{{Short description|Hurling team}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=October 2020}} The '''Armagh county hurling team''' represents [[Armagh GAA]], the [[County board (Gaelic games)|county board]] of the [[Gaelic Athletic Association]], in the [[Gaelic games|Gaelic]] sport of [[hurling]]. The team competes in the [[Nicky Rackard Cup]] and the [[National Hurling League]].
{{Infobox Gaelic games county team|name=Armagh|crest=|sport=[[Hurling]]|irish=Árd Mhaca|nickname=The Orchard County|county board=[[Armagh GAA]]|manager=|captain=|most appearances=<!-- Forename Surname (0) -->|top scorer=<!-- Forename Surname (0–0) -->|home venues=[[Athletic Grounds (Armagh)|Athletic Grounds]], [[Armagh]]|shc=Nicky Rackard Cup (3rd) in [[2025 Nicky Rackard Cup|2025]]|last championship title=[[2012 Nicky Rackard Cup]]|nhl division=3 (5th in [[2025 National Hurling League#Division 3|2025]])|last league title=[[2016 National Hurling League|2016 (Division 2B)]]|pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=|pattern_ra1=|pattern_sh1=|pattern_so1=|leftarm1=|body1=|rightarm1=|shorts1=|socks1=|pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=|pattern_sh2=|pattern_so2=|leftarm2=|body2=|rightarm2=|shorts2=|socks2=|current=}}
Armagh's home ground is [[Athletic Grounds (Armagh)|Athletic Grounds]], [[Armagh]]. The team's manager is [[Karl McKeegan]].
The team has never won the Ulster Senior Championship, the All-Ireland Senior Championship or the National League.
The team is nicknamed the '''Orchard men'''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/toal-goal-keeps-orchard-men-in-total-control-39666726.html|title=Toal goal keeps Orchard men in total control|work=[[Irish Independent]]|date=26 October 2020}}</ref>
==History== Like most counties outside of the game's heartland of [[Munster]] and south [[Leinster]], hurling has tended to live in the shadow cast by Gaelic football in Armagh, with the exception of border areas such as Keady, Middletown and Armagh City.
In 2006, Armagh won the NHL Division 3 championship, winning all its games in the group stages before defeating [[Louth county hurling team|Louth]] by a scoreline of 3–10 to 1–11 in the final at [[Breffni Park]] in [[Cavan]]. The step up to Division 2 proved to be a difficult one for the men from the Orchard County. While the team failed to win any of its group games, it was unfortunate to lose to [[Meath county hurling team|Meath]] and also managed to come within a point of [[2006 Christy Ring Cup]] finalists [[Carlow county hurling team|Carlow]]. Heavier defeats were suffered at the hands of more established counties such as [[Derry county hurling team|Derry]] and [[Laois county hurling team|Laois]].
Armagh returned to the [[Ulster Senior Hurling Championship]] in May 2007 for the first time in almost 60 years with a match against Derry. Despite a strong performance, the team lost out on a semi-final encounter with neighbouring team [[Down county hurling team|Down]] due to an injury-time score.
The advances made in the county over the previous two years placed it as the favourite in the [[2007 Nicky Rackard Cup Final]] against [[Roscommon county hurling team|Roscommon]] on 12 August; however, Armagh lost this game by two points.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/roscommon-celebrate-1.954763|title=Roscommon celebrate|work=[[The Irish Times]]|date=13 August 2007}}</ref>
Armagh won the [[2010 Nicky Rackard Cup]], defeating [[London county hurling team|London]] by a scoreline of 3–15 to 3–14 at [[Croke Park]] on 3 July. The county's minor team won the Ulster Minor Hurling League Division One title and reached the final of the [[Ulster Minor Hurling Championship]]. The county's under-21 team also reached the final of the [[Ulster Under-21 Hurling Championship]].
In 2011, Armagh reached the [[Ulster Senior Hurling Championship]] final for the first time since 1946 and advanced to the Ulster Under-21 Hurling Championship final for a second consecutive year, the first time in team history.
