Armagh-Down Gaelic football rivalry

Armagh-Down
Crowds attending the 2023 Ulster Semi-final between the counties
LocationCounty Armagh
County Down
TeamsArmagh
Down
First meetingDown 1-6 - 0-4 Armagh
1906 Ulster Quarter Final
(6 May 1906)
Latest meetingArmagh 0-13 - 2-6 Down
2024 Ulster Semi-final
(27 April 2024)
StadiumsAthletic Grounds (Armagh)
Páirc Esler (Down)

The Armagh-Down Gaelic football rivalry concerns the Ulster teams of Armagh and Down. The two counties are neighbours and, between them, they have won 26 Ulster Senior Football Championships and 7 All-Ireland Senior Football Championships.

Background

Armagh and Down first met in the Ulster Senior Football Championship in the 1904 competition. Games between the teams have sometimes been described as a "derby".[1][2]

Ulster finals

The first Ulster Senior Football Championship final between Armagh and Down in 1961, with subsequent finals in 1981 and 1999.

1961

Down2–10 – 1–10Armagh
Attendance: 38,500

1981

Down3–12 – 1–10Armagh
A Rodgers 0–4, G Blaney 1–0, N King 0–1, B McCartan 0–1. P Loughran 0–5, B Hughes 1–1, C McKinstrey 0–2, P Moriarty 0–1, P Rafferty 0–1.
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: J Heaney (Tyrone)

1999

Main article: 1999 Ulster Senior Football Championship final
Armagh3–12 – 0-10Down
O. McConville 2-7, D. Marsden 1-2, P. McGrane, J. McEntee, T McEntee Report S. Mulholland 0-4, C. McCabe 0-2 B. Burns, R. Carr, S. Ward, G. McCartan
Attendance: 36,354
Referee: P Russell (Tipperary)

National League Finals

In the National Football League, 1983 National League Final and the 2010 National League Division 2 Final.

1983 - Division One

Down1-8 - 0-8Armagh
Attendance: 24,500
Referee: W Fogarty (Kerry)

2010 - Division Two

Armagh0-17 - 1-12Down
Referee: Ó Conamha (Galway)

Miscellaneous

  • The sides have met a number of times in the All-Ireland Qualifiers, notably being the first two teams drawn out for the first qualifier series in 2001.[3]
  • Down's home ground, Páirc Esler, is located in County Armagh.[4]
  • James McCartan Jnr, an All-Ireland winner with Down in 1991 and 1994, attempted to switch his allegiance to Armagh in 2001.[5]
  • Paddy O'Rourke, who captained Down to the All-Ireland title in 1991, managed both Down (2002–06) and Armagh (2009–12).[6]

All-time results

Legend

Down win
Armagh win
Match was a draw

Senior

No. Date Winners Score Runners-up Venue Stage
1. 6 May 1906 Down 2-11 - 0-4 Armagh Newry Ulster quarter-final
2. 1912 Armagh w/o-scr. Down Ulster quarter-final
3. 24 May 1914 Armagh 2-5 - 0-0 Down Newry Ulster quarter-final
4. 11 July 1915 Armagh 1-7 - 1-1 Down Newry Ulster quarter-final
5. 5 May 1918 Armagh 0-5 - 0-4 Down Camlough Ulster quarter-final
6. 19 May 1929 Armagh 5-4 - 3-2 Down Newry Ulster quarter-final
7. 24 May 1931 Armagh 0-6 - 0-2 Down Newry Ulster quarter-final
8. 18 June 1933 Armagh 2-1 - 1-3 Down Warrenpoint Ulster quarter-final
9. 9 June 1935 Armagh 2-5 - 0-5 Down Athletic Grounds Ulster quarter-final
10. 13 June 1937 Armagh 4-14 - 2-7 Down Athletic Grounds Ulster quarter-final
11. 5 July 1942 Down 0-7 - 0-6 Armagh St. Patrick's Park Ulster semi-final
12. 12 July 1942 Down 1-12 - 2-5 Armagh St. Patrick's Park Ulster semi-final replay
13. 23 June 1946 Armagh 0-13 - 0-4 Down St. Patrick's Park Ulster quarter-final
14. 13 June 1948 Down 5-7 - 2-3 Armagh St. Patrick's Park Ulster preliminary round
15. 9 July 1950 Armagh 1-8 - 1-7 Down O'Neill Park Ulster semi-final
16. 12 June 1955 Armagh 1-8 - 0-5 Down The Playing Fields Ulster quarter-final
17. 24 June 1956 Armagh 2-5 - 0-6 Down Páirc Esler Ulster quarter-final
18. 23 July 1961 Down 2-10 - 1-10 Armagh Casement Park Ulster final
19. 10 June 1973 Down 2-10 - 2-9 Armagh Páirc Esler Ulster preliminary round
20. 9 June 1974 Down 1-10 - 0-6 Armagh Páirc Esler Ulster preliminary round
21. 19 July 1981 Down 3-12 - 1-10 Armagh St Tiernach's Park Ulster final
22. 29 June 1986 Down 3-7 - 0-12 Armagh St. Mary's Park Ulster semi-final
23. 1 July 1990 Armagh 2-7 - 0-12 Down Casement Park Ulster semi-final
24. 9 June 1991 Down 1-7 - 0-8 Armagh Páirc Esler Ulster quarter-final
25. 7 June 1992 Down 1-12 - 0-9 Armagh Athletic Grounds Ulster quarter-final
26. 14 June 1998 Armagh 0-16 - 0-11 Down St Tiernach's Park Ulster quarter-final
27. 1 August 1999 Armagh 3-12 - 0-10 Down St Tiernach's Park Ulster final
28. 9 June 2001 Armagh 1-13 - 2-4 Down Casement Park All-Ireland qualifier round 1
29. 29 June 2008 Armagh 1-12 - 0-11 Down St Tiernach's Park Ulster semi-final
30. 28 May 2011 Armagh 1-15 - 1-10 Down Athletic Grounds Ulster quarter-final
31. 4 June 2017 Armagh 0-15 - 2-7 Down Pairc Esler Ulster quarter-final
32. 19 May 2019 Armagh 3-13 - 2-17 Down Pairc Esler Ulster quarter-final
33. 30 April 2023 Armagh 4-10 - 0-12 Down St Tiernach's Park Ulster semi-final
34. 27 April 2024 Armagh 0-12 - 2-6 Down St Tiernach's Park Ulster semi-final

References

  1. ^ "Armagh have the quality to beat Down in derby clash". Belfast Telegraph.
  2. ^ "Ulster SFC: Armagh v Down – Match Preview, Pivotal Players and Previous Meetings". Ulster GAA. Armagh displayed an insatiable appetite for this local derby
  3. ^ Breheny, Martin (4 June 2001). "Ulster big guns clash in historic 'back door' race to All-Ireland glory". Irish Independent. p. 25. Retrieved 14 January 2025. Both Armagh and Down ... would have preferred to avoid each other in the open draw but they were first out of the draw drum
  4. ^ Smyth, Faolan. "Down County Board Put Their GAA Stadium In The Wrong County". Balls.ie.
  5. ^ "GAA: Former Co Down star applies for place with Armagh". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  6. ^ "Former Down ace O'Rourke is Armagh's new manager". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
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