Connaire Mackin comes into Armagh's starting line up for All-Ireland final against Galway

Peter McGrane has started all previous eight championship matches for Armagh this season but Mackin has been returned to the team.

TEAM NAMED: Armagh's Connaire Mackin returrns to the starting line up for Armagh for their All-Ireland final clash against Galway.  Picture:©INPHO/John McVitty

Connaire Mackin has been drafted into the Armagh team at the expense of Peter McGrane for Sunday’s All-Ireland final against Galway.

McGrane has started all previous eight championship matches for Armagh this season but Mackin, who was suspended following the All-Ireland SFC group win over Derry, has been returned to the team. From the team that drew with Galway in Sligo last month, Mackin for Ciarán Higgins is the only change.

It remains to be seen if Galway captain Seán Kelly is retained on the bench by Pádraic Joyce. Kerry’s Joe O’Connor was the last non-starting All-Ireland winning captain in 2022. Before that, it was Cork’s Graham Canty in 2010.

Joyce said of Kelly’s availability last week: “Look, he probably wasn’t fully ready the last day so we are hoping to get another two weeks into him and we will check him out. Hopefully, he will be available for some sort of time anyway.” 

Speaking about Armagh’s strength in depth, veteran forward Rory Grugan believes being able to replace starters with proven players has been a major addition for the Ulster runners-up this season.

“We have players coming off the bench now like Oisín O’Neill, Stefan Campbell, Jarlath Óg Burns, Ross McQuillian. It’s not like young players showing promise, it’s players who have good level of experience, and that’s a testament to Kieran (McGeeney) and the faith he kept in us as players, and probably the faith that we had in him and the management as well.” 

ARMAGH (SFC v Galway): B. Hughes; P. Burns, A. McKay, B. McCambridge; C. Mackin, T. Kelly, A. Forker (c); N. Grimley, B. Crealey; J. McElroy, R. O’Neill, O. Conaty; R. Grugan, A. Murnin, C. Turbitt. Subs: E. Rafferty, G. McCabe, P, McGrane, C. Higgins, R. McQuillan, S. McPartlan, J. Duffy, O. O’Neill, S. Campbell, A. Nugent, J. Burns.