AN already unforgettable year “keeps getting better” said Conor Turbitt after he spearheaded his club to victory in Saturday night’s Armagh senior football championship final.
Turbitt scored eight points – several of them of the highest quality – and had a hand in Clann Eireann’s first two goals as the 2021 champions recaptured the Gerry Fagan Cup with a seven-point win against Lurgan rivals Clan na Gael.
Turbitt and his Clann Eireann team-mates Barry McCambridge and Tiernan Kelly started the All-Ireland final in July as Armagh won the Sam Maguire for the second time in their history and the trio were just as delighted to win with their club.
“It has been some year for us and it keeps getting better,” he said.
“It probably took us a while from the All-Ireland campaign to get settled back into the club season.
“The five lads (Daniel Magee and Sean McCarthy were also on the Orchard panel) have just taken it to a new level since we came back in. We’ve gone from strength-to-strength and this is the result of it.
“We had five players on the county panel so coming back in it was never easy to filter through. We’d a couple of niggles to try and sort out as well. Every game we were playing, it felt as though we were getting stronger all the time. I think this is the result of us continuously putting in the work and turning up.”
Clan na Gael took an early lead through Shane McPartlan who was outstanding for them. But the Davitt Park outfit switched off when Turbitt stood over a free. Instead of kicking a point, he passed to Emmett Magee who lashed the ball into their net.”
“I think Clans will be disappointed with how they left it, they fell asleep for a second,” said Turbitt.
“Emmett was just as alert as I was to see the pass. Those are the moments that are massive in finals - when you look back, it gave us a real springboard to push on and win the game.”
Magee’s input and the performances of Ryan Owens, Ruairi McDonald and Jack Conlon proved that Clann Eireann are much more than their county stars.
“Conor McConville (Clann Eireann captain) said it in his speech - we’ve 55 boys out training each night,” said Turbitt.
“We’ve an intermediate team who got to the intermediate semi-final and that’s an incredible achievement in itself.
“We’ve so many boys turning up to training eager and wanting to push this team on. For the first team getting to play against an intermediate team in training it only helps to get you prepared for a game like that. It’s excellent.”
What Saturday’s victory meant to the Clann Eireann players and their supporters was obvious. Clan na Gael had beaten them in last season’s semi-final and they had lost their second game of this championship (in the group stage) to Maghery.
However, Ruairi Lavery’s men improved with every round and beat defending champions Crossmaglen before their seven-point win in the final.
“I sort of feel like every game I’m playing in at this stage is a massive game, but that’s what we want as footballers,” said Allstar nominee Turbitt.
“You want to be playing on the big occasions and to be playing and competing for trophies. We’ve got two of the biggest on offer this year. It is amazing.”
There is one more trophy still up for grabs this year – the Ulster Club Championship – and Clann Eireann will go into that series as league and championship winners. Derry winners Newbridge await after they dethroned reigning All-Ireland champions Glen.
“We are going to be testing ourselves,” said Turbitt.
“It will provide a real showing of where this team is at.”
