Armagh and Wicklow have a fascinating backstory in the National Hurling League as they prepare to cross swords this weekend, having been paired for the 25th occasion in the centenary season of the League.
The proud counties did not meet in the competition until they clashed at Aughrim in a Division 2 tussle in April 1980. A Jim McCormack goal helped the Orchard County achieve parity at the break after playing with the breeze before two quickfire goals at the end of the third quarter saw Wicklow succeed by a twelve point margin.
The sides met again in November of that year, as in those times, games were played in the league each side of Christmas. Armagh gave a strong account back at Aughrim with two goals in a minute early in the second half giving them the initiative. The goalscorers were Brian McDonald and notably John Corvan, who was also renowned for his footballing ability, though a long- range effort found its way to the net as the home side recovered to record a four point win.
Ballymacnab hosted Wicklow’s first visit to the Orchard County on league duty a year later, where much drama unfolded. A first-half fracas saw a Wicklow substitute sidelined, whilst Armagh were adamant that the referee had brought proceedings to a premature end in the second period. Jim McCormack seemed to give Armagh the upper hand with a major entering the final quarter, though another Garden County replacement stole the headlines as Chris McInteggart bagged two late three-pointers.
It was three years before Wicklow again visited the county, when they played Armagh in a game to mark the official opening of the Athletic Grounds after significant work, including the building of the Ceannarus building, before league action turned to Keady in October 1984. This was to be a historic victory for the men in orange, restricting Wicklow to one point from play over the hour, whilst Mattie Lennon moving to midfield in the second-half was an inspired move, as Armagh hit three goals, from Jim McCormack, Paul Devlin and Paddy Devlin to record what remains a record success over Wicklow, 3-8 to 0-4.
This proved the first of five successive victories over Wicklow in the League during the eighties. In the 1985-86 campaign, a last gasp Declan McBride winner overturned the visitors who had led throughout. Again, the tenacious Mattie Lennon was prominent. In December 1986, a tremendous 2-6 from Paul Devlin helped his team to a first win on Wicklow soil, in a 2-12 to 2-4 win in Arklow.
As he had done in their previous Keady meeting, Declan McBride clinched a victory for his cohorts, this time pointing with ten minutes to go, when a fantastic defensive performance from Eamonn Kinsella, John Lennon and Eamonn McKee kept Wicklow’s best efforts at bay.
In October 1988, the aforementioned Jim McCormack hit a remarkable 3-2 as Armagh through Eamonn McKee and Mattie Lennon lorded midfield as Armagh excelled at Ashford.
All good things come to an end and it was a 0-10 haul by Danny Curran that saw Wicklow record their first league success over Armagh in eight years at Keady, despite Armagh getting an early goal.
The 1991 meeting was Armagh’s darkest day against the Leinstermen, struggling to field fifteen players, before conceding a goal after a mere thirty seconds. To the teams credit, they battled well and never threw in the towel.
An unfit pitch at Keady saw Dromintee host the first of two 1994 league meetings. Despite not being overly-familiar with the surroundings, a Sean Hughes high ball was added to by Mattie Lennon after six minutes, in an encounter the Orchard were never headed.
Nine months later the counties became reacquainted in Aughrim, when despite starting well and finishing well with a Chris Shine goal, Wicklow dominated the remainder of the game, securing a five point success and remaining joint top in Division 3.
The 1995 meeting saw both counties returning to Keady, where two Sean Byrne turn the game on its head in favour of the visitors who went clear at the top of the section with a 2-6 to 0-8 win.
The curious tale of 1997 saw both counties ready for battle in Aughrim without a referee to oversee proceedings. The game was subsequently postponed. In a season where a trial commenced to play the League within a calendar year, it was June before the tie was refixed, at which point, Armagh chose it to travel, handing promotion to the Garden County.
The officials found their way to Ballymacnab a year later when goals by Stephen Coady and Jeffrey Bermingham stamped their authority on the game, running out sixteen point winners.
At the turn of the century, sharpshooting from Paul McCormack (0-12) proved not enough as goals from John Keogh, Jonathan O’Neill and Keith Furlong steered Wicklow to victory in a scrappy encounter.
The scheduled meeting in 2001 did not occur as a result of a foot and mouth outbreak, so the next meeting was back in Arklow in 2007. Two Wayne O’Gorman goals in the first 120 seconds was a sign of things to come as Wicklow scored five first-half goals in a twenty point rout. But how fortune can turn, as Armagh returned to the same venue a mere two years later when a Declan Coulter goal seven minutes from time gave Armagh a five-point cushion, which proved enough despite Wicklow scoring four points in the remaining minutes.
Wicklow had already secured a league final berth when they visited a winless Armagh Athletic Grounds in 2011. The visitors started brightly but quick fire goals from Declan Coulter and John Corvan brought Armagh to life. A point blank save by goalkeeper Simon Doherty and a third Armagh goal left the home side four ahead at the break. Further goals from Coulter and Corvan gave Armagh their only league points of the campaign in a 5-11 to 2-14 victory.
2014 saw two Wicklow goals from Wayne O’Gorman and Christy Moorhouse steady the ship and steer a victorious course for Wicklow. Armagh entered a play-off after losing all their group sections but grabbed onto the lifeline beating Fingal to survive in Division 2B.
Just two years later, Armagh were fast out of the traps, with goals from John and Conor Corvan helping carve a victory at Aughrim which helped the Orchard County to sensationally capture the Division 2B title!
A trip to Bray in 2018 saw a heavy loss with Anto Byrne and Andy O’Brien scoring heavily.
Most recently, last season, Seanie Germaine was the 2-11 hero, helping Wicklow overturn a half-time deficit to secure a nine-point win.
Both sides enter this weekend in search of their first league points, knowing that the history of this fixture demonstrates the fortunes can change quickly.
Armagh will go in search of their tenth fixture victory and hope that Wicklow remain fixed on their tally of thirteen successes.
By Brendy McCann
@ardgaa on X.com