Ciaran McKeever looks on a year when Ulster said yes

By Michael McMullan

SEAN Hurson’s final whistle, with Armagh’s Jarly Óg Burns in possession of the ball at the end of last month’s All-Ireland football final, capped off a remarkable season for Ulster across the national footballing landscape.

Within minutes, Aidan Forker delivered a memorable acceptance speech after thrusting Sam Maguire above his head. Forker and every Armagh person were in dreamland. Their penalty shoot-out nightmares were now just stepping stones and Armagh were top dogs.

For those of us in Ulster, it was hard not to straighten the shoulders and push the chest out. Aside from Down losing to Westmeath in the Division Three league final, Ulster held every football title they contested.

For decades, Ulster teams made their way south more in hope than anything else. In some cases it was a day out. This year, Ulster conquered everything in their path. Armagh’s icing, on top of the cake, was the sweetest of all.

Tyrone’s u-20 success was their third in a decade. Derry retained their minor title in another all-Ulster final where Armagh asked plenty of questions of them.

Ulster University held the Sigerson Cup. Omagh CBS kept their ribbons on the Hogan Cup. Derry and Donegal won Divisions One and Two of the league. Down righted their league defeat by taking the Tailteann Cup north.

And that’s before the clubs enter the equation. Glen, Cullyhanna and Arva won all three grades of All-Ireland silverware. Dungannon Clarkes won the All-Ireland Sevens.

Six days after the All-Ireland final, Armagh coach Ciaran McKeever posted three photos on his X profile. One had him holding baby Daíthí Sam, inside the Sam Maguire, after his wife Ciara gave birth on the Thursday after the final.

Another was a photo of the Armagh management team on the hallowed Croke Park turf after fulfilling their dreams. In the third, McKeever is surrounded by Cullyhanna men and a table of pints in the clubhouse. Sam Maguire hadn’t got there yet, but it can wait.

McKeever was part of Stephen Reel’s management team that delivered the club All-Ireland. Clubman Paddy Savage has a photo with the club’s three All-Ireland winners, Aidan Nugent, Ross McQuillan and Jason Duffy.

Cullyhanna and Armagh’s success came under his watch, but McKeever is an Ulster man. Dublin and Kerry, by the nature of the provincial system, are always going to be there. But, as he believes, there are talented players in every county.

“That’s the way I’ve always been brought up,” said McKeever of a message drummed in by Joe Kernan, Paul Grimley, Kieran McGeeney and the Armagh squad when he joined in the noughties. He has always carried that.

“There’s good players in every county but it’s how you play yourself and what you want to get out of your own playing career…that will then be different from everybody else.”

The question then raises its head. Can any county then maximise what is at their disposal? That’s the difference between playing and really competing.

“We have that belief that any team in Ulster, that on any given day can go and win any competition and that’s a massive asset to have,” said McKeever who described Ulster’s clean sweep as “massive”.

He accepts the love and hate relationship within Ulster. Counties go to war. That’s the way it is.

“You can be nothing but proud of what the Ulster teams and clubs and counties have achieved this year,” he quickly adds.

“That’s a massive testament to the work that’s going on at club level, schools, academy level and then the coaches that have them at county level.

“We’re not better coaches than anybody else. There are brilliant coaches throughout Ireland and there are brilliant workshops done throughout Ireland.

“Steven Poacher runs a brilliant one in Newry, Michael Quirke runs a brilliant one down in Kerry and they’re always well-attended from both sides of Ireland.”

Ulster success this year, for McKeever it is unique. It’s difficult to pin down any one reason. For now, it’s about lapping it up. Down the decades, Ulster teams were “looked down on” before heading home again. Usually without the prize they came looking for.

“I think it’s just a massive lift for the province,” he said of the 2024 litany of titles. “It’s a massive lift for any county, the counties that have been involved and the clubs that have been involved.”

With the Armagh club scene up and running, McKeever can see the level of enthusiasm. Those with a feeling of being close to Cullyhanna last season can now dream big.

It’s the same on the county scene. Armagh’s success wit;; breathe new life into counties who feel getting their hands on Sam Maguire is within reach.

McKeever drummed it into the minor teams he coached. After a narrow defeat to eventual All-Ireland Minor champions Derry in 2020, he told the players they were “closing the gap” on the top teams. Donegal, Monaghan and Tyrone were the teams at the cutting edge.

When Derry beat Kerry in the minor final, McKeever’s phone lit up with messages from his players. His prediction that Derry could go all way was right and they reminded him of it.

“Even with Armagh (seniors) there, we would play Dublin maybe four times a year in friendly matches,” McKeever added.

“When we were back in Division Three, we were begging Geezer to get us to play Dublin. At the time I was finishing up, but that group of players, Aidan (Forker), Rory (Grugan) and ‘Soupy’(Stefan Campbell), were begging Geezer to try and get us to play Dublin.”

When Dessie Farrell, McGeeney’s fellow clubmate in Na Fianna, took over the games became more of a regular thing.

“We would play them probably four times a season,” McKeever continued. “Each game, we were getting closer to them and closer to them. That just gave us belief as a group that we’re not a million miles away.”

It was all about belief. Soon, the games were one-point scorelines either way.

“We got massive, massive belief out of those challenge matches against Dublin, that we were closing the gap all the time and that we were potentially very close to achieving what we wanted to achieve.

“But it boiled back down, could we be consistent throughout the season to achieve that?”

More in next week’s feature Gaelic Lives Podcast.

Check out last weekend’s review show below for championship action across Ulster…