Oisín Conaty praises Armagh's mentality ahead of the Ulster championship

Michael Bolton

The Ulster championship has ended in heartbreak in recent years for Oisín Conaty and Armagh.

Penalty shoot-out losses in the final to Derry and Donegal were the story of the provincial championship in 2023 and 2024, with extra-time seeing Armagh defeated by Donegal last season.

After a second-straight loss in 2024, it could have been easy for the team to put their heads down.

However, they bounced back to win their first All-Ireland in a memorable year for Conaty.

The Armagh forward ended the year with a Celtic Cross, an All-Star, and Young Footballer of the Year in 2024.

Talking ahead of the start of the football championship, the Armagh forward said the closeness of the team was key to success in 2024.

"A few days after, you are suffering a wee bit.

"Once you get back to training, you know what you want. It is the big one, the All-Ireland. We were so close in all of the finals to come out with the wrong result.

"I remember putting massive emphasis on being together a lot. We were always away doing something together off the pitch. It wasn't always meetings and football.

"We got a wee bit of luck in those games; if we had the same luck in those finals, we might have been on the other side, too.

"Hopefully, we get two this year instead of one."

In a mixed league campaign, Armagh managed to avoid relegation from Division One, with Conaty's solo goal in the win over Dublin one of the highlights of the campaign.

After two all-stars in the last two years, the 23-year-old has become a forward that every defender has to be on their game to stop, but he knows there are areas of improvement

“I need to add things to my game. Coming up against some of the man-markers in the league, I found it tough at times

“But it’s something I have been working with Deets (Conleith Gilligan) and Geezer (Kieran McGeeney).

“I just have to keep improving on my execution and skills. Whether it is my left foot – I got a few left foot scores last year and a couple this year.

“Just honing in on the skills I am alright at now, just getting better at them, constantly trying to improve.”

All eyes will turn to the Ulster championship this weekend, with Armagh taking on rivals Tyrone in the preliminary round.

Tyrone struggled in Division Two, with Armagh seen by many as favourites.

However, in a game and provincial championship where anything can happen, the Armagh forward is all too aware of the threat Tyrone pose.

"Armagh and Tyrone will be hot and heavy.

"We played them last year and got over the line with the last kick. They have brilliant players in all positions, and we are not underestimating what they can bring.

"The Armagh and Tyrone rivalry in the championship will come into play, and it will be a dogfight."