Armagh footballer and McKeever Sports Brand Ambassador, Rian O'Neill, pictured at the brand’s GAA Licence Launch event in Croke Park, Dublin. For the first time, McKeever Sports has secured the full official GAA licensing suite, with the authority to manufacture official club and county playing teamwear for use on and off of the pitch.
By John Harrington
It’s very rare that a player makes the sort of impact in his debut championship campaign that Rian O’Neill did with Armagh last year.
He scored a total of 3-21 in the five championship matches he played, and wowed everyone with his strength, pace, skill and mature decision making.
How does a 20-year-old burst onto the scene as a ready-made senior inter-county footballer of the highest quality?
In O’Neill’s case, he’s a product of both nature and nurture.
His father is former Armagh and Louth footballer, Gareth O’Neill, while his uncle on his mother Dora’s side is legendary Armagh footballer Oisin McConville.
Most of Rian’s earliest memories revolve around he and his slightly older brother, another Oisin, being brought here, there, and everywhere for matches and training sessions.
“Every game when we were young, myself and Oisin were around the same age, and my Dad used to play for Cross and we'd be up every night kicking out ball," recalls O'Neill. "That went on, he became the manager then, and we were still kicking ball.
“My mother would be going mad that we weren't in the house doing a bit of homework or something and he'd be dragging us out to training. That's the way we grew up, we always had a ball in our hands and were kicking about. That's all we wanted to do.”
Siblings who are close in age and share a passion for sport tend to drive one another on to new heights and that’s certainly been the case for Rian and his older brother Oisin who is also a key member of the Armagh team.
“I suppose the two of us, yeah, used to beating the heads off each other out in the back every time we got a chance,” laughs O’Neill.
“But that drove us on too, that competitiveness between each other.
“When we're on the field together we want each other to do the best, but when we're in training...there was a time with Cross when we weren't allowed mark each other because there would be a bit of a row going on.
“I suppose we just drive each other on.”
Armagh footballer Oisin O'Neill is Rian O'Neill's older brother.
It wasn’t just with his brother that Rian had an occasional disagreement on a football pitch with.
He had made his way onto the Crossmaglen senior team by the age of 17 and there were a number of corner-backs around the county who made it their business to see if they could intimidate the youngster.
They quickly found out he was more than happy to meet fire with fire, though he admits now his spiky nature got him into some trouble along the way.
“Aye, there was a few rows throughout the years with corner-backs and stuff,” he admits. “I suppose that's just part and parcel of it.
“When you're young that's something everyone gets, that treatment. They're trying to intimidate you really and it's just how you react to it and keep playing the game.
“I suppose when I was younger I was a bit more hot-headed and had good few right tear-ups and stuff. I suppose over the last few years I've sort of calmed down and realised I'm no use sitting on the line. It's just about using the head."
O’Neill is also now coming in for some special treatment in an Armagh jersey. Opposition teams have identified him as the Orchard county’s main danger-man, and are doing all they can to limit his influence.
That doesn’t bother O’Neill who views it as another challenge to overcome.
“I suppose, yeah, as the season went on last year their best marker was coming to mark you,” he says.
“But that's a compliment too at the end of the day that they think he's worthy of marking you. I like to challenge myself as well so I wouldn't be shying away from whoever is marking me."
McKeever Sports Brand Ambassadors Katie Power (Kilkenny), Conor McManus (Monaghan), Andy Moran (Mayo), Rian O’Neill (Armagh) and Hannah Looney (Cork) pictured at the brand’s GAA Licence Launch event in Croke Park, Dublin. For the first time, McKeever Sports has secured the full official GAA licensing suite, with the authority to manufacture official club and county playing teamwear for use on and off of the pitch.
O’Neill is one of a number of very talented young Armagh footballers who were hot-housed in the Orchard Academy and are now making a big impact in senior inter-county football.
Currently top of Division 2 of the Allianz Football League, they look like a team that is evolving and improving quickly.
“Yeah, we are,” says O’Neill. “We're getting good performances and we're getting that consistency. There were games when we were starting well and not seeing them out so it's just about getting that consistency across the board.
“Yeah, I suppose, maybe at times it's a bit of a lack of experience in seeing games out and stuff. Maybe lacking the darker arts of the game and that sort of stuff, but we'll learn from that.
“We are a young team, yeah, and we've a lot to learn.”
Saturday’s Allianz Football League Division 2 clash with Roscommon is a big one.
The Connacht county are second in the table, also on seven points like Armagh. Win this game, and promotion to Division One would be probable rather than possible.
That wouldn’t just accelerate the development of this exciting young Armagh team further, it would galvanise the whole county.
“Yeah, it would give the county a huge boost,” admits O’Neill. “I think the last time Armagh was in Division 1 was maybe 2011 or 2012 and I suppose that's a long time for Armagh to be out of it especially after being one of the biggest teams in Ireland for the decade before that so I suppose it's massive for Armagh to get back up there and you want to playing against the best teams because ultimately that is how you better yourself if you are playing against the best teams week, week out.”
