Clodagh McCambridge looks back on family fortunes with Armagh

It was a busy year for the McCambridge household on the pitch in Armagh, with a week in July going from heartbreak to joy.

For Clodgh McCambridge, she captained the Armagh ladies in an All-Ireland semi-final, with her sister Meabh playing alongside her, as they fell short in a 1-8 to 0-7 defeat to eventual winners Kerry.

There was not much time for Clodagh and Meabh to look back on their defeat, as attention quickly turned to the men's final a week later, as Barry McCambridge was one of the driving forces behind Armagh's first All-Ireland in  over 30 years.

Coming so close to an All-Ireland final herself, Clodagh McCambridge admitted it was not easy to accept defeat, but watching Barry lift Sam Maguire was a proud moment for the family, particularly the setbacks he had to overcome.

"We are all in the same house still, so whenever you're coming in, both of us are coming in after training.

"Some of us are starting and other times he's not, it can be tough. Then, to see him getting the rewards at the end, he got his opportunities, got big scores in big games. Just the way the season ended, it was brilliant.

"It was a welcome distraction, you didn't have time to feel too low. That whole week was just a massive build up and nothing I have seen before.

"It was great getting over it in that sense. I probably haven't actually reflected on our own game too much. It was brilliant, especially having that family element involved made it all that more special."

For the Armagh women, despite coming up short, they once again showed they are one of the top teams in the country.

2024 saw them win Division One and an Ulster final, and while it was not meant to be in the summer, they have showed they are a force to be reckoned with heading