From the Shane Walsh transfer debate to a Rangers-supporting Orangeman who is proud to run under the Irish flag, 2022 has given the sports team plenty to wax lyrical about. Here are our top-10 most read articles of 2022:
1. There was a huge amount of interest in Armagh ace Rian O’Neill's move to Chicago Parnell’s for the summer.
2. A Rangers-supporting Orangeman who is proud to run under the Irish flag and follows the fortunes of All-Ireland club kings Kilcoo, Zak Hanna has always marched to the beat of his own drum. In October, Neil Loughran found out what makes the Dromara man tick ahead of the World Mountain Running Championships. Ps for those interested, he finished 5th.
3. 'I just couldn't go through another year with Tyrone, ' Ronan O'Neill told the Irish News in January. Feargal Logan and Brian Dooher wanted him to stay on for the 2022 season, but after some soul-searching O’Neill thanked both men and politely declined.
4. There was a lot of concern in May over the news that the tenacious young Armagh forward Tiernan Kelly was expected to miss the remainder of the inter-county season due to a blood-clot issue.
5. The breaking news that a post-match dust-up would result in five players missing the Ulster Championship meeting between Donegal and Armagh drew a lot of interest. Armagh trio Ciaran Mackin, Aidan Nugent and Stefan Campbell were hit with proposed bans along with Donegal duo Odhran McFadden-Ferry and Neil McGee.
6. The then Northern Ireland manager Ian Baraclough said that "everyone rallies around" Kyle Lafferty despite the apparently sectarian comment the player made about Celtic FC. However, damage was undoubtedly done by the Kilmarnock striker who replied to a fan who said 'Up the Celts' to him with the remark "pack of F----n b-----ds."
7. In August Sports columnist Cahair O'Kane argued that while Shane Walsh had done no wrong in moving to Dublin, that doesn't make it right. Kilmacud Crokes shouldn't be allowed to take in any outsider, whether it's Shane Walsh or Pandy Walshe.
8. Down footballers met with county officials in April as a question mark hung over the future of manager James McCartan. The Mourne boss was understood to have informed officials of his intention to quit his post. He would end his second spell as manager of the Down senior football team after just one season at the helm.
9. In the summer, sports reporter Andy Watters asked if it was time for Armagh to reflect on why the team were getting involved in so many brawls. It’s ok to blame the opposition but if massive brawls have broken out three times in 10 games, then the time must come (and now is that time) when you have to ask yourself the existential question: ‘Am I actually the problem here?’
10.How did Kilcoo come from nowhere to become kings? As Neil Loughran finds out, Jerome Johnston senior's role in Kilcoo's rise goes way beyond the here and now…