Armagh won the [[2012 Nicky Rackard Cup]], its second time to lift the trophy, defeating Louth by a scoreline of 3–20 to 1–15 at Croke Park on 9 June.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/northern-ireland/18380317|title=Tyrone & Armagh earn Nicky Rackard and Lory Meagher Cup titles|publisher=[[BBC Sport]]|date=9 June 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hoganstand.com/article/index/170850|title=Nicky Rackard final: Orchard blooms against Louth|work=[[Hogan Stand]]|date=9 June 2012}}</ref>
Armagh lost the [[2015 Nicky Rackard Cup]] final to Roscommon by a scoreline of 2–12 to 1–14, even though Roscommon had one less player due to a straight red card and the team was behind for the entire second-half until scoring a goal from a 20-metre free at the end.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-20335247.html|title=Michael Kelly delivers killer blow for Roscommon|work=[[Irish Examiner]]|date=8 June 2015}}</ref>
Armagh won Division 2B in 2016, earning promotion to Division 2A. But it was then relegated.
Armagh defeated Down in the [[2016 Ulster Senior Hurling Championship]] semi-final, giving them a place in the final, where [[Antrim county hurling team|Antrim]] prevailed.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/gaelic-games/36572710|title=Ulster Hurling semi-finals: Antrim and Armagh clinch places in decider|publisher=[[BBC Sport]]|date=19 June 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-30744093.html|title=Antrim claim goalfest to retain Ulster hurling title|work=[[Irish Examiner]]|date=10 July 2016}}</ref> Armagh also lost to Antrim in the [[2017 Ulster Senior Hurling Championship]] final.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2017/0416/868124-johnston-stars-as-goal-crazy-antrim-take-ulster-title/|title=Conor Johnston stars as goal crazy Antrim ease to Ulster title|publisher=RTÉ|date=16 April 2017}}</ref>
Armagh lost the [[2016 Nicky Rackard Cup]] final to [[Mayo county hurling team|Mayo]] by a scoreline of 2–16 to 1–15, giving Mayo a first Nicky Rackard trophy.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/feeney-hits-1-9-as-mayo-secure-nicky-rackard-cup-34772765.html|title=Feeney hits 1–9 as Mayo secure Nicky Rackard Cup|work=[[Irish Independent]]|date=4 June 2016}}</ref>
Armagh lost the [[2017 Nicky Rackard Cup]] final to Derry by a scoreline of 3–23 to 2–15.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/derry-power-to-nicky-rackard-cup-final-win-at-croke-park-35811988.html|title=Derry power to Nicky Rackard Cup final win at Croke Park|work=[[Irish Independent]]|date=10 June 2017}}</ref>
Armagh lost the [[2019 Nicky Rackard Cup]] final to [[Sligo county hurling team|Sligo]] by a scoreline of 2–14 to 2–13; though the team was four points ahead of Sligo as the game reached its conclusion, Sligo scored two late points and a goal to secure a one-point victory.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2019/0622/1056883-sligo-2-14-armagh-2-13-nicky-rackard-cup-final/|title=Sligo hurlers continue meteoric rise with late show|publisher=RTÉ|date=22 June 2019}}</ref>
==Managerial history== {{Incomplete list|date=April 2021}} Sylvester McConnell?
