Sun-worshipping not a guaranteed route to success

DURING the last decade of decadence anyone who visited an airport at this time of the year was almost certain to bump into a county squad destined for the sunny climes of the continent.

Amateur historians will quickly diagnose this trend as yet another manifestation of the ‘Cappuccino Years’ gone wild.

But while this conclusion is understandable, it isn’t strictly true. Even when Armagh started the craze with their trip to La Manga in 2002 it was considered a lavish experiment — up until about 5pm on September 22 of that year.