McGeeney is proof that patience is a virtue

The GAA has provided so many iconic moments over the years and Sunday added a few more to the list.

The sight of GAA President Jarlath Burns embracing his son, Jarly Og, on the steps of the Hogan Stand before lifting Sam Maguire together will feature in many a highlight reel in the years ahead when we talk about the 2024 championship.

Indeed, Burns senior has been a breath of fresh air when it comes to the GAA Presidency. He has barely put a foot wrong.

We had the good fortune of welcoming him to Enniscrone for a function last year and everyone was taken aback by his oratory ability, his warmth and his ability to connect with the audience, young and old. As some have observed, Burns’ talents are such that he has the capability to become President of Ireland.

He was one of many happy Armagh people in Croke Park last Sunday but another iconic moment was that of Kieran McGeeney being lifted shoulder high by his management team after his side’s triumph.

‘Geezer’ was already an all-time GAA great, but Sunday’s achievement of guiding Armagh to just a second-ever All-Ireland title elevates him to legendary status. A statue somewhere in his native county wouldn’t be out of place, such is the enormity of his contribution to Gaelic Games there.

Many of the comment pieces in the lead-in to Sunday’s final spoke of Armagh’s misfortune in recent seasons and rightly so. They fell narrowly short on a number of occasions, losing on penalties in four championship fixtures.

Last year, I was on the other side of the mic interviewing Kieran McGeeney after his team’s loss to Monaghan on penalties in an All-Ireland quarter-final. There was a late decision that day that he felt went against his team and, in a game of so many tight margins, it would have been easy to shirk the responsibility.

But even in that difficult situation – one which may have spelled the end of his tenure in charge – McGeeney showed his class. He later had to survive a vote by the Armagh County Board to keep his position but their decision to retain the Mullaghbawn man’s services has proved to be the right one.

And while it’s easy to say that Armagh have been knocking on the door, it hasn’t always been thus. Don’t forget, McGeeney took the reins 10 years ago. He’s the longest serving manager in the country.

In 2015, Armagh found themselves in Division Three of the Allianz Football League and in that campaign, even though they gained promotion, suffered a hefty 1-19 to 1-8 defeat to Sligo. They were soundly beaten by Donegal in Ulster and then exited the championship in the second round of the qualifiers to – you guessed it – Galway.

2016 brought relegation back to Division Three and only two championship games, losses to Cavan and Laois, ending their season on July 2. They failed to get out of the third tier in 2017 and even though they got to the championship quarter-finals, Armagh suffered a 3-17 to 0-8 hammering against neighbours Tyrone.

At that point, after three years in charge, was there any sign of progress under McGeeney?

You’d have forgiven the Armagh officials to have taken a dim view, with the county stuck in Division Three and without any major sign of challenging for honours in the Ulster or All-Ireland series.

Even this year, you’d have been forgiven for wondering about the mindset of the Armagh players after losing the Division Two final to Donegal by a point before falling short against the same opposition in the Ulster decider on penalties.

Yet they had shown faith in McGeeney, handing him a five-year term in the August of 2014. Their faith has been repaid in spades with ultimate success on the All-Ireland stage, in what is one of the great stories of resilience and persistence in the modern era of the GAA.

It would have been easy to throw it all there and give someone else a go, but McGeeney is a powerful force and clearly has the unstinting loyalty of his Armagh players and backroom staff.

He also retains the ability to be pragmatic about his role and is comfortable with having other big personalities within his management team. Just look at the big names along the sideline, Kieran Donaghy and Conleith Gilligan amongst them; two men from counties considered to be Armagh’s rivals when bidding for glory, yet both contribute much.

Indeed, Donaghy’s role was in doubt in 2022 after the crushing loss to Galway but an Armagh contingent was dispatched for a barbecue to Kerry to convince the man known as ‘Star’ there was another kick left in it all.

Clearly, the near misses of recent seasons have helped this Armagh group build a very tight bond. And all of that came to the fore in Sunday’s frantic finish, with bodies diving in left, right and centre. But it’s all led by McGeeney. He’s a competitor, a winner and, most of all, there’s no real nonsense surrounding him. He’s not about himself – he’s all about Armagh.

He was asked before the final about his decision in the past not to talk to the media after wins and let either of his assistants, Ciaran McKeever or Donaghy, take the plaudits. McGeeney only tended to talk when his side lost.

“I hate taking away from the players. They are a great bunch and the whole idea of them getting the credit they deserve is big with me,” When he says that, you know he means it.

So, this is the triumph of all managerial triumphs. From the lows of the nine years previous, to the highs of Sunday, Geezer has been there and done it. For a man who isn’t fond of the limelight, he might just have to agree to a statue somewhere around Mullaghbawn.