Galway and Armagh are a welcome change to the tweedle-dee, tweedle-dum of Dublin, Kerry and one or two others who have dominated our All Ireland football final days since the new millennium was ushered in almost a quarter of a century ago.
While Galway are seeking their 10th title, they have only one appearance in a final this century after winning in 2001 when Pádraic Joyce was team captain.
Ironically too that the only time Armagh won a Sam Maguire, their current manger Kieran McGeeney was also team leader and that is their only ever victory in this venerable competition.
So novelty is the order of the day as we begin the countdown to Sunday final in Croke Park - a venue that could have been sold out many times over such is the voracious thirst for tickets for this particular showdown.
Pádraic Joyce will be hoping his squad has matured sufficiently to go one better than against Kerry in 2022 by bringing Sam Maguire on a journey west of the Shannon for the first time since he was involved as a player 23 years ago.
Joyce’s squad have learned how to win, even when star names are unavailable or lining out when not nearly 100 percent fit.
Galway didn’t exactly shoot the lights out in the semi-final but they knew what they needed to do to win - and they did it.
Galway star Cillian McDaid. [Inpho/Laszlo Geczo]
Armagh are in many ways hewn from the same granite-like substance as their opponents. They eschew the fancy-Dans way of playing for an approach that puts everything on the team’s work ethic and a never-say-die attitude that proved too much for Kerry in the semi-final joust last Saturday week.
It's Armagh-geddon day for Orchard Manager Kieran McGeeney on Sunday. This squad has gone through the wringer, losing successive Ulster finals on penalty shoot-outs and also two All Ireland quarter-finals on penalty shoot-outs from 2022 to '24.
Certainly, there is no reason to doubt the sheer tenacity of this group that they have the capacity to keep coming back, even after extra time, so that they can advance to the final stage.
On-field skipper 21 years ago when the county won their only Sam Maguire title, “Geezer” will now know that there has been only a kick of a ball between Galway and themselves in recent years and the game is there for the taking.
Both teams know the starting 15 will not get them across the line and as evidenced in the semi-finals, it was the bench in both cases which added that missing ingredient to ensure victory came their way.
We are in the era where the finishing XV is more important than the starting one and people like Tomo Culhane (Galway) and Stefan “Soupy” Campbell and Jarly Óg Burns (son of the GAA President Jarlath) who could have key parts to play on Sunday.
So who will win out? I can make a case for Galway’s more mature collective having a slight advantage plus the fact that they loved to play and beat this current Armagh side.
It would be a fitting climax for Joyce’s hard work should that be the outcome but then you think of McGeeney and you hear how his every day has been consumed with overcoming a crowded Ulster vista containing Derry, Donegal and Tyrone and then going beyond to beat Kerry and he will hope Galway in the final showdown.
In the belief that Comer and Walsh will be more influential, and that Kelly will be fit to resume, I give a tentative vote for the Tribesmen to bring Sam to Corribside but only after a titanic struggle in what will be a pulsating final.
MANAGERS - IN THEIR OWN WORDS
PÁDRAIC JOYCE (Galway Manager)
“I think football needs this novel final. There is little or nothing between the two teams going into the final.
“In previous games against them, we won on penalties, they won by a point, it was a draw the last day. There's only a kick of a ball in it. Two teams are going to go at it hammer and tongs. May the best team win.
“We survived in Division 1, got through Connacht, and it’s always a big thing to win your provincial. You get great momentum out of that, which we did.
“The big win the last day against Dublin, and again in the semi-final, we’ve beaten some serious teams along the way. It means the world to us, as Galway people, to get back to a final again.”
KIERAN McGEENEY (Armagh Manager)
“One All-Ireland in 140 years, whether people like it or not, is what we've had. We have one other national title in the National League. We have 14 Ulster titles, half of which were won by one team. And the other seven were won by two teams.
“So, it's not an illustrious history. You're trying to get people to understand that. But listen, I have a lot of ‘fans’ out there that like to throw stuff at me. Sure what can I do? As I've said before, it's obviously my sparkling personality that just seems to entice them to talk about me!
“I've said this before - most of the criticism comes from past players. And yes, we make a load of mistakes, you make bad calls and you look back and you think you could change things.
“But in general, we're doing okay. I think we've done a decent enough job compared to where we were. It's not just me, there's loads of people involved in that whole thing, trying to get money into the county and trying to get success.”
