WHEN I think of Armagh, I think of the sea of exuberant orange at the foot of the Hogan Stand 22 years ago.
When I think of Armagh winning the All-Ireland, I think of sinking pints in the Dew Drop Inn, Galway wondering why I chose to watch the 2002 All-Ireland final in a pub rather than in Croke Park itself.
Armagh football over the past 20-odd years has conjured every conceivable emotion.
I admired the team that Brian Canavan and Brian McAlinden built and how it was finished off by Joe Kernan and Paul Grimley.
When I think of Armagh, I think of Diarmaid Marsden. A prowling bull of a man who was the most selfless Gaelic footballer that ever played the game.
Marsden was unique because he always showed exactly the same insatiable appetite for chasing opposing defenders as he did going forward to try and score himself. There was no better team player than Marsden.
When I think of Armagh, I think of Kieran McGeeney fetching a ball in the shadow of Hogan, feeding Paul McGrane who thumped the ball between Tyrone’s posts with his laces to force a 2005 Ulster final replay.
You can’t coach that kind of desire.
When I think of Armagh, I can still see a young Paul Finlay of Monaghan making a name for himself in Clones in ‘03 and Colm Coyle taking refuge against a concrete wall outside the winning changing room, drawing hard on a cigarette and telling reporters how much he loved mountains.
When I think of Armagh, I think of Oisin McConville always turning up on the big days. Nobody thrived more in the clutch moments than Oisin.
“I prepared better for bigger games than I did for smaller games,” Oisin told The Irish News a few weeks ago in his native Crossmaglen.
“I don’t think I performed in all of the big games I was involved in as a player - but I was always in them, I was always there, and it didn’t matter if it took me 60 minutes to figure it out, I still felt in my own head that I’d have the last laugh and I’ll take the opportunity if it comes.”
In the mind’s eye, Stevie McDonnell is kicking points from all angles – at Clones and Croke Park – the kind of shots that would give the modern-day coach heartburn.
The angrier he was, the better he played.
When I think of Armagh, I think of the Killeavy man roaring into the face of Fermanagh goalkeeper Ronan Gallagher after scoring, safe in the knowledge of his county banking the 2008 Ulster title.
No player loved his marker being touch-tight quite like Stevie. Just ask Niall McCready of Donegal in the 2003 All-Ireland semi-final. One chance. One goal.
When I think of Armagh, I think of Tom Brewster’s point for Fermanagh in ‘04. Another All-Ireland that got away.
When I think of Armagh, I think of the precocious Ronan Clarke – the pride of Pearse Ogs and young player of the year who left his indelible mark on the game.
When I think of Armagh, I think of the warrior footballers of John and Tony McEntee, Francie Bellew, Aidan O’Rourke, the McNultys, Andy McCann, Kieran Hughes and Benny Tierney telling reporters before the 2003 All-Ireland final that he wasn’t quite ready for his slippers and the omnibus edition of Eastenders.
I remember Kerry bullying Armagh out of the All-Ireland series in ‘06 at Croke Park as the light began to fade in the Orchard County.
One by one, the warriors of summer drifted into retirement while young Brendan Donaghy was playing the shirt off his back in Ballybofey.
When I think of Armagh, I think of young Collie Devlin of Derry popping the ball over the bar in Clones to knock them out, ending their search for Sam.
In 2009, Ryan McMenamin and Stevie McDonnell marked one another in the early rounds of the Ulster Championship. It was a much too civil an affair to think that Armagh could wrestle Sam Maguire – or even the Anglo-Celt - again.
All the while Paul McShane was putting some shape on the minor class of ‘09 - Rory Grugan, Andrew Murnin, Gavin McParland and James Morgan.
And behind those came ‘Soupy’ Campbell, Paddy Burns and Aidan Forker.
As the halcyon days of the ‘Noughties’ ended, Armagh were also-rans. Some brilliant players among them – Aaron Kernan, Ciaran McKeever, Brian Mallon, Andy Mallon and Jamie Clarke – but Tyrone and Donegal had stolen a march on them.
There were sparks of hope, but only sparks as Armagh yo-yoed between Division Two and Three.
When I think of Armagh, I think of Stephen Sheridan tearing down Semple Stadium in 2017 and the many ‘Fights of the Night’ – as Rory Grugan ruefully called them: Roscommon (2018), Mayo (2019), Monaghan (2021), Galway (2022), Derry (2023), Donegal (2024).
When I think of Armagh, I think of the sun-burnt pitch of the Marshes in 2021 and Rian O’Neill and Andy Murnin reaching levels that you could never imagine, and still finishing on the losing end against Monaghan.
They sowed up the centre of their defence and moved on from finishing second in another classic.
When I think of Armagh, I think of penalty shoot-out defeats.
When I think of Armagh, I think of resilience, staying power, the emergence of clear-minded football and buying into a sturdy belief system.
When I think of Armagh, I think of Kerry’s pitchforks turning to rubber towards the end of an enthralling All-Ireland semi-final and Barry McCambridge, Blaine Hughes, Conor Turbitt and Ross McQuillan bouncing fit.
After a long and winding road, Armagh have reached their first All-Ireland final since 2002.
When I think of this Armagh team, they have never been more ready...