Armagh are 70 minutes away from lifting Sam Maguire for the second time in history, and the man who managed their first win believes they have an “unbelievable chance” to do it again.
All-Ireland-winning manager Joe Kernan believes the Orchard County has the upper hand going into Sunday’s game, though he maintains his ‘massive respect’ for the Galway panel.
“I honestly think Armagh can do it. I think we have the men on the line to go in and finish it,” Kernan said.
“Armagh are up against a team that we respect and have played on numerous occasions. Both teams are here on merit, but Armagh are a different animal now.
They are a better team now – confidence, ability, believing in what they’re doing, the whole lot. There’s no question mark in the Armagh camp going into this.
“Another positive for Armagh is that they have no injuries. They are going fresh, with a full squad and great bench. Galway will be spending time getting their players with injuries back to fitness.
“Sean Kelly, Galway’s captain and leader has been struggling with injury, so that would be a big loss for them. Even if he does play it won’t be a big part, I don’t think he would be fit to last with the injury.”
However, Kernan, who spent a year as Galway manager in 2010, admits that the Tribesmen may have a bit more experience of big days in Croke Park which can be an advantage for them.
“In fairness to Galway, they maybe have more seasoned campaigners. They were in this position two years ago and they carry that hurt of losing. It’s the hurt that drives these boys on along with the ability that they have,” he said.
The Crossmaglen man feels that the Orchard men have slowly been gathering momentum since the start of the year and even the heartbreak of losing the Ulster final on penalties to Donegal has not derailed their progress.
He feels that the sense of belief and mental strength they have shown so far this year have propelled them to the brink of a second All-Ireland title.
“At the start of every year, you believe you can do it, but you don’t show signs of winning yet. When you win a few matches, like Armagh getting promoted in the league this year- that is a huge lift,” he said.
“They got a kick in the teeth again with Ulster, and that was a big disappointment. Wins and losses can affect players differently.
“But since the semi-final win [against Kerry], all the players have thought, ‘this happened to us before’ and now the belief is back. Even more so, they are a step closer now than before.
“I do think it will be an evenly matched final. Any time Galway played us, it went down to the wire. There is a respect between the two sides. It’s hard to call. Do Armagh have a chance? Great chance. Unbelievable chance. My final score prediction is a draw or Armagh by one or two.”
The iconic Armagh manager watched the semi-final win over the Kingdom from the stands at Croke Park, surrounded by a squad of his grandchildren—a much different setting from his managerial days.
“We had about 10 of the grandchildren there, so we had a ball. They were totally engrossed. The match was exciting, but when the final whistle blew and all the singing and dancing started, they really got into that.
“My son Aaron, being the good daddy he is, took 50 U10s from Crossmaglen Rangers to the match.
“The atmosphere even was better than I expected it to be. The Armagh supporters are brilliant. 30,000 Armagh supporters were at the semifinal. We are the most supported team in the country, no doubt about it.
“The emotion was unreal for everybody. My wife, Patricia always told me that the semi-final win over Dublin in 2002 was more emotional than the final. Before that we were trying to get there, but at that stage we were in the final. It was a dream.”
Despite his experience of success, the former manager admitted feeling nervous before the semi-final, adding, “that’s what football does to you.”
“I felt nervous without a doubt, it’s the excitement of the day… that’s what football does to you. As far as GAA fans are concerned, this is our FA cup, our World Cup. It’s only natural when you have that passion and love of the game.
“I have attended so many All-Ireland Finals over the years and I’ve sat back and enjoyed it, but there was no pressure on me.
“I went to watch two teams playing the best they can play. But now I don’t care how my team plays, as long as they win. It’s your day, it’s your county and it’s your players- you really, really want them to succeed.”
At home, Joe is known as Granda, with a squad of his own—17 grandchildren at present and one more on the way.
“Some of the grandchildren saw clips of me playing for Armagh against Kerry years ago, and I scored a goal. They couldn’t believe it. As the years go on, the more interested they are getting. Some of them love it and are very good footballers themselves.”
Joe added that a few years ago, when the grandchild count was 14, he sent a hilarious text request into a family group chat.
“Way back last year, when we had 14 grandkids, I texted in the family group chat saying, ‘Come on, you’re not going to leave me with 14 players, I need another one.’ Time went by after that and nobody brought it up again, but about three months later, my son Stephen’s wife Clare said, ‘I’m here to help you, Joe – one more on the way!’”
“I have a whole panel now – subs and the whole lot. We have nine girls and eight boys, you’d never know we could even it up”, he laughed.
Chaos has erupted across the country, with many fans scrambling to get their hands on a golden ticket. While locating a ticket is tough, Kernan noted that the added cost makes it harder for families wanting to experience the big day.
“The hardest thing now, out of the 30,000 fans that attended the semi-final, only around 17 or 18,000 will get tickets. There are people that will go to the final, who never stood at a match all year.
“The cost is high too, somebody with a family with four or five and they get five tickets that 500 euro before they put diesel in the car. There’s a high-cost expense that people might not be able to meet that.” he said.