IT WAS side before self for Shane McPartlan last season and the Clan na Gael midfielder did all he could to push the men in Armagh’s starting 15 as the Orchard County swept to the Sam Maguire.
McPartlan burst onto the inter-county scene last year with four points on Championship debut against Antrim and a brilliant individual goal against Down.
However, after the Ulster final he found game-time hard to come by until he emerged as a sub against Monaghan and netted two penalties in a nail-biting All-Ireland quarter-final shootout at Croke Park.
McPartlan was also called upon in this year’s Ulster final shootout against Donegal but when his penalty was saved by Shaun Patton, Donegal celebrated winning the Anglo-Celt Cup.
Substitute appearances against Derry at Celtic Park and an important cameo against Kerry in the All-Ireland semi-final were the sum total of the action he saw throughout the rest of the campaign. He’d be a certain starter in many other counties but remains positive that he did his bit for his county and that his time will come.
“They’re the cards you’re dealt and that’s just it,” he said.
“It’s a team game and if I’m there pushing the boys who are starting that’s all I can do and that’s what it’s all about - it’s about the team.
“This year was my second year with Armagh and it’s a team environment, everybody is pushing the one road and it’s all about Armagh winning.
“If I can help in any way then… happy days.
“It’s great training, everything is there set out for you and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the last two years.”
On Sunday McPartlan was in superb form as Clan na Gael beat defending Armagh champions Crossmaglen at Davitt Park. He scored 1-3 and produced an end-to-end performance as ‘the Clans’ took a measure of revenge for last season’s defeat in the championship final.
However, ‘Buzz’ is well aware that there’s a long way still to go.
“It was good to get the win but you have to look at it realistically, Cross were coming down here short-handed,” he said.
“There’s two more games to go in the group so there’s nothing won yet and Cross are the benchmark – them and Clann Eireann – and that’s the way it is.
“Last year in the county final we were poor in the second half. We didn’t come out at all – we left it all in the changing rooms.
“But this is a new season, it’s a different group of players and it’s still a long time until the 30th of October and the final and we’re not thinking about that, we’re just thinking about the next game – Granemore – and we’ll take it from there.
“They had a good win against Sarsfields so we know what we’re going to up against. They set up defensively but we’ll look forward to it on Saturday night.”
After the euphoria of Armagh’s All-Ireland title, McPartlan says he was glad to return to training with his club who also fielded talismanic Orchard forward Stefan Campbell on Sunday.
“It was good to get back into it,” said McPartlan.
“I had a couple of days away after the All-Ireland but we were back into it last weekend and training three nights’ a week. This is where you want to be – playing the championship and plenty of games.
“I know my role here (with Clan na Gael), we have a great set up here and everything is well switched on so you’re coming from the county scene to the club where it’s as good as a county scene and it’s thoroughly enjoyable to be back.”
