Armagh refuse to let Manchester United training camp confusion ruin Championship preparations

Armagh opted against a foreign camp in advance of Sunday week's glamour Ulster SFC preliminary round opener against Tyrone but were left frustrated by their trip south before returning home and improvising

Oisin Conaty claims the pitches weren't lined out for Gaelic football at Carton House. Pic: Dan Sheridan/Inpho

Armagh star Oisín Conaty says they refused to allow Manchester United and last weekend's training camp confusion to ruin their Championship preparations.

Kieran McGeeney's Ulster SFC title hopefuls cut short a planned weekend of training at Carton House in Kildare as they felt the facilities weren't in order.

Former All-Star Conaty said that when the 2024 All-Ireland winners arrived at the venue, just outside Maynooth, 'the pitches weren't lined out' for Gaelic football.

Instead, the surface was marked out for soccer with United scheduled to arrive for a camp of their own.

"I think a few of the lads said we're going to go over ourselves and train in Carrington next weekend," joked Conaty, referencing United's training base when speaking at sponsor AIB's launch of the 2026 All-Ireland SFC.

"When we went down - it was all over Twitter yesterday - the pitches weren't lined out. So we just went back up the road and we trained in Armagh.

"It was a Saturday and Sunday, no big deal. We felt like we got two good sessions in, three actually. So we're happy with the weekend. I saw the story coming out, a few Tweets and a bit of slagging but it was all perfect.

"As I say, it wasn't a massive deal. We just went back up the road and I suppose the only difference is we slept in our own beds."

Armagh haven't won the Ulster SFC since 2008 and are desperate to finally land a provincial title having lost the last three finals, two on penalties and after extra time last year.

They opted against a foreign camp in advance of Sunday week's glamour Ulster SFC preliminary round opener against Tyrone but were left frustrated by their trip south before returning home and improvising.

"Everything was the same, the meetings, the trainings, everything," said Conaty, who started all seven of Armagh's League games, scoring 1-11.

"We got two good sessions in and another walk-through session. It was perfect, all good. Hopefully we'll push things on now this week for a big battle next week."

Asked if a stand-off occurred at Carton House, Conaty shook his head.

"If United were there, I'm a Liverpool man, so there could have been a bit of a stand-off then," he smiled. "United need the results, don't they? They need the training after the last few years they've been going through! So yeah, let them have it."