Oisin McConville has criticised the Armagh management for persisting with their controversial media ban.

While interviews have been granted intermittently to some reporters since the 'ban' was enforced before Armagh's Ulster SFC quarter-final against Cavan on June 8, lines of communication with most media outlets have been shut down.

It was expected that the Orchard men would end their media blackout yesterday when journalists were invited to a press briefing at the Carrickdale Hotel in Ravensdale, only for the event to be cancelled at the 11th hour.

Former Armagh star McConville is as perplexed as anyone by his county's stance. He contends that it is only drawing attention to the Paul Grimley and his team ahead of Saturday's All-Ireland SFC quarter-final against Donegal.

"I was buoyed by the fact we were going to speak to journalists," he told the Irish Examiner.

"I thought, 'right, they've made their point' and were moving on. But this now smacks of a county that's looking for headlines rather than trying to shy away from there. For it to be pulled at the last minute doesn't seem right.

"I have spoken to lots of Armagh people on this. The important thing to them is that the team are going well and that's an essential point to make. The second point is people at this stage are just wondering what is going on.

"Most supporters could understand why they felt they needed to make the point and that's probably fair enough but it's now gone to a ridiculous level and this latest incident doesn't help anybody. It doesn't help the PR of Armagh, it doesn't help the sponsors or the team.

"The focus has to be on Donegal and the massive task ahead of the players. But this stuff is just a distraction and it won't help." Tweet

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