Every year new faces step up for Armagh and make their mark on the team. One of those in 2025 was Callum O’Neill, who came into midfield and had some stellar performances, particularly against Derry in the league and against fierce rivals Tyrone in the Ulster SFC Semi-final.
O’Neill was in and out of the team at times last year, but he says that this season he is hoping to get a hold of the starting jersey and not let it go.
“I got a taste for playing in front of 30,000 people in Clones on a summer’s day, or in a full Athletic Grounds,” he said.
“Just the way it worked out for me, I sort of lost my place towards the end of the year, but definitely this year the hunger is there to really try and get a foothold in the middle of the field, or wherever it happens to be on the pitch.
“I want to push on and drive the team forward.”
Before Armagh get back to those famous summer days in the Championship, they have to navigate their way through a challenging Division One.
O’Neill says that the team will be doing all they can to stay up, as playing at the top table is where Armagh want to be.
“We spent the pre-season building for the league, and we want to start the year on the front foot,” said the Belleek man.
“Every team wants to solidify themselves in Division One; that’s where you want to be playing and testing yourself against the best players. You’ve seen over the last few years how that has stood to us.”
It was all change at training throughout the winter, with many stalwarts over the last number of years electing to retire or step away from the panel.
However, O’Neill says that it is ‘part of football’ and it offers a chance for other players to step in, and step up.
“I wouldn’t say that it has been difficult to deal with. We’ve had a lot of fresh faces brought in,” he said.
“We have seven or eight lads who’ve come in and they’ve added a real freshness to it and a real bounce around training. They’re hungry to learn, they’re hungry to get better and ultimately they want to claim a place.
“Obviously, you do miss the likes of Grimbo, Soupy and Ciaron O’Hanlon and their leadership about the place, but that’s part of football, and we have another group of leaders now trying to emerge and take the team forward over the next couple of years.”
Armagh supporters saw plenty of new faces throughout the Dr McKenna Cup, and O’Neill is back them all to make their impact on the panel this year.
“They’re all very capable footballers,” he said.
“They’re all capable of slotting into the team and they all want to prove themselves at this level. A lot of them have plenty of experience of U20s football, like my namesake Callum from Clan na Gael.
“Then there are other fellas like Ruairi McDonald, who is a good option at wing half back, and you saw Dan McCarthy going well in the McKenna Cup. These boys all have real pace, real power and can really get about the field.
“In the modern game, transition and having players with that energy to get up and down the field is so important. They all have great attributes for that.”
When he’s not dominating the skies in the middle of the field – or co-commentating for Armagh TV – O’Neill runs a unique gym in Newry where members can complete their cardio and avail of the exercise bike, the rower, or the ski.
“I own a fitness studio in Newry, HEAT Health and Fitness, which specialises in low-impact cardio training, to help people get fitter and feel better.
“It’s all done in a nice, small class environment with a range of membership options. Our main thing is providing a different way of training for the local community.
“Even my own teammates Blaine and Jemar do great work in terms of being small group personal trainers, but ours is more cardio focused for people who maybe don’t like weights training or yoga classes.
“We’re trying to fill that niche in the market.”
By Kieran Lynch