Farrell and McGeeney prepare to put friendship on hold

Over recent seasons they have grown to consider each other’s team as their optimum challenge game opponents but now for the first time since Farrell followed McGeeney into inter-county management in 2020 they meet in championship.

FRIENDSHIP: “Our manager, their manager, they’re great friends so looking forward to a serious contest,” is how Ciarán Kilkenny, fresh from an illuminating individual performance against Galway last Saturday week, previewed Sunday’s Dublin-Armagh clash.

“Our manager, their manager, they’re great friends so looking forward to a serious contest,” is how Ciarán Kilkenny, fresh from an illuminating individual performance against Galway last Saturday week, previewed Sunday’s Dublin-Armagh clash.

Dessie Farrell and Kieran McGeeney’s origins story is well-known. They formed a mutual appreciation society to get the better of Conor Deegan who had joined Kilmacud Crokes in 1997 and was part of the Stillorgan team that beat Na Fianna in the ’98 Dublin SFC final. For that and the bragging rights he had over them as part of two All-Ireland winning Down teams, Deegan was their target.