ANTRIM
2012 was…underwhelming. There were opportunities there to make some headway but they faltered against Monaghan in Ulster and Tipperary in the qualifiers. Toppling Galway in July cannot mask those disappointments.
Their heart-warming moment…That round two qualifier win over Galway on July 14th. In a combative and edgy game, Antrim breasted the tape first after a late point by Deaghlan O’Hagan helped fashion a 0-11 to 0-10 success that Antrim savoured.
Their gut-wrenching moment…Only mustering eight points against Tipperary as they exited the qualifiers a week later. Their difficulties up front had earlier surfaced in Ulster when they only managed 1-9 against Monaghan.
They discovered that…it was time for a managerial change after four seasons where Liam ‘Baker’ Bradley reigned. Frank Dawson was ushered in as his replacement.
Turning to 2013…Dawson takes the reins of a side who have slipped back after the giddy heights of 2009 when they were claiming league promotion, contesting an Ulster final and giving Kerry a genuine championship fright. Next year’s Ulster draw is not fearsome, they renew acquaintances with Monaghan and have avoided some heavyweights.
ARMAGH
2012 was…dispiriting. Armagh supporters can distinctly remember heady summer days cheering on their players in Croke Park and enjoying seasons that stretched into August and September. But a decade on from their greatest football year, their championship ended in Dr Hyde Park on the first day of July.
Their heart-warming moment…The Ulster quarter-final against Tyrone in June was a belter of a game that Armagh contributed richly to. The Orchard county lost out but they still left the Athletic Grounds that evening enthused that they were assembling an improving team and hopeful for the future.
Their gut-wrenching moment…The second-half of their round one qualifier with Roscommon. At half-time, Armagh were in control as they lead 1-7 to 0-5 but only managed two points after that and crashed to a defeat. That game summed up their enigmatic nature and Paddy O’Rourke ended his tenure shortly after.
They discovered that…they need to utilise Crossmaglen more. The club kingpins excelled again in 2012 but their level of representation at inter-county level has been contentions. New manager Paul Grimley has moved to rectify that and ensured the Crossmaglen crew will swell to seven for next year. Watch out for James Morgan and Johnny Hanratty.
Turning to 2013…Grimley is finally the number one man at the helm in Armagh and will be eager to make his mark. He has Division 2 football to contend with and the Crossmaglen crew will be tied up as usual during the spring. But crucially it looks like Jamie Clarke will now be available for next season. An Ulster final placing is achievable and they have the players to be doing much better than this year.
Armagh’s Kieran Toner and Johnny Hanratty collide against Roscommon. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie
CARLOW
2012 was…commendable. Considering the resources at their disposal, they are a county that battled well in the championship this year, salvaging a draw in dramatic style against Meath and running Laois to four points.
Their heart-warming moment…JJ Smyth pouncing to fire the ball to the net in Tullamore on June 10th. Raising that green flag rescued a draw in injury-time for a 13-man Carlow team against Meath in their Leinster championship opener. They celebrated in giddy fashion after the match.
Their gut-wrenching moment…Six days later, that enthusiasm evaporated as Carlow were thrashed by Meath. Bowing out of the provincial competition by 15 points was a low.
They discovered that…they need to try to develop a push for league promotion as a base for development. They only managed three wins in Division 4 this year and two of those were against London and Kilkenny.
Turning to 2013…Luke Dempsey has given plenty service to Carlow football before stepping down this year. The decision to replace him with Anthony Rainbow is a brave one but also demonstrates boldness and imagination. It will be interesting to see how the former Lilywhite player fares.
CAVAN
2012 was…difficult. They were not as affected as Kildare with the Seanie Johnston saga but it still lurked in the background and they also had to deal with a management change in April when Val Andrews stepped down as Terry Hyland stepped up. Beating against Donegal and Kildare bookended their summer as well.
Their heart-warming moment…The qualifier win over Fermanagh when they ransacked the Erne County’s defence for three goals generated some mid-summer joy. But for something that may have a far-reaching effect, last April’s second successive Ulster U21 title was a notable triumph.
