Connaire Mackin kept star sister Aimee in dark over All-Ireland final call

Versatile Mackin was drafted into Armagh's final lineup but fellow inter-county star Aimee had no idea.

Thu, 01 Aug, 2024 - 06:41

Paul Keane

Aimee Mackin reckons her brother Connaire's All-Ireland final performance for Armagh summed up the group's can-do attitude all year.

Versatile Mackin was drafted into the Orchard lineup specifically to mark Matthew Tierney while he also provided extra cover in front of the full-back line against Galway when necessary.

Sister Aimee said she and her father only learned of Connaire's inclusion in the team when the lineup was revealed at a pre-final event last Friday evening.

Aimee, the 2020 ladies Footballer of the Year, said it brought even more excitement to the occasion for her family while another brother, injury-hit Ciaran, was also part of the panel.

"He did his bit and I think that's what the Armagh team was like all year, everyone stood up in their own moment," said Aimee of sibling Connaire. "You saw Aaron McKay getting the goal, Niall Grimley getting a big score, everyone played their part and Connaired looked very composed on the day which was great to see."

Armagh Player Aimee Mackin pictured at the announcement of BPerfect Cosmetics as official Diversity and Inclusivity partner of the Gaelic Players Association at Croke Park Dublin.

Asked when she found out that Connaire was going to be replacing Peter McGrane from the semi-final team, Aimee said it was at the same time as everyone else.

"They were actually having an event in the Carrickdale, a preview of the final and they announced the team and me and my Dad were sitting there and we didn't expect our Connaire to be in the starting team," she said. "When we heard it over the speaker, as every other supporter did, we just looked at each other with excitement and maybe a bit more nerves because you want to see your own doing well."

Speaking at the announcement that BPerfect Cosmetics is the official Diversity and Inclusivity Partner of the Gaelic Players Association, Mackin said her other brother, Ciaran, was delighted with the outcome despite not featuring. Ciaran suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury earlier in the summer, as Aimee did.

"Ciaran's very young, he's 24, he's the youngest in the house," she said. "He has youth on his side, he'll have plenty of years with Armagh. He was able to embrace the whole journey with the boys, be involved with the panel. I think if he was going to take anything after getting injured, if someone was to say to him you'll win the All-Ireland but you'll be injured, he'd have taken that."

Aimee herself suffered the cruciate injury in Armagh's Ulster ladies final defeat of Donegal. It's the second cruciate setback of her career and aside from missing Armagh's run to the All-Ireland semi-final, she won't feature in the upcoming AFLW season alongside her sister Blaithin despite being contracted to the Melbourne Demons.

"I have to focus mainly on just getting the rehab right and I'll probably be far away from (playing) a game of football or AFLW for a while," said the prolific forward.