ARMAGH ALL-IRELAND WINNER Niall Grimley is on a team holiday in Miami but tonight he will be following a touching moment from afar.
His parents, Brian and Frances, are due to collect the Gaelic Writers’ Association’s Football Personality of the Year award on his behalf at a ceremony in Dublin.
The midfielder dedicated his Celtic Cross medal to his brother Patrick, who died in a car accident after his 40th birthday, along with his wife Ciera, and Ciara McElvanna, wife of 2002 All-Ireland winner Kevin.
“It was my brother’s one-year anniversary on Monday and we have the joint anniversary mass here before we go to Miami,” said Grimley before heading Stateside on Wednesday.
“It’s been a tough week but only for my wife, my family, my friends, work, Armagh management, Geezer (Kieran McGeeney); the impact they have had on me in the past year, I am very thankful.
“For me, it’s been a rollercoaster year, the lows have been so low and the highs have been so high. Unusual year. Unusual year.
“We are meeting all these anniversaries and stuff for the first time. Once you get over them you feel a wee bit…”
He continues: “And obviously to be able to give my family and community and Armagh the joy of being able to bring the cup back to Madden, my club, it has been a distraction if that makes sense, and it’s kept people busy.
“And it’s brought joy to people when there was sad days and there was dark, dark days. Proud and privileged to be able to bring the cup back.
“They all had to play a small part in us getting over the line and winning the All-Ireland final so I am very, very appreciative of anyone who has helped me in any small way. So for 2025, I am going to need double that help and more.”
Niall Grimley sees his father Brian lift the Sam Maguire Cup. Tom Maher / INPHO
Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
The emotions the Sam Maguire Cup brings out in people remain as strong almost four months on from their victory over Galway.
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“You be meeting people now and they’d be in tears, even at the thought of seeing Sam Maguire,” Grimley says, “and even at the thought of being able to hold it and stand beside you and get a photo, people, the joy that it brings, I didn’t realise it.
“I honestly didn’t realise the joy this cup would bring. I never imagined it being this huge. It’s honestly brilliant, unbelievable. I don’t even have a word in my vocabulary, it’s that good.”
The 30-year-old says he gets an equivalent sense of joy from bringing the cup around, such as a recent visit to his old high school.
Did he always believe this day would come around?
“When I was 21 and 22, starting off your Armagh senior career, obviously we were up and down in Division 2, Division 3.
“You always at the back of the head thought, ‘Someday that will be us’, and you believed it, but when it happens you are in disbelief, ‘Nah, I don’t believe it’.
“And the whole time in the back of your mind you are thinking, ‘This is really something I want so bad,’ and you are seeing the likes of Tyrone winning and the likes of Dublin and Kerry and you are thinking, ‘Oh my God, will our day come?’
“Then I suppose when we beat Kerry in the semi-final, finals are there for winning.
“That was obviously amazing, that feeling at the final whistle, walking up the Hogan Steps with (Aidan) Forker and you visualise it all year and the week leading up to it and then it happens and you are in disbelief.
“Nah, it has been unbelievable, unbelievable moments that I will never forget for the rest of my life.”
Niall Grimley lifts the Sam Maguire. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
It hasn’t been straightforward in terms of playing time either. Grimley underwent surgery on a broken neck in 2022 and ruptured knee ligaments soon after his return. He didn’t feature in the Ulster championship this year before getting his chance.
“Game time last year was very limited, obviously coming back from the neck. It took me seven or eight months to come back from the neck and two weeks before the Ulster final against Derry in 2023, I ruptured my MCL and then I missed the rest of the season.
“In terms of the last couple of years, limited game time but obviously as a footballer you sort of have to keep believing in yourself. That was my whole thinking. Just keep believing in who you are and what you do and some day it will change.
“Ciarán Mackin got injured. Andrew Murnin picked up a niggle. One man’s loss is another man’s gain, but I’ve been that person. The year before and the year before.
“It shows the importance of having a squad and strength in depth, where we were able to throw someone else in.
“It could have been someone else fired in that day. It could have been big Shane McPartland fired in against Derry. I’m thankful I got the chance.”
He played in the interprovincial games to trial Gaelic football’s new rules and saw merit in the punishments for dissent. He takes a pragmatic approach, otherwise, trusting their coaches to find the best ways to approach whatever gets approved.
As for their title defence, Grimley is excited by the new challenges of playing as champions.
“In the same way [as] Man United, when they were winning all those trophies year after year, every game for us next year is going to be huge and they are going to want to beat the All-Ireland champions.
“It is obviously exciting to get back, All-Ireland champions, but you are only as good as your next performance, and basically 2024 is shut.
“Okay, we have our All-Ireland medals, amazing, but it’s a clean slate basically for every single team and the new rules as well.
“In terms of each game, I know it will be hot and heavy and we are going out to stop these boys and we are going out with a target on our back, which is part of being a champion as well.
