Aaron Kernan (born 16 December 1983) is an Irish

Gaelic football Gaelic football (; short name '')'', commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA, or football, is an Irish team sport. A form of football, it is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score ...

coach and former player for the

Crossmaglen Rangers Crossmaglen Rangers Gaelic Athletic Club () is a GAA club in Crossmaglen, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. They cater for Gaelic football and camogie. Their home football ground is St. Oliver Plunkett Park, which was opened in 1959. In 1971 the ...

club and the Armagh county team.

Playing career

Club

Kernan joined the

senior team in 2001 and retired following the 2023 Ulster quarter final defeat to Trillick. Throughout his playing career he won 18 Armagh County medals, 8 Ulster club medals and 3 All-Ireland club medals in 2007, 2011 & 2012. In 2007 he received Man of the Match for his performance in the match.

Inter-county

In 2004 Kernan joined the Armagh senior panel, it wasn't until 2005 that he made the breakthrough onto the Armagh senior team, with his father Joe as manager. In 2005 Armagh won the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

and his second

Ulster Senior Football Championship The Ulster Senior Football Championship is an inter-county competition for Gaelic football teams in the Irish province of Ulster. It is organised by the Ulster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and begins in April. The final is ...

. Kernan has won the Ulster championship 4 times in total 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2008 as well as

Ulster Under-21 Football Championship The Ulster GAA Football Under-20 Championship, known simply as the Ulster Under-20 Championship, is an annual inter-county Gaelic football competition organised by the Ulster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest in ...

in 2004 and an

All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship The GAA Football Under-20 All-Ireland Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the EirGrid GAA Football Under-20 All-Ireland Championship) is an annual inter-county Gaelic football competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association ...

in 2004. Kernan was named

All Stars Young Footballer of the Year The Gaelic Athletic Association, GAA & Gaelic Players Association, GPA All Stars Young Footballer of the Year (often called the All Stars Young Footballer of the Year, or simply Young Footballer of the Year) is an annual award given at the end o ...

in 2005. He retired from the inter county game following the 2014 All Ireland quarter final defeat to Donegal.

International rules

Kernan was a member of the successful Irish team to tour Australia in the

2008 International Rules Series The 2008 International Rules Series was the 14th annual International Rules Series and was played between Ireland international rules football team, Ireland and Australia international rules football team, Australia. After the 2007 series was ca ...

Coaching career

In November 2024, Kernan joined

Sligo Sligo ( ; , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of 20,608 in 2022, it is the county's largest urban centre (constituting 2 ...

as a defence coach under the management of former teammate Tony McEntee.

Honours

;Crossmaglen Rangers * 18

Armagh Senior Football Championship The Armagh Senior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football competition contested by top-tier Armagh GAA clubs. The Armagh GAA, Armagh County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association has organised it since 1889. Clann Eireann GAC, Clan ...

s (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018(c), 2019(c), 2022, 2023) * 8

Ulster Senior Club Football Championship The Ulster Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament organised by Ulster GAA. It is played between the Senior championship winners from each of the nine counties of Ulster. The competition was first held in 1968 an ...

s (2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015) * 3

All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship The All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament which began in season 1970–71. It is the top-tier competition for the senior football clubs of Ireland and London. The current champions are Cuala of D ...

s (2007, 2011, 2012) ;Armagh * 4

s (2004, 2005, 2006, 2008) * 1 National Football League Division 1 (2005) * 1 National Football League Division 2 (2010) * 1

(2004) * 1

(2004) Ulster * 3 Railway Cups (2007, 2009, 2013) Ireland * 1 International Series Win (2008) Individual Awards * 1

(2005) * 2 Irish News Ulster All-Stars (2005, 2006) * 1 Gaelic Life Ulster Club All Star (2015) *2 Armagh Club All Stars (2018, 2022) *1 Armagh Club Footballer of the Year (2018)

Personal life

Kernan is the son of former Armagh player and manager Joe Kernan, his brothers Stephen, Tony and Paul were also Crossmaglen and Armagh panel members, and their younger brother Ross played for Crossmaglen also. Kernan runs his own estate agency in his home town of Crossmaglen.

References

External links

Armagh GAA site

Armagh GAA Supporters Website

Orchardcounty.com - Unofficial Armagh GAA site

Armagh on Hoganstand.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kernan, Aaron 1983 births Living people All Stars Young Footballers of the Year Armagh inter-county Gaelic footballers Crossmaglen Rangers Gaelic footballers Gaelic football coaches Irish international rules football players Sligo county football team non-playing personnel