'A few demons buried': Grugan savours Armagh's long-awaited Ulster title

After falling at the final hurdle for the last three years, Armagh won their first Ulster SFC title since 2008

As Monaghan fought back against Armagh in the Ulster final, Rory Grugan thought 'Just no. Not again. Surely not.’ Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Ulster SFC final: Armagh 2-28 (2-1-26) Monaghan 0-25 (0-4-16) 

Here we go again. Armagh, who looked in complete control, suddenly at sea. Monaghan scrapping like only they could. Clones rocking. Extra-time and more potential trauma to come.

“When you're watching on, the skies are emptying and just point after point, Monaghan getting all the momentum,” said Armagh stalwart Rory Grugan, who played a seismic part in their ultimate triumph. "You're thinking, 'Just no. Not again. Surely not.’” 

They had been seven clear when Jack McCarron pirouetted his way to a two-pointer before the awesome Stephen O’Hanlon added another. Up until that point, Armagh were the superior side. Monaghan started well, scoring from the throw-in and staying in touch with orange flags from Andrew Woods and Rory Beggan, but Armagh were physically and tactically better.

Until the walls started to cave in and Blaine Hughes’ kickout came under pressure and Conor McCarthy added his fourth point and holy hell, it’s happening. The Ulster final is going to extra-time for the fifth successive year. A cruel downpour is soaking anyone on the three exposed sides of St Tiernach’s Park. Armagh led 0-13 to 0-11 at half-time but would have been confronted by the most terrifying thoughts after 70 minutes. They have been here before.

And yet, once more, they learned from that heartbreak to channel it appropriately. When the chance came in extra-time, they put Monaghan in the ground. Oisin Conaty finished with six points, five of them coming in the first half. It was the 2024 Young Footballer of the Year who picked out Grugan after a kickout bounced off Karl Gallagher’s chest. Grugan squared to Oisin O’Neill and he rolled it under Beggan. In the end, they hit 1-8 without reply.

And a particularly sweet one for Grugan. He missed a crucial free in the 2023 final. In 2025, his calf spasmed as Ciaran Moore broke away from him for the decisive extra-time goal.

“Tough days,” said Grugan.

“We were talking a lot with someone else there about the goal of going to the end. I just missed a point before it and those things live with you. I missed three and another free against Derry.

“To be able to play a part then and get down the stretch, and to have a part in us winning, there are maybe a few demons buried as well.” 

Monaghan, for their part, will rue the end of normal time the most. They had two further opportunities during that purple patch. Tiernan Kelly’s goal on the 44-minute mark after a sweeping Darragh McMullen pass had them in deep trouble and they fought admirably back from it.

The problem was the physical toll already taken from an extra-time victory in the semi-final. Oisin McGorman couldn’t chase a kick up the line just before that Kelly goal and had to be replaced. To watch O’Hanlon try to move during extra-time was a painful experience. He was constantly stretching both calves and moving like a man with peg legs.

In the end, an orange wave swept the field. Every song was met with a roaring chorus. Boys of the County Armagh, G Stands for Geezer, Freed From Desire. The DJ had the easiest job in the land. They would have danced to anything.

Any fears about the value of a provincial title in a new championship system that doesn’t explicitly reward it can be parked for now. This was proof of its enduring hold.

“For so long, an Ulster medal was more attainable, probably, for us as a team, and it is something you dream of,” said Grugan. “We just tripped at the final hurdle the last three years, so to get that one was very special. We have been hunting for it a long time.” 

Scorers for Armagh: O. Conaty 0-6; C. Turbitt 0-4 (2f); O. O’Neill 1-1; T. Kelly 1-0; J. Burns 0-3 (1 tp); J. McElroy, J. Duffy, D. McMullen, A. Murnin, C. McConville (frees), R. Grugan (1 free) each R. McQuillan 0-2 each.

Scorers for Monaghan: S. O’Hanlon 0-6 (1 tp); C. McCarthy 0-4; J. McCarron 0-3 (tp); O. McGorman, R. Beggan (tpf), A. Woods (tp), M. Bannigan (1f) 0-2 each; M. McCarville, R. O’Toole, A. Carey, D. Garland 0-1 each.

ARMAGH: B. Hughes; P. McGrane, A. McKay, P. Burns; G. McCabe, T. Kelly, J. Og Burns; J. McElroy, J. Duffy; D. McMullen, C. Turbitt, T. McCormack; C. McConville, A. Murnin, O. Conaty.

Subs: O. O’Neill for Burns (21-31, Temp); G. Murphy for Burns (half-time); R. McQuillan for Duffy (56); O. O’Neill for McConville (59); R. Grugan for McElroy (66).

E-T: D. Magee for Kelly, C. McConville for Murnin, J. Duffy for McMullen (70); D. McMullen for McConville (79); B. McCambridge for McCormack (88), A. Forker for Turbitt (88).

MONAGHAN: R. Beggan; K. Lavelle, D. Byrne, R. O’Toole; A. Carey, D. Ward, C. McCarthy; M. McCarville, K. Gallagher; B. McCaul, M. Bannigan, O. McGorman; S. O’Hanlon, A. Woods, D. Garland.

Subs: D. McElearney for Ward (half-time); J. McCarron for Garland, R. McAnespie for McGorman (both 45); S. Mooney for McCaul (51).

E-T: M. Maguire for Lavelle (77), R. Hanratty for Woods (80); G. Mohan for Gallagher (84).

Red card: D. McElearney (89).

Referee: P. Neilan (Roscommon).