KELLY MALLON HAS insisted that she won’t allow her long Armagh career to be defined by whether she makes it to a TG4 All-Ireland SFC final or not.
Rather, after experiencing a new low last year, when Armagh’s very senior status was in doubt, she is desperate to simply keep the county competitive and vibrant at the top level.
Armagh will meet Galway in Longford on Saturday with a place in the 2 August TG4 All-Ireland decider at Croke Park at stake.
The good vibes around Armagh contrast with 12 months ago when they signed off on the 2025 campaign with sighs of relief after beating Donegal in a relegation play-off.
Mallon, who turned 37 recently and made her debut for Armagh in 2009, looks back on it as a particularly challenging period.
“I would probably class it as the lowest stage of my career anyway,” said the former captain. “I don’t think as a group we’ve ever felt lower and, of course, going into that Donegal game they were well set up and hard to break down, so we were obviously concerned about dropping down to intermediate.
“There was a lot of soul-searching done in the two-week buildup to the Donegal game and it was more about playing for Armagh, as opposed to just playing for yourself. It was about the future, the girls coming through, that it’s not really about our group, it’s more about the ones coming through. Retaining senior status was something that we really wanted to achieve.”
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Greg McGonigle returned to the Armagh hot-seat for 2026 having previously been in charge in 2024. He was also on the sideline when Mallon first got her opportunity in 2009.
Mallon isn’t certain why things never quite got going last year.
Armagh's Caoimhe McNally and Kelly Mallon celebrate after winning the All-Ireland quarter-final against Kildare. Nick Elliott / INPHO
Nick Elliott / INPHO / INPHO
“I just think we weren’t really clicking,” she shrugged.
But she is enjoying how things are going under the familiar figure of McGonigle, who guided Armagh to Lidl National League Division 1 success two years ago.
“Greg’s very much about play it as you see it,” said Mallon, part of a hugely experienced full-forward line alongside Caroline O’Hanlon and Aimee Mackin.
“We’re all experienced enough and know how to play the game. You have players like Aimee and Bláithín Mackin, Aoife McCoy, Lauren McConville, all those girls know how to play the game.
“Obviously you have game plans, but there’s that element of freedom as well.”
Armagh clinched a three-in-a-row of Ulster titles by beating Tyrone in May before overcoming Cork, Waterford and Kildare in the All-Ireland series.
For Mallon, it is just the third time in a career that spans three different decades that she will contest an All-Ireland semi-final. Armagh lost the previous two, to Dublin in 2020 and Kerry in 2024.
Few players in the game deserve to experience an All-Ireland final quite like Mallon but if it doesn’t happen, she won’t torment herself.
“Obviously it would mean a lot to get there,” said Mallon. “The other thing is that it’s one thing getting to the final, it’s another thing winning it. But yeah, it would mean a lot to myself and to the group. But, for me, my career is not defined by whether or not I’ve made it to an All-Ireland final. I’ve really enjoyed playing for Armagh, it’s been one of the greatest honours to pull on the jersey and that in itself is success, in my opinion.”
There can be no doubt about Mallon’s commitment to the cause. Doubling as the most decorated player in the history of Irish road bowling, she recently declined to defend her Ulster and All-Ireland titles, so she could focus on football.
“It was a tough call,” she said. “With the fixtures, maybe I could have made it all work but it was just putting too much pressure on me to practice and to perform in both sports at the same time. I just made that call to drop out and focus on football.”
Kelly Mallon was speaking ahead of the All-Ireland semi-final against Galway in Longford on Saturday at 3.15pm. The LGFA are calling all fans to show their support in person this weekend – this is #ForTheLoveOfOurSport.
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'It's one thing getting to the final, it's another thing winning it'
KELLY MALLON HAS insisted that she won’t allow her long Armagh career to be defined by whether she makes it to a TG4 All-Ireland SFC final or not.
Rather, after experiencing a new low last year, when Armagh’s very senior status was in doubt, she is desperate to simply keep the county competitive and vibrant at the top level.
Armagh will meet Galway in Longford on Saturday with a place in the 2 August TG4 All-Ireland decider at Croke Park at stake.
The good vibes around Armagh contrast with 12 months ago when they signed off on the 2025 campaign with sighs of relief after beating Donegal in a relegation play-off.
Mallon, who turned 37 recently and made her debut for Armagh in 2009, looks back on it as a particularly challenging period.
“I would probably class it as the lowest stage of my career anyway,” said the former captain. “I don’t think as a group we’ve ever felt lower and, of course, going into that Donegal game they were well set up and hard to break down, so we were obviously concerned about dropping down to intermediate.
“There was a lot of soul-searching done in the two-week buildup to the Donegal game and it was more about playing for Armagh, as opposed to just playing for yourself. It was about the future, the girls coming through, that it’s not really about our group, it’s more about the ones coming through. Retaining senior status was something that we really wanted to achieve.”
Greg McGonigle returned to the Armagh hot-seat for 2026 having previously been in charge in 2024. He was also on the sideline when Mallon first got her opportunity in 2009.
Mallon isn’t certain why things never quite got going last year.
“I just think we weren’t really clicking,” she shrugged.
But she is enjoying how things are going under the familiar figure of McGonigle, who guided Armagh to Lidl National League Division 1 success two years ago.
“Greg’s very much about play it as you see it,” said Mallon, part of a hugely experienced full-forward line alongside Caroline O’Hanlon and Aimee Mackin.
“We’re all experienced enough and know how to play the game. You have players like Aimee and Bláithín Mackin, Aoife McCoy, Lauren McConville, all those girls know how to play the game.
“Obviously you have game plans, but there’s that element of freedom as well.”
Armagh clinched a three-in-a-row of Ulster titles by beating Tyrone in May before overcoming Cork, Waterford and Kildare in the All-Ireland series.
For Mallon, it is just the third time in a career that spans three different decades that she will contest an All-Ireland semi-final. Armagh lost the previous two, to Dublin in 2020 and Kerry in 2024.
Few players in the game deserve to experience an All-Ireland final quite like Mallon but if it doesn’t happen, she won’t torment herself.
“Obviously it would mean a lot to get there,” said Mallon. “The other thing is that it’s one thing getting to the final, it’s another thing winning it. But yeah, it would mean a lot to myself and to the group. But, for me, my career is not defined by whether or not I’ve made it to an All-Ireland final. I’ve really enjoyed playing for Armagh, it’s been one of the greatest honours to pull on the jersey and that in itself is success, in my opinion.”
There can be no doubt about Mallon’s commitment to the cause. Doubling as the most decorated player in the history of Irish road bowling, she recently declined to defend her Ulster and All-Ireland titles, so she could focus on football.
“It was a tough call,” she said. “With the fixtures, maybe I could have made it all work but it was just putting too much pressure on me to practice and to perform in both sports at the same time. I just made that call to drop out and focus on football.”
Kelly Mallon was speaking ahead of the All-Ireland semi-final against Galway in Longford on Saturday at 3.15pm. The LGFA are calling all fans to show their support in person this weekend – this is #ForTheLoveOfOurSport.
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