THIS year was a memorable year for Ulster football, culminating in Armagh taking home the Sam Maguire after beating Galway.
The Orchard county had a phenomenal year, getting to three finals and winning the one that mattered most.
Donegal came so close to the perfect season, winning the Division Two of the Allianz League and the Ulster SFC, beating Armagh in both finals.
Derry, Tyrone and Monaghan all got to the latter stages of the Championship but came up short.
Goalkeeper
Blaine Hughes (Armagh)
WHEN Ethan Rafferty forced his way in and Hughes departed the scene, it looked as though his inter-county days might be over.
Now he’s an All-Ireland winner and the Ulster Allstar goalkeeper.
His start to the season was so solid and impressive that when Rafferty was fit again, Kieran McGeeney had no choice but to stick with Hughes.
He went on to keep seven clean sheets in nine games.
Took a bang in the warm-up before the final but recovered to keep that good record intact.
His kickouts were terrific all year long. To deservedly get in ahead of Niall Morgan this year is some going.
Full-backs
Aaron McKay (Armagh)
THE Dromintee man has developed into a really intelligent defender.
Was predominantly utilised as Armagh’s sweeper throughout the summer but more than comfortable slipping into man-marking duties as he often would during games.
Leader of their defence, he dictates and organises everything around him.
A stellar season capped by an iconic moment as he palmed home the only goal in the All-Ireland final.
Brendan McCole (Donegal)
HE’D been a doubt coming into the championship but it all quickly washed away as he nullified Shane McGuigan to start a superb run of performances that ended with a really aggressive and effective display against Damien Comer.
Marked Darragh Canavan twice, keeping him scoreless from play in Ballybofey and kept Brian Hurley to a point from play down in Cork.
Has taken real ownership of a position Donegal thought they’d struggle to fill when Neil McGee retired.
Barry McCambridge (Armagh)
THE size of his displays in the All-Ireland series are such that they have completely dwarfed his omission from the team until they brought him in to pick Shane McGuigan in Celtic Park during the round-robin series.
That he’s now odds-on for the GAA’s Footballer of the Year award says enough about how he did against McGuigan, Shane Walsh (twice), David Clifford and Diarmuid Murtagh.
The 1-1 he hit against Roscommon and his crucial punched goal against Kerry added further weight.
Half-backs
Peadar Mogan (Donegal)
IT’S a rare feat to win back-to-back player of the month awards but that’s where Mogan’s summer was at.
Kicked five points from play in the All-Ireland quarter-final win over Louth having just taken Darren McCurry to task right from corner-back in Ballybofey.
He gave Donegal their platform in the first half of the Ulster final, the one man that Armagh couldn’t tie down.
Galway’s concentration on him in the semi-final made for a frustrating end to the year but that was a mark of respect in itself.
Caolan McGonagle (Donegal)
ONE of the first things Jim McGuinness did was hand Caolan McGonagle the number six shirt and have him mimic the role Colm Cavanagh played for Tyrone at the height of his career. McGonagle revelled in it.
He got himself in outstanding shape and became a fearsome one-man blanket that protected the Donegal goal.
His defensive positioning and organisation of those around him were outstanding.
Some man for a dramatic full-length diving block too.
Aidan Forker (Armagh)
EASED back out of the man-marking role he’d become accustomed to in recent seasons as Armagh went after a faster, more effective transition – and then returned to it on the biggest stage, keeping Damien Comer scoreless and quiet in the final.
Forker popped up with occasional trademark scores, including a terrific effort to set the tone in the Ulster final.
So much of his best work was the link play when Armagh were going from back to front.
A fitting All-Ireland-winning captain after all his efforts down the years.
Midfielders
Michael Langan (Donegal)
LAID down a marker for a very different 2024 by breaking even at worst with Brendan Rogers as Donegal stunned Derry in Celtic Park.
His role was completely altered by Jim McGuinness, who made him an out-and-out midfielder with a lot of defensive responsibilities.
The longer the year went on though, the more he found the balance and that manifested itself in a brilliant All-Ireland semi-final display where he kicked four superb points against Galway.
Niall Grimley (Armagh)
HIS story will forever be remembered alongside the tale of Armagh’s All-Ireland success.
His first game came in the group stage against Derry when the door was opened by Ciaran Mackin’s injury.
Grimley grasped the change. He was outstanding that day in Celtic Park and went on to produce a series of brilliant displays.
Kicked back-to-back points at a crucial stage of the first half against Kerry when they were struggling and his point in the final from just inside the 45′ was a huge moment.
Half-forwards
Rory Grugan (Armagh)
ALONGSIDE Forker, it was Rory Grugan who held the key to Armagh’s counter-attacking play all year.
He almost never gives the ball away. Armagh tried hard to get him in positions ahead of the ball when they were coming out of defence, so that he could link the lines and bring them up the pitch without doing the mad things with the ball that others might.
Scored heavily in the earlier part of the year and kept contributing throughout the summer. Pity his All-Ireland final ended early through injury.
Rian O’Neill (Armagh)
A BIT like how people have seen his manager, it has taken time for some to be convinced of what Rian O’Neill brings.
Given a role permanently away from the full-forward line this year, either at midfield or effectively operating as a third man there with Crealey and Grimley, O’Neill’s calling card this year was how he stepped up in really big moments.
The point against Kerry stands out naturally, as does his last-gasp catch in his own goalmouth.
The one he kicked in the first half of the final was superb, but he also had such a hand in their counter-attacking play in the second half. A season of leadership.
Oisin Conaty (Armagh)
THE former Northern Ireland schoolboy international chose Gaelic football two years ago and lit it up this summer.
His man-of-the-match display in the All-Ireland final came on top of an outstanding afternoon in the Ulster final too, where he penned Ryan McHugh back and tracked him with real diligence.
Tore into Roscommon and really hurt them in the quarter-final and then after a dip against Kerry, he took advantage of a switch of wings in the final.
His confidence was up after his first score and he never looked back. Frighteningly quick.
Full-forwards
Oisin Gallen (Donegal)
BALLYBOFEY’S finest took another big step forward in his career this year, becoming the ultimate focal point in Donegal’s attack.
The display of point-taking he gave in the first half of the Ulster final was absolutely sublime.
Right foot (his natural stronger leg), left foot, fist, everything. Kicked three in the first half of the All-Ireland final as well, two of them off his left.
Even when he was quieter, such as against Tyrone in MacCumhaill Park, he still kicked two from play.
If they can start to get 70 minutes out of him, there will be few forwards in Ireland to match him.
Niall O’Donnell (Donegal)
HAVING not been involved in the poor campaign of the year before, Niall O’Donnell felt almost like a new find for Donegal.
He was running their attack for so much of the year, excelling particularly in the Ulster Championship.
He’d been really good against Derry before he was the Irish News’ player of the match against both Tyrone and in the Ulster final against Armagh, where his second-half performance in normal time was instrumental in keeping them alive long enough to win.
Conor Turbitt (Armagh)
A TURBO-charged summer, if you’ll forgive the pun.
The Clann Eireann man had particularly brilliant games in the Ulster final and the All-Ireland semi-final win over Kerry.
Hit three points in the group stage draw with Galway, 1-2 against Roscommon and 1-4 in the group stage win over Derry.
Very similar season to that of Oisin Gallen and they’re not dissimilar players, with Turbitt’s ability to go on his weaker left foot elevating him onto a new plain. The focal point of all they did.
