THE Armagh Senior Football Championship begins with a bang tonight as the cliched ‘group of death’ gets the campaign up and running with Cullyhanna hosting Killeavy and Silverbridge travelling to Culloville.
The All-Ireland intermediate champions Cullyhanna had the journey of a lifetime last season, which ultimately ended on the steps of the Hogan Stand, and they welcome three more All-Ireland winners back into the fold.
Aidan Nugent, Ross McQuillan and Jason Duffy return with Celtic Crosses in their back pockets and the St Patrick’s club will welcome them back with open arms. Ciaran McKeever, a coach in Armagh alongside Kieran McGeeney, is also part of their management set-up.
While the county men are the headline-grabbers, their other players were just as important in landing All-Ireland gold back in January. Mickey Murray, Sean Connell, Pearse Casey and Shea Hoey would get on most club teams in the county.
Niall McAleenan has taken over the reins at Killeavy and it’s just two years since he led Granemore to their first-ever senior championship final. The south Armagh club will hope he can guide them on a similar journey this year.
They will of course have to do it without the versatile Conor O’Neill, who will miss out on the rest of the season with a ruptured Achilles, but they can still call upon the quality of Shea Magill, Conor Magennis, Cathal Boylan and Ciaron O’Hanlon.
Culloville will hope to make home advantage count as they kick-start their championship campaign against Silverbridge.
Danny Hughes’ side have a number of young players to call upon but will be without two of their most experienced heads. Colm Watters and Niall Rowland, arguably their two best players, are both currently out injured, so the Blues will look to the likes of Ryan Garvey, Ryan Duffy, Fergal Kieran and Fearghal Traynor to carry the can.
Silverbridge have made massive strides since winning the Division 1B league title last season and finished third in the top tier this year, just behind Clann Eireann and Crossmaglen. They are certainly a team that have been jotted down as dark horses for the competition.
Jarly Óg Burns is back in the mix and will add an extra bit of pace around the middle of the field, which is usually anchored by 2009 All-Ireland winning minor Pete Carragher, while Sean Rock and Sean Conlon are two youngsters worth keeping an eye on.
In Group C, Maghery and Madden get the show on the road as they lock horns tonight, with Maghery hoping home advantage will play its part. Maghery is notoriously a tough place to go, and they’ll be eager to live up to their reputation.
They are without two of their most experienced players, however, Stephen Cusack (retired) and Brendan Haveron (injured).
They can call upon the three All-Ireland winners that they had on the Armagh panel of course, namely Aidan Forker, Ben Crealey and Ciaran Higgins.
Crealey formed an exceptional midfield partnership with Niall Grimley as the Orchard county captured the Sam Maguire Cup, but tonight, the pair are likely to go head-to-head in the centre of the field.
Madden will be buoyed by the return of Grimley and Darragh McMullen from the county, while Conor Grimley is back from injury. The Raparees have the forward line to cause anyone trouble, with Joe Sheridan another scoring threat.
The Raparees, with Mark Harte now in their dugout, are among the favourites for the Gerry Fagan Cup and have been knocking on the door over the past number of years, and perhaps now is the time for them to make the breakthrough.