Their gut-wrenching moment…Getting hammered by Kildare, in a game where they shipped 3-20, was a chastening experience in July. That afternoon in Kingspan Breffni Park also provided a salient reminder that Cavan’s young players still require plenty development in the physical and football stakes.
They discovered that…Jack Brady is a corner-forward of great promise. The tricky and efficient style of play of the Ramor Utd attacker was to the fore this year as he won a provincial U21 medal with Cavan and also a Sigerson Cup medal as he started with DCU.
Turning to 2013…Terry Hyland has an innate knowledge of the county’s underage scene and is best positioned to bring them through to senior level. That is a task that will require enormous work but at least Hyland has a full season to work with the players.
Seanie Johnston of Kildare with Ronan Flanagan of Cavan in last July’s qualifier. Pic: INPHO/Donall Farmer
CLARE
2012 was…a mixed bag. The exhilaration of reaching the county’s first Munster final in 12 years, the agony of narrowly missing out again on promotion from Division 4 in the league and then the despair of suffering a heavy beating against Kerry in round four of the qualifiers. That was the last game of Michéal McDermott’s era.
Their heart-warming moment…That sun-splashed Saturday evening in early June in the Gaelic Grounds. Clare thundered into that Munster semi-final and constructed a 1-9 to 0-3 lead by the interval. Then they caved as Limerick responded in the second-half to be ahead by a point in the finale. But two swings of the boot from Clare’s most potent attacker David Tubridy delivered a dramatic success.
Their gut-wrenching moment…The obvious response may be to point to the championship games where they suffered a 12-point defeat to Cork or a 19-point loss to Kerry. But the most damaging was being pipped by Wicklow in the race for Division 4 promotion. They only needed a draw in Aughrim back in April but instead lost by 1-15 to 1-12.
They discovered that…the rest of the country is realizing that Gary Brennan is one of the leading midfielders in the country. The Clondegad man has been a vital cog in Clare’s wheel for some time. In 2012 he reaffirmed that with a series of dominant displays and Munster teammates praised his impact for them in the Interprovincial series last spring.
Turning to 2013…There will be plenty early interest in Clare as they are the latest county to partake in Mick O’Dwyer’s managerial odyssey. The objective, as it has been for the last few years, must be to escape Division 4.
CORK
2012 was…frustrating. If they could explain away their failure to land Sam Maguire in 2011 by the ruinous injuries that plagued their attack, 2012 provided no excuses as they fell short in the All-Ireland semi-final against Donegal. A year that featured league and Munster titles was ultimately defined by not resulting in the second All-Ireland that they crave.
Their heart-warming moment…Their second-half display against Kildare in the All-Ireland quarter-final was sublime. Granted Kildare getting reduced to 14 men was a factor but Cork were devastating after the break as they pulled clear to win by 13 points. It was the type of dominant performance that many had felt was lurking within them as they banished pre-match fears about their hiatus from action and hinted at a successful end to their season.
Their gut-wrenching moment…Their second-half display against Donegal in the All-Ireland semi-final. At the interval Cork were in the hunt as they trailed by a point and coming to terms with Donegal’s suffocating system. But then Jim McGuinness’s side squeezed the life out of Conor Counihan’s team in the third quarter and that day marked the end of their road this year.
They discovered that…Colm O’Neill can still be a blue-chip forward. The Ballyclough man has torn his cruciate ligament twice (2008 and 2011) but bounced back this season to star at corner-forward and produce a series of top-drawer displays that helped him bag an Allstar award.
Turning to 2013…Conor Counihan stays on in charge but has refreshed his back room team which could help offer them a different dimension. On the pitch Nicholas Murphy has retired, Alan Quirke will be abroad until April and they could do with some new defensive options. Still in the top tier of teams in the country yet some edges need to be smoothed if they are to become a side like Tyrone who used their 2003 win as a springboard rather than the Armagh team who found 2002 to be their only year of glory.
