Belief the key to Armagh’s All-Ireland run says McKeever

By Shaun Casey

STANDING in a team huddle, preaching to a bunch of youngsters, Ciaran McKeever delivered an important message to a minor team that hung on his every word. Just because you’re born in Dublin or Kerry, you don’t have a divine right to win the All-Ireland.

McKeever was the Armagh minor manager in 2019 and 2020 and he drove home the idea that the Orchard County had just as many good players as the two aforementioned counties, but it was a mindset shift that needed to be overcome.

Peter McGrane and Oisin Conaty were part of that panel and have graduated to the senior ranks, starting every league and championship game this season. McKeever joined Kieran McGeeney’s backroom team in 2021 and has helped guide the youngsters through.

“There is a stigma that if you’re born in Dublin or if you’re born in Kerry, you’re better,” explained the Cullyhanna native, who retired from intercounty action in 2017 having won four Ulster titles with the Orchard County.

“There are good footballers in every county, and it all boils down to application. I’m big into tactics and coaching and philosophies and all that but it comes back to application, it’s how you apply yourself.

“It’s sacrifice, you’ve got to sacrifice, and you’ve got to want to be there. You’ve got to give it everything. The bunch of boys that have come through from that minor team, they were fully invested in it at 17 years of age.”

While that minor team didn’t have any physical success in terms of silverware, McKeever was keen to put down the building blocks of a team that could compete at the top level and several members are now panellists on the Armagh senior side.

“A really good Derry team beat us by a point and went on and won an All-Ireland (in 2020) and I think that gave them confidence,” added McKeever. “They got a massive bounce from that even though we were knocked out in the first round of the championship. They got a bounce from that and then they were taken into the senior squad and got to train with the likes of Aidan (Forker) and Rory (Grugan) and learn off them and have grown over the last two years. It’s no coincidence that you have two starters at the present minute and another three probably not far off it.”

Now that Armagh surely believe they can claim the Sam Maguire for the second time ever, it’s about going out and doing it on the big day when it matters most. Only Galway can halt a historic victory for the Orchard County.

Armagh know all about the challenge that the Tribesmen pose, having clashed with them three times in the championship over the past three seasons. Galway won in 2022 via penalties, Armagh won by one point last year and they drew in the group stages this season.

“They’re an exceptional team,” said McKeever, describing Pádraic Joyce’s men. “If you’re delving into the nitty-gritty stuff, they’re probably the best team we’ve played over the last three or four years. They’re not unlike an Ulster team, the way they set up.

“They’re big, they’re very powerful, they’re physical and they’re athletic. Obviously, they have the three boys up top that can cause major problems (Robert Finnerty, Damien Comer and Shane Walsh).

“We’re familiar with each other, we know each other now at this stage and I’m sure that both sets of supporters and the neutrals will get an exciting game.

“They’re a serious outfit and this is their second All-Ireland final in three years. We know their management team well and we have huge respect for them and their group of players.

“They’ve had to change too. When Pádraic first came in, they were this free-flowing football team and racking up big scores, but they were still getting caught and getting beat, not dissimilar to us in different aspects of trying to play this lovely football that everybody wants.

“They learned the hard way; we learned the hard way and both teams had to go away and tweak things. They set up not unlike an Ulster team and they’re very hard to break down, they’re very hard to get in behind,” continued McKeever.

“We’re under no illusions that it’s going to be a huge battle. It’s one that we’re relishing, it’s one that we’re looking forward to and I’m sure we’ll find tweaks and we’ll find gaps in their defence to try and expose it.

“At the same time, they’re probably looking for that in ours and we have to look for areas that they’ve exposed us in before and try and tighten those areas up. I’m sure it will take on a life of its own and things will just happen and hopefully we can get out the right side of it.”