2pm today sees the next chapter in National Hurling League rivalry between Armagh and neighbours Tyrone. The relatively short trip to the Tyrone Centre of Excellence continues a keen competitive history that extends from 1949 to the current day.
The first meeting proved a nine-goal thriller in the cathedral city. Without their star full-forward Fitzgerald and goalkeeper Devlin, Armagh found themselves 4-1 to 2-3 in arrears at the break. The men in saffron twice came within a whisker of gaining the lead but Tyrone held on with McAleer and Devlin goaling twice. Armagh were best served by Paddy McCormick and Gerry Lenagh but lost out 5-5 to 4-4.
Scores were at a premium a year later at Pomeroy on a very wet surface. Tyrone went in a remarkable 1-0 to 0-1 ahead, before J Carlisle goaled to level for the visitors, but a Devlin replay saw Tyrone victorious for a second successive season.
That proved to be Tyrone’s last success in this league fixture for over half a century. Armagh’s first success came in April 1967 when they mastered playing against the breeze, leading 1-0 to 0-2 as the teams changed around, before putting the result beyond doubt with three majors in the opening five minutes of the second period. E Kirk, Des O’Neill, S Crummie and K Mullen were amongst the scorers in Dungannon. S Richardson and M Lynch were prominent in midfield for the Orchard County.
Armagh and Tyrone concluded the 1960’s with two contrasting league battles which each saw the former register eight goals in the games. In March 1978, Armagh pulled away in the latter stages with Pune, Crummie and Carlisle registering green flags, recording an amazing 8-6 to 3-10 scoreline. A year later at Lurgan, the home team registered 8-2 without Tyrone troubling the scorekeeper.
Division 3 of the National Hurling League was played as the Ulster Junior Championship during the 1970’s which saw Armagh continue to register some fine scores against the Red Hand County. The most notable success occurred in the final year of the decade when Armagh went on the rampage in Dungannon hitting 10-11, en route to retaining the All-Ireland Junior Hurling title.
Tyrone recorded a first league victory over Armagh in 54 years in 2004 in a fantastic game, one ahead at the whistle in Omagh, 3-16 to 4-12.
Armagh got the better of Tyrone in the two subsequent seasons at Killeavy and Ballymacnab, the latter being the last occasion that Armagh have beaten their neighbours in league fare.
The most recent meetings have spanned 2019 to 2022, where the county in red and white have had three wins and two draws, winning the Division 3a final against Armagh in their most recent league clash by a thrilling 2-21 to 2-19 at Derry’s Centre of Excellence.
Today is another opportunity for Armagh’s young side to gain more vital competitive minutes in what has been a challenging league campaign.
By Brendy McCann