“That’s why you have to admire the likes of Dublin, when they done it five or six years in a row. They kept doing it and doing it and doing it.
“That’s great champions. We won the All-Ireland once, so there is no point stopping now. You want more. You get selfish. You get greedy. You want more. We are definitely excited for 2025.”
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Niall Grimley: 'The lows have been so low and the highs have been so high'
ARMAGH ALL-IRELAND WINNER Niall Grimley is on a team holiday in Miami but tonight he will be following a touching moment from afar.
His parents, Brian and Frances, are due to collect the Gaelic Writers’ Association’s Football Personality of the Year award on his behalf at a ceremony in Dublin.
The midfielder dedicated his Celtic Cross medal to his brother Patrick, who died in a car accident after his 40th birthday, along with his wife Ciera, and Ciara McElvanna, wife of 2002 All-Ireland winner Kevin.
“It was my brother’s one-year anniversary on Monday and we have the joint anniversary mass here before we go to Miami,” said Grimley before heading Stateside on Wednesday.
“It’s been a tough week but only for my wife, my family, my friends, work, Armagh management, Geezer (Kieran McGeeney); the impact they have had on me in the past year, I am very thankful.
“We are meeting all these anniversaries and stuff for the first time. Once you get over them you feel a wee bit…”
He continues: “And obviously to be able to give my family and community and Armagh the joy of being able to bring the cup back to Madden, my club, it has been a distraction if that makes sense, and it’s kept people busy.
“And it’s brought joy to people when there was sad days and there was dark, dark days. Proud and privileged to be able to bring the cup back.
“They all had to play a small part in us getting over the line and winning the All-Ireland final so I am very, very appreciative of anyone who has helped me in any small way. So for 2025, I am going to need double that help and more.”
The emotions the Sam Maguire Cup brings out in people remain as strong almost four months on from their victory over Galway.
“You be meeting people now and they’d be in tears, even at the thought of seeing Sam Maguire,” Grimley says, “and even at the thought of being able to hold it and stand beside you and get a photo, people, the joy that it brings, I didn’t realise it.
The 30-year-old says he gets an equivalent sense of joy from bringing the cup around, such as a recent visit to his old high school.
Did he always believe this day would come around?
“When I was 21 and 22, starting off your Armagh senior career, obviously we were up and down in Division 2, Division 3.
“You always at the back of the head thought, ‘Someday that will be us’, and you believed it, but when it happens you are in disbelief, ‘Nah, I don’t believe it’.
“And the whole time in the back of your mind you are thinking, ‘This is really something I want so bad,’ and you are seeing the likes of Tyrone winning and the likes of Dublin and Kerry and you are thinking, ‘Oh my God, will our day come?’
“Then I suppose when we beat Kerry in the semi-final, finals are there for winning.
“That was obviously amazing, that feeling at the final whistle, walking up the Hogan Steps with (Aidan) Forker and you visualise it all year and the week leading up to it and then it happens and you are in disbelief.
“Nah, it has been unbelievable, unbelievable moments that I will never forget for the rest of my life.”
It hasn’t been straightforward in terms of playing time either. Grimley underwent surgery on a broken neck in 2022 and ruptured knee ligaments soon after his return. He didn’t feature in the Ulster championship this year before getting his chance.
“Game time last year was very limited, obviously coming back from the neck. It took me seven or eight months to come back from the neck and two weeks before the Ulster final against Derry in 2023, I ruptured my MCL and then I missed the rest of the season.
“In terms of the last couple of years, limited game time but obviously as a footballer you sort of have to keep believing in yourself. That was my whole thinking. Just keep believing in who you are and what you do and some day it will change.
“Ciarán Mackin got injured. Andrew Murnin picked up a niggle. One man’s loss is another man’s gain, but I’ve been that person. The year before and the year before.
“It shows the importance of having a squad and strength in depth, where we were able to throw someone else in.
“It could have been someone else fired in that day. It could have been big Shane McPartland fired in against Derry. I’m thankful I got the chance.”
He played in the interprovincial games to trial Gaelic football’s new rules and saw merit in the punishments for dissent. He takes a pragmatic approach, otherwise, trusting their coaches to find the best ways to approach whatever gets approved.
As for their title defence, Grimley is excited by the new challenges of playing as champions.
“It is obviously exciting to get back, All-Ireland champions, but you are only as good as your next performance, and basically 2024 is shut.
“Okay, we have our All-Ireland medals, amazing, but it’s a clean slate basically for every single team and the new rules as well.
“In terms of each game, I know it will be hot and heavy and we are going out to stop these boys and we are going out with a target on our back, which is part of being a champion as well.
“That’s why you have to admire the likes of Dublin, when they done it five or six years in a row. They kept doing it and doing it and doing it.
“That’s great champions. We won the All-Ireland once, so there is no point stopping now. You want more. You get selfish. You get greedy. You want more. We are definitely excited for 2025.”
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