kerry.

The colour and heat of Clones douses some of the pain from their 15-point defeat four weeks ago in Croke Park.

“For us, this game was really important considering our league defeat,” a content McCoy told Gaelic Life.

“We really weren’t happy with how we performed against Kerry and we’d obviously got beaten in the game before that as well,” she added, referring to a one-point defeat at the hands of Meath in their final group game.

“For us, it was mostly about a performance and I think we did that,” she said of Saturday’s win over Donegal.

“We were really good overall, we’re happy with our performance and that we got the win in the end.”

Donegal got hands on the ball early on before Armagh began to pull the strings. For the opening five minutes, they were guilty of taking rash shots.

It all changed when McCoy found herself on the end of a fine team move to drill in the first of two goals.

“I think we took our chances when they came and then we are also very good in possession,” she said of the most pleasing aspects of victory.

The Dromintee player added a second goal, a fine individual effort, and the Orchard County had one hand on the cup.

“The way Donegal set up, it can be quite easy to maybe take shots out of frustration because they get a lot of people behind the ball.

“I think we controlled it really well, we took our chances when the opportunities came and it showed on the scoreboard.”

After captain Clodagh McCambridge accepted the cup, the Armagh squad posed for photographs, basking in another memorable victory.

For McCoy, in her “11th or 12th year” with the squad, she hailed the special bond in the group who have been improving year on year.

As well as five Ulster Championship medals in six years, they were National League Division One champions last season. Inside the group, there is a bond.

“Every year, I keep wanting to come back, so I think that says a lot,” she said.

“The girls, they’re a really professional bunch of girls and everybody’s out there with the same goal, which is hopefully to win the All-Ireland later in August. It’s brilliant to be a part of.”

There is always the ambition of Croke Park. The All-Ireland series will come around the corner when it’s time to reset the focus, but Ulster is always the focus.

“If you win your Ulster campaign it always does set you up quite well,” McCoy added.

“Confidence will be high and we know now that we put in a good performance on the back of a bad defeat against Kerry.

“The next few weeks will be tough now in training and the intensity will come back up again.

“Then we’ll be just getting ready for the first round of the (All-Ireland) championship.”

For McCoy, there has never been a question of not being in the Armagh squad.

She laughs in acceptance of being part of the old guard.

There have been fresh faces joining the squad but, in chasing success, it’s all hands to the pump, young and old.

“You do need your stalwarts there, that bit of experience,” she said.

“Obviously, you’ve got the likes of Caroline O’Hanlon and Kelly Mallon.

I’m probably in that group now, unfortunately.

“It’s a bit of both. You need new people coming in and you need people chomping on the bit and we’ve seen that.

“Blaithin (Mackin) referred to it and before the Ulster final that we’ve had so much competition for spaces, which has been brilliant.

“Honestly, week in and week out, you don’t know if you’re going to be getting your starting place and I think that’s what you need.

“Everybody chomping at the bit and it just raises the whole thing, the standards get really high. Then, that feeds through in training and everything else.”

Saturday’s final was played before the extra-time blockbuster as Donegal man retained their Ulster title at Armagh’s expense.

As the Armagh ladies paraded around St Tiernach’s Park, on their way to the dressing room, they received a rapturous reception from the Orchard fans who were in for the ladies final.

“It’s great,” McCoy said of the feeling, looking on at the fans. “It’s brilliant to have days like this. It’s really great to see such a sea of orange and white.

“When you’re there supporting the men and you’re a part of that, it’s nice to be on the other end of it and receiving it. It was lovely to have the support out there.”

Check out our review show with thoughts, analysis and reaction from both Ulster finals on Saturday in Clones.