Ciaran Whelan has been impressed by Armagh’s response to recent setbacks.

It was an all-too-familiar story for the Orchard County when they lost the provincial decider to Donegal on penalties, but they've bounced back impressively to reach their first All-Ireland SFC final in 21 years.

 "I think over a period of time, they have built a resilience within themselves and have come back from defeats, have come back in a positive way," the former Dublin midfielder told the RTÉ GAA Podcast.

"They have tried to channel that energy in a positive way particularly after the Ulster final this year when you felt it was going to be a hard road back for them after another significant knock, not winning that provincial title."

Reflecting on last Saturday’s extra-time win over Kerry, Whelan added: "A couple of things probably broke their way, but you cannot fault their commitment, their effort, their passion to succeed. It was really the sum of the parts. You were looking at the player of the match - Rian O'Neill got it - and that catch near the end. It was fantastic, but they had so many guys that made a contribution throughout the 70 minutes and in extra-time.

"There is a lot to like about Armagh. They were going to put it up to Kerry if Kerry weren't at their best."

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