1 Blaine Hughes
The nature of the game meant he didn’t have a shot to save all day. Galway generally gave up the kick-out but when they did press, Hughes struggled to find his men when going long. Rating: 6
2 Paddy Burns
Looked like Rob Finnerty might give him a day of it early on but was far happier with Johnny Heaney as his opponent. They mostly cancelled each other out of the game. Rating: 6
3 Aaron McKay
Scored the only goal of the All-Ireland final – nobody had that in their predictions. Patrolled the front of the Armagh goal and organised the zonal cover to a tee. Rating: 7
4 Barry McCambridge
Continued his excellent summer of being Armagh’s go-to-guy for the opposition dangerman. Snuffed Shane Walsh out of the game and got forward for a point of his own. Rating: 8
The year it all worked out: Brian Lohan on Clare’s All-Ireland deliverance
Irish Times Sportswoman of the Year Awards: ‘The greatest collection of women in Irish sport in one place ever assembled’
Malachy Clerkin: After 27 years of being ignored by British government, some good news at last for Seán Brown’s family
Two-time Olympic champion Kellie Harrington named Irish Times/Sport Ireland Sportswoman of the Year 2024
5 Connaire Mackin
Ran his legs to nubbins, covering off the D as sweeper when Armagh didn’t have the ball and always an option in attack when they did. Key part of the Armagh gameplan. Rating: 7
6 Tiarnan Kelly
Got forward for a point at a crucial stage in the second half, splitting the posts from the left with his left foot. Went off on the hour mark. Rating: 6
7 Aidan Forker
Pinged one excellent point off his left foot when the ball broke to him on 25 minutes. Marked Comer for a while early on and nailed that assignment. Good speech, too. Rating: 7
8 Niall Grimley
His point on 62 minutes was a monumental score, completely shifting the momentum after Shane Walsh’s mark dropped short at the other end. Rating: 7
9 Ben Crealey
Never stopped running, right to the end. Kicked two terrific points in the first half. The Galway midfield scored five points but Crealey did his best to square the ledger. Rating: 8
10 Joe McElroy
One of those days where he had to do a lot of donkey work for little obvious reward. Took a dangerous mark in the first half but never looked comfortable hitting it. Rating: 5
11 Riain O’Neill
Had a good battle with Liam Silke. Silke popped over a first-half point but O’Neill floated over a magnificent score early in the second half. Showed good leadership and belief throughout and added physicality to Armagh’s game. Rating: 7
12 Oisín Conaty
Really stood up for Armagh in this final, Conaty finished the game with 0-3, all from play. He steadied the Orchard early on with two points and that strong start instilled confidence in his play thereafter. Added a third point after the interval. Rating: 8
13 Rory Grugan
Was taken off the field in the medical cart after suffering an injury in the second half. Grugan hadn’t managed to get on the scoreboard by that stage as Jack Glynn did a decent job marshalling the Armagh forward. Rating: 6
14 Andrew Murnin
Murnin wasn’t able to find space inside and often drifted out as Armagh tried to force gaps in Galway’s set defence. It was a difficult game for inside forwards to thrive and Murnin finished the match with a score to his name. Rating: 5
15 Conor Turbitt
Turbitt entered the game in the running for Footballer of the Year but against a packed Galway defence, and man-marked by Johnny McGrath, he struggled to retain his strong championship form. Was hauled ashore late on. Rating: 5
Substitutes
Stefan Campbell made an immediate impact, setting up the Armagh goal. Oisin O’Neill kicked a huge point to give Armagh a goal cushion in the 66th minute. Ross McQuillan, Jarly Óg Burns and Jason Duffy had minimal impact. Rating: 7
Management
Armagh got their tactics spot-on, forcing Galway to play on their terms. Their zonal defence kept the opposition shooters too far out to kick comfortably. A famous win. Rating: 8
Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
