Caitriona O'Hagan hopes it's fourth time lucky for Carrickcruppen in Armagh Final

Caitriona O'Hagan helped Armagh win the National League Division Two title earlier this year

She is hopeful a long career as an inter-county footballer is ahead of her, but rising star Caitriona O'Hagan says winning a Armagh senior championship title with Carrickcruppen on Saturday evening would represent an ultimate achievement.

In her fourth year as a senior player with the Bessbrook-based side - located less than a mile away from Shane O'Neill's, the home club of Aimee and Blaithin Mackin - O'Hagan has contested top-tier deciders within the Orchard County during each of those seasons.

Runners-up to Armagh Harps in 2020 and 2021, O'Hagan was also part of a Carrickcruppen line-up that lost out on a replay to Clann Eireann by four points in October of last year.

It is Clann who once again stand in the way of Carrickcruppen in Saturday's decider at the Athletic Grounds (17:00 BST).

And while Caitriona won a National Football League Division 2 title with Armagh back in April, helping her club team to win a first senior championship crown since 2018 is something she would cherish for years to come.

"I think it means a wee bit more winning with them (Carrickcruppen)," says O'Hagan.

"They're nearly like your family and all your family are a part of your club."

Evergreen O'Hanlon

With county panellists such as Clodagh McCambridge, Cait Towe, Niamh Coleman and Dearbhla Coleman in their ranks, Clann Eireann will feel confident about completing a successful defence of the 2022 county title.

Yet the Carrickcruppen management have plenty of experience to call upon, none more so than the evergreen Caroline O'Hanlon.

In addition to being a highly-decorated international netball player with Northern Ireland, O'Hanlon featured for Armagh in their narrow All-Ireland Senior Final defeat by Cork in 2006 and was named Senior Player's Player of the Year eight years later.

Having watched her playing for both teams when she was growing up, O'Hagan has gone on to become a team-mate of O'Hanlon for Armagh and Carrickcruppen.

A young Caitriona O'Hagan with Caroline O'Hanlon at a Carrickcruppen club event

Whereas O'Hagan started Armagh's Division 2 showpiece encounter against Laois at Croke Park earlier this year, her idol turned playing colleague came on with three minutes remaining to see out a 4-9 to 2-10 success for the Orchard women.

"She's such a big person in our club and definitely in the team," adds O'Hagan of O'Hanlon.

You know when she's on the pitch that everything is going to be alright. She can direct you and give you a bit of advice.

"Also, she can control a game and you know when she has the ball that everything is going to be going good. I went to the games to see most of the girls, but definitely Caroline.

"You can learn off her and you can see her, but playing with the club, she used to be off practicing in her own time and you sort of learn from that."

McGonigle subplot

An interesting sub-plot for the Armagh decider is the presence in the opposition ranks of a man that O'Hagan will soon be able to call her inter-county boss.

Currently at the helm of Clann Eireann, Gregory McGonigle was appointed to the role of Armagh senior manager at the beginning of this month.

The Derry native is a highly-experienced figure, having guided Monaghan and Dublin to a combined five All-Ireland SFC final appearances in six years from 2011 to 2016.

While she enjoyed working with Shane McCormack during his single year as Orchard supremo, O'Hagan believes McGonigle's knowledge of the local scene in Armagh can work to their advantage in 2024 and beyond.

"Hopefully we'll beat them on Saturday and it won't put him in a bad mood for Armagh if we beat them!

"Some girls that mightn't have been seen playing senior championship could get a call-up playing for Armagh.

"It's good to see him managing a team in Armagh where he can actually see what is out there and see people playing their games with the club."