Oisin McConville, a seven-time Ulster Championship winner, believes his native Armagh will end their 18-year wait for the Anglo-Celt Cup this weekend, but warns that Monaghan will be a formidable opponent. McConville, part of the last Armagh team to claim the Ulster title in 2008, feels the current squad can overcome their three previous final losses.
After narrowly scraping past Tyrone in the preliminary round, Armagh have improved steadily. They overpowered Fermanagh early in the quarter-final, building an insurmountable lead before a late revival from the Ernesiders. In the semi-final, they showcased ruthless efficiency, crushing Down by 28 points.
Speaking on the GAA Social, McConville said he doesn’t believe “anyone in Armagh thinks it’s going to be as easy as the Down game ended up,” but he feels past disappointments can fuel their motivation. “I think Monaghan will cause them a lot of problems as they always have, except for the first league game where Armagh won by 12 points,” McConville added. “The good thing for Armagh is they probably feel they owe them one after heartbreak in recent years, like the penalty shootout in the 2023 All-Ireland quarter-final. I do think Armagh will win, but it won’t be easy in any way.”
While Armagh cruised into the final, Monaghan had to battle to the very end in their semi-final against Derry. A stunning two-point sideline kick from Jack McCarron at the end of normal time leveled the match. With 13 seconds left in extra time and Derry leading by one, Rory Beggan drilled a two-point free to complete a remarkable turnaround.
Monaghan entered the championship with seven straight league defeats, but the return of key players has sparked an upturn in form. McConville praised how Gabriel Bannigan’s side has bounced back from relegation from Division One. While backing his own county, McConville noted that “you don’t have to dig too deep” to build a case for a Monaghan victory. “They’ve players coming back, but confidence had to be at an all-time low when they faced Cavan and then Derry,” he said. “Look at their league performance—it’s tough to recover from that. The Derry game gives them a lot of belief, and they become a dangerous animal in that state.”