Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Ethan Rafferty.Dan Sheridan/INPHO Ulster Championship 'No doubt teams are targeting us but we have a few targets ourselves' - Ethan Rafferty After missing out as a starter last year through injury, Ethan Rafferty wants more honours in Gaelic football to go with his road bowls success. 5.01pm, 10 Apr 2025 Share options Declan Bogue YOU GET YOUR kicks whatever way you can. When Armagh beat Kerry in the All-Ireland semi-final last year, Ethan Rafferty remained rooted to the bench. Blaine Hughes had staked his claim to the goalkeeper’s jersey while a broken leg sustained playing for his club ruled out Rafferty, who had become a serious weapon as a roving goalkeeper in the seasons previous. In such scenarios, players have to deal with the tang of personal disappointment, up against the collective glee that any team reaching an All-Ireland final bathes in. After togging out, the Armagh bus headed north while Rafferty had a different fish to fry, heading off to deepest west Cork to Castletownkenneigh, sandwiched almost equidistant between the birthplace of Sam Maguire, Dunmanway to the south-west, and Béal na Bláth, the site of Michael Collins’ assassination. Ten days before the All-Ireland series, he retained his Ulster title in Tassagh, just down the road from home. The day after that Armagh win, he won the All-Ireland intermediate road bowls and beat Tommy O’Sullivan in the final. “One down, one to go,” he quipped to the mirth of all. Advertisement On the same day, his aunt, Dervla Mallon (née Toal) won her fifth title. Road bowls, or ‘Bullets’ as it’s known in Armagh, is one of those peculiarities handed down through the generations and among families. Rafferty’s uncles on his mother’s side are Toals and his uncle Martin would often give up the evening to help him practise skiting a ball up the road. Another uncle, Michael, has nine world titles. “I suppose I was a bit lucky last year. It was local to me and didn’t take up too much time. My grandparents are big into it and if you are down home, you’d go for half an hour with my uncle and my mate to throw a few shots and practise,” said Rafferty. “It’s grand. Geezer (Kieran McGeeney) gives me a bye-ball on it because it is not that strenuous a sport, but it is more technical on the skill side of things. “It was a long oul spin after the Kerry game last year to go down to the final. But thankfully it worked out.” Around where Rafferty lives in Grange, there are Bullets clubs in Keady, Madden, Tullysaran, Blackwatertown and Eglish nosing into Tyrone. There are also a few clubs in Louth, some in Connacht, but the other heartland is west Cork. All of this was glorious diversion from his inability to force his way back into the team after injury. Last year on 1 April, he also got married to Danielle McKee, a Ballymacnab camogie player. “There have been other things going on off the field that you can focus towards and on the field, it’s really about keeping fit and healthy,” he said. In action as an outfield player.Donall Farmer / INPHO Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO “Coming back last year, as much as it was slow progress, it still had its’ challenges on each corner and as long as I was challenging Blaine, as long as I was pushing him on, he obviously delivered for us throughout the year.” Now he’s back fully integrated into the fold and had a strong league campaign. Playing as a roving goalkeeper, he had some serious performances when the 12 v 11 glitch in the new rules was being exploited. One pass played inside in the Dublin game was sheer artistry alone. Leah Scholes / INPHO Leah Scholes / INPHO / INPHO But Armagh are marked men now. They are chasing back-to-back All-Irelands. That brings its’ own pressures. “If you are not motivated to do well, then you are going to be caught, you are going to be in a bad place. We are doing well and motivating ourselves as players,” he said. “There are no doubt teams targeting us but we have a few targets ourselves and looking forward towards them and we will try to meet them head on.” No doubt, one of those targets will be to collect what would be the first Ulster title for all in the squad, having lost the two previous finals, both on penalties to Derry and then Donegal. They start that journey this Saturday when they face Antrim in the somewhat controversial fixture that will be played in Corrigan Park in the heart of west Belfast, after the Saffrons insisted on their home advantage and went against the wishes of the Ulster Council, who wished to stage the game at Pairc Esler in Newry to cope with the demand for tickets. “It makes no difference to us,” he insists. Related Reads Malachy O'Rourke and Tyrone: 'It's a very passionate county, very hard to refuse it' Con O'Callaghan named as new Dublin senior football captain A long slow decline: Where can Derry go from here in the All-Ireland series? “As a football fan, you would have liked to have stayed in Corrigan Park. What’s the point in having a draw if they didn’t give you home advantage? “It doesn’t matter where it is played, we were focussing on us and the league and we are only taking it into account since the league is over.” And now for the Ulster championship. “Obviously, it (last year) was a bit of a heartbreak. But it’s funny how quickly it’s forgotten by the time July came round,” Rafferty notes. “I am not going to sit here and say if I care or not, I would love to win one as a player, to get your hands on the Anglo-Celt. “But we treat each game as it goes. We wouldn’t be looking too far ahead. We set our plan out at the start of the year and try to hit the milestones as we go.” Declan Bogue Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “'No doubt teams are targeting us but we have a few targets ourselves' - Ethan Rafferty”. 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