AS Armagh prepare to take on Galway in Croke Park this weekend, we take a look back at the career of the man tasked with leading them into battle, former All-Ireland-winning captain and now manager, Kieran McGeeney.
Born and raised in Mullaghbawn, south Armagh, McGeeney started his career with the Mullaghbawn Cúchullain’s club, with whom he won the Armagh Senior Football Championship and Ulster Club Senior Football Championship in 1995.
The centre-back later moved to Dublin and togged out for the Na Fianna club in Glasnevin, on the north side of the city.
During his time in the capital, McGeeney was part of the team that won a historic three-in-a-row of Dublin SFC titles, the first Dublin club three-peat in 30 years.
In the first year of those three years, McGeeney and Na Fianna won the Leinster senior title as well and reached the All-Ireland Club final, losing to Crossmaglen Rangers from his native county.
He stayed at the Dublin club for the rest of his playing career, which finished in 2007, when he took up the job of managing the Kildare senior footballers.
In terms of playing for Armagh, McGeeney made his debut for Armagh in 1992 and won his first medal with the Orchard county in 1999, when Armagh, captained by now GAA president Jarlath Burns, won the Ulster title.
Just three years later, it would be McGeeney’s turn to lift silverware as he was captain for Armagh’s Ulster win and, more famously, only All-Ireland Senior Football Championship title when they beat Kerry 1-12 to 0-14 in Croke Park.
The image of McGeeney being carried by the sea of orange and white in Croke will live long in the memory of many an Armagh fan.
The following year, Armagh would reach the final again, but they fell short against Ulster rivals Tyrone.
McGeeney picked up Ulster medals with the Orchardmen in the following three years to add to his three Anglo-Celt Cup wins in 1999, 2000 and 2002.
In 2007, following Peter McDonnell’s appointment as Armagh manager, McGeeney announced his retirement from senior inter-county football.
Shortly afterwards, he took over as the Kildare manager until 2013, during which time he took the Lilywhites to a Leinster final in 2009, which they lost to Dublin.
The team also reached the 2010 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final in 2010, losing narrowly to Down. McGeeney also led the Kildare U21 team to the Leinster U21 Football Championship title in 2013.
Following this, he took up positions in the backroom staff of both his native Armagh and the Tipperary senior hurlers in 2013.
McGeeney served as a selector under Paul Grimley during his troubled time as Orchard manager before taking the reigns himself in 2015.
It was a tough start to McGeeney’s time as manager, going five years without a win in the Ulster Championship and yo-yo-ing between Division Two and Three in the National Football League.
Geezer’s position was called into question by fans on more than one occasion and even a ‘prominent former Armagh player’ at one stage.
However, the Armagh County Board stuck to their guns and kept their faith in their former captain as he looked to turn his fortunes around.
Things began to look up for McGeeney and the Armagh squad, securing their Division Two status in 2018 and returning to Division One in the 2020 season. They kept their top-flight status until 2023 but came back up in 2024 alongside Donegal.
The Ulster Championship curse was exorcised in 2021 when they took care of Antrim, with a scoreline of 4-15 to 0-14 in the quarter-finals, only to fall against Monaghan in the semi-final.
After that, Armagh have gone from strength to strength, reaching the All-Ireland quarter-final stages in the last three seasons, and consecutive Ulster finals in 2023 and 2024, losing on penalties on both occasions, to Derry and Donegal respectively.
Armagh County Board’s faith in McGeeney has paid off with consistent improvement which has led to the Orchardmen making the All-Ireland final for the first time in 21 years and getting back among the big boys in the league.
