After two decades service, the outgoing manager deserves a rest but can the county’s exceptional performance be maintained?
the day the county downed the champions. Back in May 2003, Armagh weren’t just the holders of the Anglo-Celt Cup but also the Sam Maguire.
Switched from one square to the other in the 2007 Ulster final, he nearly turned the match and saw two late goal chances go agonisingly uncashed – one brilliantly saved and the other crashed off the bar.
And he was generally both fit and selected, missing very few championship matches in a 17-year intercounty career. Two years ago, the Monaghan county executive was struggling to find a successor for McEnaney and a parade of candidates, both from outside the county – Ger Brennan, who has had a fine debut season with Louth but who at the time had little intercounty experience – and inside, came and went.
The exceptional talent and temperament of Conor McManus was all but retired after that championship exit in June and the departure of his Clontibret clubmate probably puts the matter beyond speculation. It is further testament to Monaghan’s amazing ability to keep stride that the immediate supply lines are not too forbidding. Even with the departure of experienced players, regeneration has been impressive: Ulster minor titles in 2018 and 2019 as well as finalists in 2020 and 2023, and an All-Ireland final rerun of the Ulster decider, against Derry.
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