BETWEEN 1999 AND 2001, the county that knocked Armagh out of the All-Ireland SFC ended the year by lifting the Sam Maguire.
First up was Meath. Having just ended a 17-year wait to become Ulster champions, Armagh were edged out by the Royals on the way to their eventual All-Ireland victory. In 2000, it was Kerry who held them off after extra-time in the replay of the All-Ireland semi-final.
2001 witnessed the arrival of the qualifiers in Gaelic Football, a backdoor system which served Armagh well after they were dethroned as Ulster champions at the quarter-final stage. They came up against another team who had lost their provincial title when they squared off with Galway in Croke Park. But once again, they were bested by a team who would go on to win the All-Ireland.
The following year, after enduring all that near-miss heartache, belonged to Armagh.
“You start thinking that we’re close,” 2002 All-Ireland-winning forward Diarmaid Marsden tells The42 about that period which culminated in success for the county.
“We were dumped out of Ulster in 2001 but we went on a run through the qualifiers to that stage against Galway and it was just one of those games where we didn’t perform that well. We had it level at one stage and then Galway won it by a point at the death so we had to sit back and watch them go on to win the All-Ireland. So, in three years, the teams that knocked us out went on to win the Sam Maguire.
“It was hard to take in one sense but it was also a case of knowing that we weren’t that far away. We had a new management and new impetus that worked out for us, but in 2001, it was a match that could have gone either way and both teams were very similar. Galway had already won an All-Ireland in ’98 and they had that experience under their belts. I remember it was July when we were dumped out and we had the whole summer ahead of us.
“It’s similar again this year, and the teams are on an upward trajectory. Both managers have been there and done it – they know exactly what’s required.”
Marsden is referring to Armagh boss Kieran McGeeney and Galway manager Pádraic Joyce, who were key players for their respective counties in that sequence of the late 90s and early 00s. The upward curve has directed both teams to the All-Ireland quarter-final where the sides will collide once again at Croke Park today.
Galway go into the tie as Connacht champions while Armagh are competing in their first All-Ireland quarter-final for the first time since 2017. The Orchard County first presented themselves as a viable contender following an impressive win over Dublin in the league and finished their Division 1 campaign in third place on the table.
McGeeney’s side were dumped out of Ulster by Donegal but mustered a quick recovery by derailing All-Ireland champions Tyrone in the qualifiers, before avenging for the Donegal defeat when the sides met again in Clones.
“I’m sure the management would have liked a wee bit more consistency in the league but they did well, they stayed up and that’s important,” says Marsden.
“There was a lot of anticipation before the [Ulster championship] Donegal game in Ballybofey and that was a major let down. The team was disappointed after that match, as were the supporters. They just didn’t deliver what they’re capable of doing. Since then, they’ve had to regroup and come back for those two massive games against Tyrone and Donegal.
“They’ve had more consistent performances right across all the games they’ve played, and a high level of performance. They were winning matches that they wouldn’t have won in the last five years and they certainly wouldn’t have played as well in. It’s good that they’re going into this game with a bit of momentum.”
A key reason behind Armagh’s upswing is the performances of Stefan ‘Soupy’ Campbell. Campbell is a mainstay in the Armagh forward line, and much of their past performances has depended on his scoring output.
But the Armagh forward line now contains a leading cast of top attackers. The arrival of talented youngsters such as Rian O’Neill and Conor Turbitt has enhanced the firepower in the Armagh forward play to share the load with the more experienced contingent.
Marsden has been watching Campbell develop as a player from a young age. They both belong to the Clan na Gael club, where Marsden is the current manager of the senior side.
“I would have played with his brother John back in the 90s and early 00s, and John would have been a tremendous footballer as well,” says Marsden about the sharpshooter who earned the man-of-the-match award in Armagh’s win over Tyrone. “He’s a fair bit older than Stefan but he would have been the original soupy.
“It’s just been handed down in the family.
“I don’t think any successful team will have one forward who’s going to do all the damage. There has to be a spread of three or four and I think we’re starting to see that with Armagh, with Rian O’Neill and Stefan, Rory Grugan etc.
“They’re all contributing with big scores and big plays. I’m sure that’s what Kieran McGeeney would have wanted. And we’re all proud of Stefan in the club. You see it first hand the effort he puts into it. He’s very driven and very committed, and they all seem to be playing for each other and playing for the manager, and they’re getting the results to justify that.”
Reflecting on those early years of watching Campbell blossom, Marsden adds:
“I was co-manager of the club team back in 2007 or 2008 and he came in at around 17. We played him in a few games and you just knew that he knew where the goals were, even though he was still very, very young. He was showing the potential and the skill and confidence and ability that sets up apart from others.
“I haven’t had a first-hand management perspective of his game until the last three or four years when I’ve been managing the team. You see his class.
“He wasn’t on the minor Armagh team that won the All-Ireland in 2009. He wasn’t part of the squad, but he’s probably used that as catalyst to drive on and say, ‘I should have won an All-Ireland minor medal.’”
Campbell gave a revealing interview to the Belfast Telegraph in 2020, in which he outlined that instilling more belief in the squad is the key to transforming Armagh into an All-Ireland contender. Elsewhere in that interview, Campbell also spoke about his struggles with gambling and how his performances improved after deciding to seek help and speaking openly about it.
Clearly an introspective person who is enjoying the benefits of becoming more self-aware, Campbell also marks important milestones of his recovery on Twitter. Through doing that, he is transmitting an important message to others about the significance of opening up.
4 years to the day, I made the greatest decision of my life. Feel free to reach out if you are struggling, it's never too late !! https://t.co/4I6xO427Kv
— Stefan Campbell (@Soup_91) June 17, 2022
“I saw his Tweet during the week but we’d never discuss it because I don’t know him that well,” says Marsden. “I wasn’t even aware that he had a gambling problem to be honest and maybe a lot people weren’t aware of it. But I did see some of the responses from others telling him “fair play,” and for encouraging others to discuss it and talk about any issues that they have.
“GAA is a community-based unit and that’s why it’s important for young men and women to talk about their problems and discuss them. There is help there and people like Stefan being upfront and public about things can, and hopefully will, give others the opportunity to discuss their problems, and seek help if they need it.”
Armagh is in the midst of a progressive period, with both the men’s and Ladies outfits showing well in their respective championships. The Armagh Ladies are three-in-a-row Ulster champions who recently eeked out a draw with the reigning All-Ireland champions Meath.
And as the Armagh men prepare for another crunch championship game against Galway, Marsden expects that the midfield area could be where the outcome of the game will be decided.
“It’s a hard one. I don’t know a massive amount about Galway, I’ve just seen how they’ve kicked on and how they’re developing over the years. They were very comprehensive in coming out of Connacht, so they’ll be on a role. They have two quality forwards in Comer and Walsh, and then Conroy in the middle. They’re three of the best players in the country, and then they have a really tight unit at the back.
“They’re going to be really hard to break down. I think Armagh need to get a good break around the middle and perhaps that’s where it could be won.”
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