It wasn't your typical rivalry but it has grown into one with Armagh

THE Dublin-Armagh rivalry is thin in terms of competitive meetings - but they have found their edge elsewhere.

- BY PAT NOLAN

Sunday's clash at Croke Park will be just the counties' sixth ever Championship tie and first since 2010, though they have crossed paths a couple of times in the League in recent years.

But a challenge match that they played 10 years ago that virtually nobody got to see and the result of which is long forgotten, is still remembered for all the wrong reasons.

Before the throw-in, Dublin's Davy Byrne suffered facial injuries which sparked a full scale brawl. Byrne required hospital treatment and the CCCC investigated but with all parties remaining tightlipped, not much came of it though both counties were hit with hefty fines.

The GAA's then director general Paraic Duffy expressed his frustration around the episode in his annual report some months later.

When asked yesterday, Dean Rock didn't shed much further light on events of that day in DCU.

"We had played a couple of days previous in the Leinster final," he said. "We had guys who didn't get enough minutes and squad players who were identified to play that game.