‘Garvaghey is the coldest place on earth’

MIDDLETOWN and Armagh players Paudie Lappin lifts the lids on some of this toughest opponents…

Name: Paudie Lappin

Age: 28

Teams played for: Middletown, Armagh, St Patrick’s, Keady.

Who are your main rivals?
Club – Keady, Derrynoose or Madden. County – Tyrone.

Which opposition ground do you like playing on and why?
Derrynoose or Keady – there’s always a good buzz at those games.

Which opposition ground do you dislike going to and why?
Garvaghey – it’s coldest place on earth.

What team have you enjoyed the most success against?
We robbed Éire Óg, Carrickmore twice in Ulster semi-finals now.

Which team have you enjoyed least success against?
Clan na Gael – I’ve been on the end of a fair few hidings from them.

Which opposition player have you enjoyed marking?
Stevey Renaghan except for the time he did the People’s Elbow on me in a game.

TOUGH NUT….Paudie found Cathal Freeman a tough opponent

Which opposition player have you disliked marking?
Cathal Freeman – Mayo.

Which player would you transfer in from a team you have come up against?
Cormac O’Doherty – a dual player so he can play both codes.

Which team, apart from your own, do you like to see do well and why?
Aghyaran and Galway.

What’s the most frustrating defeat you have experienced?
The 2018 county final against Keady and the 2021 Ulster semi-final against Banagher.

What’s the most satisfying victory you have experienced?
The 2017 Ulster Intermediate final and the 2022 county final.

What is the best score you’ve seen from an opponent?
Ethan Rafferty kicked a monster point against us for the Grange a few years ago. He had to have been at least at midfield when he kicked it.

Which team, apart from your own, do you expect big things of in the coming years?
Carrickcruppen going by what Tiarnan O’Hare tells me.

Best opponent for post-match hospitality?
Éire Óg, Craigavon.

Which club, apart from your own, has the most impressive facilities?
Stewartstown Harps or Wolfe Tones.