Liverpool fan and former Northern Ireland under-19 soccer star Oisin Conaty couldn’t resist a dig after the Carton House misunderstanding
Oisín Conaty has poured cold water on claims of a training ground stand-off between Armagh and Manchester United – insisting the whole thing “never happened”.
Rumours gathered pace online earlier this week, suggesting both teams were due to use Carton House at the same time, with Armagh allegedly forced to step aside as the pitches were lined out for soccer instead of GAA.
But Conaty, who was a talented soccer player himself and represented Northern Ireland at under-19 level, says the reality was far less dramatic.
“The pitches weren’t lined out, so we just went back up the road and we trained in Armagh,” he explained.
“It was a Saturday and Sunday, no big deal. We got three good sessions in and we’re happy with the weekend.
“I saw it coming out yesterday, a few tweets, but it didn’t affect us.”
Rather than any clash with the Premier League giants, Armagh simply adjusted their plans – with no disruption to their preparations.
“Everything was the same – the meetings, the trainings, everything,” Conaty added.
“We got two good sessions in and another walk-through session. It was perfect.”
The Orchard County ultimately lost nothing from the change of venue – aside from a night away.
“We got the same number of training sessions in Armagh that we would have done in Carton House,” he said.
“The only difference was we slept in our own beds.”
And while the supposed run-in with Manchester United never materialised, Conaty couldn’t resist a cheeky dig – especially given his footballing loyalties.
“If United were there, I’m a Liverpool man, so there could have been a bit of a stand-off,” he joked.
“United need the result, don’t they?
“They need the training in the last few years they’ve been going through.”
* Oisin Conaty is an AIB ambassador ahead of the 2026 GAA Championship
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