Kevin Armstrong
Encyclopedia
Kevin Armstrong was a renowned dual player
who excelled at football
and hurling
for his local club O’Connell’s and for the Antrim
senior inter-county teams in both codes from the 1940s until the 1960s.
He was one of the greatest players never to have won an All-Ireland
hurling medal, as seen through the GAA's
centenary year in 1984 when a special GAA Hurling Team of the Century
was named, composed of players who never won an All-Ireland
medal. Armstrong was amongst the fifteen, at left wing-forward. Four years later, his reputation as a footballer was further cemented when he was the recipient of the prestigious GAA All-Time All-Star
award.
and football
with his local O’Connell’s club and enjoyed much success. He first tasted success with the club’s hurling team in 1940. That year he won his first senior county title, the first of three county victories in-a-row for Armstrong. He won a fourth county hurling medal in 1945. Two years later in 1947 Armstrong captured a senior county title with the O’Connell’s football team.
senior hurling team in 1940. He made his debut for the team that year and later collected his first Ulster
title following a 4-4 to 1-3 defeat of Down
. Ulster hurling, however, was the poor relation of the other three provinces and, as such, the provincial champions were not allowed to contest the senior All-Ireland series of games. The following year Down captured the Ulster title before the Ulster Championship was abandoned in 1942.
In 1943 the senior hurling championship faced a number of problems. Chief amongst these was the fact that the Emergency forced the All-Ireland minor
and junior
to be cancelled, resulting in the Ulster teams having no hurling competition. Because of this the Ulster champions were allowed to participate in the All-Ireland senior championship for the first time since 1925. That year Armstrong collected his second Ulster title before lining out against Galway
in the All-Ireland quarter-final. That game, played at Corrigan Park
in Belfast, threw up a surprise result as Antrim defeated Galway by 7-0 to 6-2. This allowed Armstrong’s side to advance to an All-Ireland semi-final meeting with Kilkenny
and, once again, the game was played at Corrigan Park. It was another historic win for Antrim as ‘the Cats’ were defeated by 3-3 to 1-6. It was the biggest shock in the history of the All-Ireland championship. For the first time in history a team from Ulster qualified to play in the All-Ireland final. Cork, the champions of the previous two years, provided the opposition on this unique occasion. Before the game the economic realities of the time surfaced. Jimmy Walsh
, the Antrim captain presented a quantity of butter to the Cork captain, Seán Condon
, who in turn presented his counterpart with a quantity of tea. Once the pre-match festivities were over the game began and a rout ensued. Cork crushed Antrim by 5-16 to 0-4, one of the biggest deficits in the history of the championship.
In 1944 Armstrong added a third Ulster medal to his collection. It was the first of six provincial titles in-a-row for Armstrong and his county, however, on each occasion Antrim were heavily defeated in the All-Ireland semi-final. Following their defeat in 1949 the Ulster championship was abolished.
By this stage, however, Armstrong had become a key player on the Antrim senior football team. In 1946 he captured his first Ulster
title with the ‘big ball’ code as Antrim defeated Cavan
who were attempting to capture an eighth Ulster title in-a-row. Armstrong’s side later lined out against Kerry
in the All-Ireland semi-final. The game was an exciting one; however, victory went to the Munster men by 2-7 to 0-10.
Five years later in 1951 Armstrong collected a second Ulster football medal as Antrim triumphed over Cavan once again. The subsequent All-Ireland semi-final saw Antrim take on Meath
and, once again, the game was close and exciting affair. Unfortunately, Armstrong ended up on the losing side again as Meath won by 2-6 to 1-7.
Armstrong retired from inter-county football some years later, however, he continued lining out for his county’s hurling team until 1961.
in the inter-provincial hurling and football competitions. He captured his first Railway Cup medal with the Ulster footballers in 1942 as Ulster defeated Munster
. This success was repeated in 1943 with a victory over Leinster
. Armstrong captured two more Railway Cup medals in 1947 and 1950 as Ulster triumphed over Leinster in both finals. Armstrong also lined out with the Ulster hurling team, however, he had little success.
Dual player
Dual player or dual star is a term used in Gaelic games to describe a player who plays both Men's Gaelic football and Hurling or Ladies' Gaelic football and Camogie. The player doesn't necessarily have to play at the same standard in both sports...
who excelled at football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
and hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
for his local club O’Connell’s and for the Antrim
Antrim GAA
The Antrim County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Antrim GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Antrim. The county board is also responsible for the Antrim inter-county teams...
senior inter-county teams in both codes from the 1940s until the 1960s.
He was one of the greatest players never to have won an All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
hurling medal, as seen through the GAA's
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
centenary year in 1984 when a special GAA Hurling Team of the Century
GAA Hurling Team of the Century
The Hurling Team of the Century was chosen as part of the Gaelic Athletic Association's centenary year celebrations in 1984 to comprise, as a fifteen-member side divided as one goalkeeper, three half-backs, two midfielders, three half-forwardss and three full-forwards, the best hurling players of...
was named, composed of players who never won an All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
medal. Armstrong was amongst the fifteen, at left wing-forward. Four years later, his reputation as a footballer was further cemented when he was the recipient of the prestigious GAA All-Time All-Star
GAA All-Time All-Star Award (Football)
The GAA All-Time All-Star Award in Football was an award given on an annual basis to a sportsperson who had made a long-running and considerable contribution to the sport of Gaelic football in Ireland...
award.
Club
Armstrong played his club hurlingHurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
and football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
with his local O’Connell’s club and enjoyed much success. He first tasted success with the club’s hurling team in 1940. That year he won his first senior county title, the first of three county victories in-a-row for Armstrong. He won a fourth county hurling medal in 1945. Two years later in 1947 Armstrong captured a senior county title with the O’Connell’s football team.
