The GAA is built on rivalries

Mike Finnerty | 24 April 2025

Exclusive to GAA+ this weekend, Armagh vs Tyrone.

Rivalries . . .

They are why big crowds flock to matches every week of the year across the country, and why winning ‘the local row’ — as Patrick Kavanagh called it — means so much to so many.

And why losing it cuts right to the bone.

This weekend sees one of the biggest rivalries in Gaelic football return to centre-stage.

On Saturday Armagh and Tyrone return to the Clones colosseum for an Ulster semi-final that will bring two counties to a standstill for at least seventy minutes.

Because nothing else matters when this game is on.

The rivalry between the near-neighbours that straddle the Blackwater river goes back to 1890, but probably reached its peak between 2003 and 2005 when they filled Croke Park for some of the most memorable and colourful games in living memory.

Meeting three times in the championship 20 years ago — a drawn Ulster Final, the replay, and an All-Ireland semi-final — saw the rivalry reach fever pitch levels.

Who can forget the sights and sounds at Croke Park that summer as some of the finest footballers to ever wear the Armagh and Tyrone colours went toe-to-toe in pursuit of medals, history and local bragging rights.

It was the same in September of 2003 when Armagh arrived at Croker as All-Ireland champions and Tyrone left with the Sam Maguire Cup.

“You were just consumed with getting the better of them,” recalled Tyrone's 2003 All-Ireland winning captain Peter Canavan, many years later.

In 2005, Armagh were the last men standing after a bruising Ulster Final replay win but Tyrone bounced back to get the better of the duel in the All-Ireland semi-final, before going on to beat Kerry in the final.

This particular Ulster derby has lost none of its edge over the last two decades either.

Because even though they may not have been contending for titles, the rivalry always brought out the best in them. There is more than enough history there to keep everybody motivated.

Tyrone have had the upper hand in recent times, winning six of the last eight championship clashes, but the last four games between them have been split down the middle.

Another remarkable stat worth remembering is that Tyrone are the last team to get the better of Armagh in normal time in a championship match. That was in an All-Ireland ‘round robin’ series group match in Omagh two years ago, and no other team has managed to beat Armagh in 70 minutes of championship football since.

All of which brings us back to this Saturday and the latest instalment of this saga.

Armagh return to St Tiernach’s Park as All-Ireland champions so are carrying just the sort of target that Tyrone will have been eyeing up since the draw was made.

Kieran McGeeney and Malachy O’Rourke’s reputations were made in the white heat of Ulster championship matches so they know exactly what will be required to get the job done.

Everyone concerned knows what’s at stake.

Let the battle commence.