Justin McNulty: Armagh detractors should build a statue for Kieran McGeeney
STATUE: Kieran McGeeney during an Armagh Media Conference ahead of the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Final. Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
Armagh great Justin McNulty says those who criticised Kieran McGeeney over the years should channel their 'energy into building a statue' to Geezer now.
The 2002 All-Ireland winning captain is just one more win from managing his county to the same prize though in his 10th season as manager it hasn't been an overnight success.
Critics have at times lined up against him and only last August he came out the right side of a 46-16 vote to remain in charge.
From McNulty's perspective, those with even a passing interest in Armagh football should be delighted that McGeeney is in charge and the current Laois manager paid a rich tribute to his former Mullaghbawn and Armagh playing colleague.
"Geezer is a good friend of mine and I'm honoured to call him my friend, he's also a club mate of mine," said McNulty at an event organised by Championship sponsors AIB.
"I remember him making his senior debut in Knockbridge in County Louth on a sunny Sunday morning. He was a 14-year-old playing for Mullaghbawn seniors when I was U-12.
"There was an U-12 game against Knockbridge and that was followed by a senior game against Knockbridge, where Geezer made his debut as a 14-year-old, with my Dad as the coach/manager.
"I remember also in the All-Ireland minor final in 1992, when we were narrowly beaten by Meath. We went back to the Regency Hotel, devastated, for the post-match banquet.
"There was a senior player who came to the hotel to talk to us, to call us into a room and talk to a number of the minors and say, 'This can be a springboard for success at senior level. We know you're devastated by this but it can be a springboard'.
"The senior player who came to talk to us was a 21-year-old Kieran McGeeney. For Geezer to show that leadership at that stage of his life was extraordinary and shows the competitor that he is. That's probably not really fully recognised, the extent to which Geezer is a competitor - he is the ultimate competitor.
"Those who were detractors for him, I would say you should be putting your energy into building a statue to Kieran McGeeney because he's so important to Armagh GAA. He has made such an impact on Armagh GAA over so many years."
McNulty, who took Laois to an All-Ireland quarter-final in 2012, and returned for a second spell this year, bringing them to the Tailteann Cup decider, said holding the dressing-room together for a decade has been McGeeney's greatest achievement.
"I know I was in Laois for three years and probably at the end of that three years, I didn't have the dressing-room to the extent that I needed to have it to stay for the fourth year," said McNulty, an SDLP MLA now for the Newry/Armagh area.
"The players knew that, the county board knew that and I knew that. All I can say is hats off to those managers who are able to stay, to keep reinventing and keep improving and keep the players having full trust and confidence in you as a manager and as a coach."
McNulty himself had a one-year spell as part of McGeeney's management team.
"There is no doubt, as a young Mullaghbawn player he shaped me," said McNulty.
"One of my earliest football memories is being on a mini-bus on the side of the Mullaghbawn field and Tony Grant, God rest him, and Geezer falling out over some issue around performance. And Geezer crying such was the level of discussion around it as a young 13 or 14-year-old.
"All through school, all through college, all through my formative years in football, Geezer was there in the background, encouraging, supporting.
"The first four men in the (All-Ireland final) parade in 2002 were Mullaghbawn men, which is maybe not recognised. For a small, rural club it's unbelievable."
McNulty said it was a good move by the county board who showed 'boldness and bravery' by listening to the clubs and putting their faith in McGeeney again for 2024.
"Even though there was acrimony within clubs and some clubs said no, the majority of them said yes," he noted. "And I think well done to the clubs."
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