Inter-county
Armstrong first came to prominence on the inter-county scene with the AntrimAntrim GAA
The Antrim County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Antrim GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Antrim. The county board is also responsible for the Antrim inter-county teams...
senior hurling team in 1940. He made his debut for the team that year and later collected his first Ulster
Ulster Senior Hurling Championship
The Ulster Senior Hurling Championship is the premier intercounty "knockout" competition in the game of hurling played in the province of Ulster. The series of games are organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and are played during the summer months. The Ulster Hurling Final is played in July...
title following a 4-4 to 1-3 defeat of Down
Down GAA
The Down County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Down GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Down...
. Ulster hurling, however, was the poor relation of the other three provinces and, as such, the provincial champions were not allowed to contest the senior All-Ireland series of games. The following year Down captured the Ulster title before the Ulster Championship was abandoned in 1942.
In 1943 the senior hurling championship faced a number of problems. Chief amongst these was the fact that the Emergency forced the All-Ireland minor
All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship is an annual competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for competitors under eighteen years of age in the game of hurling played in Ireland.The series of games are played during the summer months with the All-Ireland final...
and junior
All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship was a hurling competition organized by the Gaelic Athletic Association in Ireland. The competition was originally contested by the second teams of the strong counties, and the first teams of the weaker counties...
to be cancelled, resulting in the Ulster teams having no hurling competition. Because of this the Ulster champions were allowed to participate in the All-Ireland senior championship for the first time since 1925. That year Armstrong collected his second Ulster title before lining out against Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
in the All-Ireland quarter-final. That game, played at Corrigan Park
Corrigan Park
Corrigan Park is a GAA ground on the Whiterock Road in West Belfast that served as the main venue for Gaelic Games in Belfast until the opening of Casement Park in 1953. It was named in honour of Sean Corrigan, mentor of the Brian Óg club who were Antrim’s first hurling champions...
in Belfast, threw up a surprise result as Antrim defeated Galway by 7-0 to 6-2. This allowed Armstrong’s side to advance to an All-Ireland semi-final meeting with Kilkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
and, once again, the game was played at Corrigan Park. It was another historic win for Antrim as ‘the Cats’ were defeated by 3-3 to 1-6. It was the biggest shock in the history of the All-Ireland championship. For the first time in history a team from Ulster qualified to play in the All-Ireland final. Cork, the champions of the previous two years, provided the opposition on this unique occasion. Before the game the economic realities of the time surfaced. Jimmy Walsh
Jimmy Walsh (Antrim hurler)
Jimmy Walsh is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club O'Connell's and with the Antrim senior inter-county team in the 1930s and 1940s. He was born in Belfast, County Antrim.-Club:...
, the Antrim captain presented a quantity of butter to the Cork captain, Seán Condon
Seán Condon
Seán Condon was an Irish sposrtsperson. He played hurling with his local club St. Finbarr's and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1942 until 1951. Condon holds the distinction of being one of only a handful of players to captain his county to All-Ireland titles in both minor...
, who in turn presented his counterpart with a quantity of tea. Once the pre-match festivities were over the game began and a rout ensued. Cork crushed Antrim by 5-16 to 0-4, one of the biggest deficits in the history of the championship.
In 1944 Armstrong added a third Ulster medal to his collection. It was the first of six provincial titles in-a-row for Armstrong and his county, however, on each occasion Antrim were heavily defeated in the All-Ireland semi-final. Following their defeat in 1949 the Ulster championship was abolished.
By this stage, however, Armstrong had become a key player on the Antrim senior football team. In 1946 he captured his first Ulster
Ulster Senior Football Championship
For information on this years competition, see Ulster Senior Football Championship 2011-2010 Draw:-2009 Draw:-2008 Draw:-Top winners:* All-Ireland winning years in bold.-Roll of honour:Notes:* 1907 No final result in records...
title with the ‘big ball’ code as Antrim defeated Cavan
Cavan GAA
The Cavan County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Cavan GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Cavan...
who were attempting to capture an eighth Ulster title in-a-row. Armstrong’s side later lined out against Kerry
Kerry GAA
The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...
in the All-Ireland semi-final. The game was an exciting one; however, victory went to the Munster men by 2-7 to 0-10.
Five years later in 1951 Armstrong collected a second Ulster football medal as Antrim triumphed over Cavan once again. The subsequent All-Ireland semi-final saw Antrim take on Meath
Meath GAA
The Meath County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Meath GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Meath, as well as for Meath inter-county teams.- Pre-1960s :...
and, once again, the game was close and exciting affair. Unfortunately, Armstrong ended up on the losing side again as Meath won by 2-6 to 1-7.
Armstrong retired from inter-county football some years later, however, he continued lining out for his county’s hurling team until 1961.
Provincial
Armstrong also lined out with UlsterUlster GAA
The Ulster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, and handball in the province of Ulster. The headquarters of the Ulster GAA is based in Armagh City....
in the inter-provincial hurling and football competitions. He captured his first Railway Cup medal with the Ulster footballers in 1942 as Ulster defeated Munster
Munster GAA
The Munster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Munster.-Constituent counties:*Cork*Clare*Kerry*Limerick*Tipperary*Waterford-Honours:...
. This success was repeated in 1943 with a victory over Leinster
Leinster GAA
The Leinster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Leinster. The Leinster Council has been partnered with the European County Board to help develop Gaelic Games in Europe...
. Armstrong captured two more Railway Cup medals in 1947 and 1950 as Ulster triumphed over Leinster in both finals. Armstrong also lined out with the Ulster hurling team, however, he had little success.