[[Paddy Kelly (hurler)|P. Kelly]], the former [[Meath county hurling team|Meath]] hurler, 2017–<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishnews.com/sport/hurlingandcamogie/2017/12/12/news/meath-native-paddy-kelly-the-new-armagh-hurling-manager-1208225/|title=Meath native Paddy Kelly the new Armagh hurling manager|work=[[The Irish News]]|date=12 December 2017}}</ref>
Kelly took charge of Armagh for the [[2018 National Hurling League]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://armaghgaa.net/hurling-news/armagh-hurlers-open-up-nhl-v-wicklow/|title=Armagh Hurlers open up NHL v Wicklow|publisher=[[Armagh GAA]]|date=26 January 2018|quote=The management of Paddy Kelly (ex Meath and Leinster player who coached St. Judes in Dublin last yr) James Doyle (Wexford) and Ruairi McGrattan (former Portaferry and Down player) have led a very intense training programme in which McGrattan has commented that 'the players have exceeded our expectations'... Armagh hurling backroom team :- Paddy Kelly, James Doyle, Ruairi McGrattan, Kieran Nugent, David O'Brien and Sean O'Maoilste.}}</ref>
Kelly stood aside upon Armagh's [[Promotion and relegation|relegation]] to Division 3A of the [[National Hurling League]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishnews.com/sport/hurlingandcamogie/2019/03/09/news/armagh-out-to-continue-rebuilding-process-by-winning-promotion-showdown-with-roscommon-1568539/|title=Armagh out to continue rebuilding process by winning promotion showdown with Roscommon|work=[[The Irish News]]|date=9 March 2019|quote=O'Connor, who had been involved under former Orchard boss Sylvester McConnell, came in when Paddy Kelly decided to step away following Armagh's relegation to Division 3A.}}</ref> replaced by interim manager Padraig O'Connor,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishnews.com/sport/hurlingandcamogie/2018/05/19/news/derry-to-heap-more-misery-on-armagh-1333823/|title=Derry to heap more misery on Armagh|work=[[The Irish News]]|date=19 May 2018}}</ref> O'Connor then being reappointed in 2019<ref>{{cite news|url=https://armaghgaa.net/hurling-news/county-senior-hurling-manager/|title=County Senior Hurling Manager|publisher=[[Armagh GAA]]|date=6 August 2019}}</ref>
[[Terence McNaughton|Terence "Sambo" McNaughton]] was appointed manager in March 2022.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishnews.com/paywall/tsb/irishnews/irishnews/irishnews//sport/hurlingandcamogie/2022/03/10/news/ex-antrim-boss-terence-mcnaughton-takes-over-armagh-2610690/content.html|title=Ex-Antrim boss Terence McNaughton takes over Armagh|work=[[The Irish News]]|date=10 March 2022}}</ref>
[[Karl McKeegan]] was appointed manager in October 2022.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hoganstand.com/Article/Index/325341|title=McKeegan takes Armagh hurling reins|work=Hogan Stand|date=11 October 2022}}</ref>
==Honours== :''Official honours, with additions noted.''<ref name=Ulster_GAA>{{cite web|url=https://ulster.gaa.ie/county/armagh/|title=Armagh — Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Uladh|publisher=[[Ulster GAA]]|access-date=15 June 2022}}</ref> ===National=== *'''[[National Hurling League|National Hurling League Division 2B]]''' **{{Gold1}} '''Winners (1):''' [[2016 National Hurling League|2016]] *'''[[National Hurling League|National Hurling League Division 3]]''' **{{Gold1}} '''Winners (2):''' [[1999 National Hurling League|1999]], [[2006 National Hurling League|2006]] *'''[[All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship]]/[[Nicky Rackard Cup]]''' **{{Gold1}} '''Winners (5):''' 1978, 1979, 2000, [[2010 Nicky Rackard Cup|2010]], [[2012 Nicky Rackard Cup|2012]] **{{Silver2}} '''Runners-up (5):''' [[2007 Nicky Rackard Cup|2007]], [[2015 Nicky Rackard Cup|2015]], [[2016 Nicky Rackard Cup|2016]], [[2017 Nicky Rackard Cup|2017]], [[2019 Nicky Rackard Cup|2019]] <!-- *'''[[All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship]]''' ** 0 *'''[[All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship]]''' ** 0 -->
===Provincial=== *'''[[Ulster Senior Hurling Championship]]''' **{{Silver2}} '''Runners-up (4):''' 1946, 2011, [[2016 Ulster Senior Hurling Championship|2016]], [[2017 Ulster Senior Hurling Championship|2017]] *'''[[Ulster Under-21 Hurling Championship]]''' **{{Silver2}} '''Runners-up (4):''' 1968, 1979, 2010, 2011 *'''[[Ulster Minor Hurling Championship]]''' **{{Gold1}} '''Winners (1):''' 1975 *'''[[Ulster Junior Hurling Championship]]''' **{{Gold1}} '''Winners (6):''' 1949, 1965, 1973, 1990, 1991, 2000 *'''Ulster Minor Hurling League Division 1''' **{{Gold1}} '''Winners (1):''' 2010
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Armagh GAA}} {{Nicky Rackard Cup}} {{GAA National Leagues}}
[[Category:Armagh county hurling team| ]] [[Category:County hurling teams]]