Players who can swing game for their county
GALWAY
Connor Gleeson (Goalkeeper) - Considered a liability by fans initially, the Dunmore MacHales netminder has transformed Galway fans and the team with his performances this season.
A match-winning free-kick in the Connacht Final against Mayo has been followed by a series of Cluxton like restarts which may make him the most important Galway player in Sunday’s final.
If the 31-year-old former League of Ireland goalkeeper can continue with the high percentage of successful kickouts, it will give his side a much better chance of ultimate victory.
Johnny Maher (Centre-Forward) - It is six years since he made his championship bow against Sligo but this year the Salthill Knocknacarra clubman has become indispensable to manager Padraic Joyce’s new style of play.
Many considered him the man of the match against Donegal for the way his workrate continued to either stop or slow the Ulster champions' progress up the field.
It is guaranteed he will cover every blade of glass once again on Sunday where his support play is also a major plus in increasing Galway’s scoring attempts.
Damien Comer (Full Forward) - The 30-year-old Annaghdown player has been Galway’s best player for the past five or six years but injury has been his biggest problem this season as Galway try to go one better than their runner-up finish against Kerry in 2022.
There is no doubt that if the Tribesmen are to win, Comer will need to be close to or at his top form as he has the class to win a match on his own.
Together with Shane Walsh, who is also playing while not fully fit, the duo can cause untold damage to the Armagh defense if they manage to hit form on the same day.
ARMAGH
Aidan Forker (Wing back and Captain) - Kieran McGeeney has looked to the 32-year-old to lead his young team knowing that he possesses many of the warrior-like traits the manager showed in the half-back line in his day.
A former Liverpool trialist as a 14-year-old, Aidan has long since forgotten those soccer days as he seeks to win silverware on the GAA front.
A member of Maghery GAC, he has rarely been out of the frame for man of the match in every game these past two seasons and his ability to come up with vital scores as a defender is an added plus for Armagh.
Rian O’Neill (Centre-Forward) - Rian is the heartbeat of the Armagh team and if he plays well, invariably his teammates play well too.
The nephew of former Armagh All-Ireland final star Óisin McConville, the Crossmaglen Rangers player’s three points against Kerry in the semi-final were the scores which gave his side the belief they could win on the day.
Like Comer for Galway, Rian, 24, is the key player for the Orchard and if he hits top form, it will be a giant step towards the county winning only its second ever Sam Maguire title.
Stefan Campbell/Jarly Óg Burns (Supersubs) - Given that between them they are unlikely to play more than 70 minutes, the argument can be made that these two names add up to the same as one player who lines out for the full duration of the game.
‘Soupy’ Campbell has been a great player for his county over the years but the management decision to hold him back until the second half of games has proved inspired this year as invariably he gets crucial scores and keeps his team on the front foot.
Jarly Óg lost his place earlier this season but as was evidenced against Kerry, he came on with a point to prove and did so by scoring and making another critical point when the game was in the melting pot.
FACTFILE - GALWAY AND ARMAGH
● Armagh and Galway have played each other four times in the championship and the first since 2015. Apart from the second meeting in 2013 (which took place at Pearse Stadium), all other games occurred at Croke Park. Galway won each of the previous three games.
● The teams met in the All Ireland round robin series last month when they drew Galway 0-15 -Armagh 1-12.
● That draw in Markievicz Park Sligo felt like a defeat to Galway who had been leading by five points half-way into the second half.
● Padraic Joyce has an amazing record against Ulster teams as manager. His victory over Donegal in the semi-final was his 21st against opposition from the northern province.
● His only two losses were against Derry in this year’s league and Armagh in last year’s while he has also overseen draws against Donegal (2023 league) and Armagh (this year’s All-Ireland group stage).
● In all, 17 wins have come against Monaghan (five times), Tyrone (four), Donegal (three), Derry and Armagh (two apiece) and Down (one).
● Kieran McGeeney is the longest-serving current manager in the inter-county game, but he had to win a crucial vote to enter a 10th year as manager of the Orchard County.
● In their last 18 Championship games, Armagh have been beaten just once in 70 minutes, that being an Ulster quarter-final against Donegal two years ago.
● However, penalties have been their undoing as they have lost four four shootouts to Galway, Monaghan, Derry and Donegal over the past three seasons.
● Armagh will be making their first final appearance since their 2003 defeat by Tyrone which came a year after they had beaten Kerry to land the county's sole All-Ireland title.
● The bookies have installed Galway as favorites at 8/11 with Armagh at 11/8 and the draw quoted at 6/1.
