When they run out onto the pitch, 21 years, 10 months and seven days will have lapsed since Armagh’s last taste of All-Ireland glory in 2002, when Kieran McGeeney raised the Sam Maguire aloft in front of a sea of orange.
Nearly every townland and hamlet in the county stopped, if just for a moment, to let the moment soak in and savour the feeling of being the number one footballing county in Ireland.
That day lives on in the memories of those who were there and who lived the dream that was sweeter than the apples from the Orchard County.
Although just over 262 months will have gone by, those memories will have been reawakened more and more as we edge closer and closer to the All-Ireland football final on Sunday.
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Similar scenes have been seen up and down the country in the lead-up to this year’s showpiece, including the same farmer painting his sheep in the famous orange and white.
We asked Armagh fans to send in their memories and they delivered, here are a few of the best we received:
Grainne Loughran sent in this photo of her family, which was taken in 2002, and she is looking forward to a family reunion ahead of this Sunday’s final.
“I’ve travelled back from Canada for the semi-final and my brother came from Singapore and my sister is joining us for the All-Ireland Final, flying in from Toronto on Saturday for the weekend,” she said.
Donna, who lived in Moy, Co Tyrone, in 2002, remembers that day very clearly and the buzz that spread through the entire county leading up to the final.
“The atmosphere in Armagh and at Croke Park was electric, Armagh had played in 1953, and 1977 and expectations were high on Armagh winning in 2002,” she said.
“Fans had gone that extra mile with decorations throughout Armagh and where I lived at the time, in Moy.
“Faces were painted and hair sprayed on the day. Traffic home from the match was mad and we did not get back to Armagh until midnight.
“We were stewards at the homecoming in Crossmaglen, where crowds had gathered to cheer on the Armagh heroes. Hopes are high again, here’s hoping for another victory.”
Aimee Duffy has been a fan of Armagh from early in her life, pictured above with her siblings ahead of the 2002 All-Ireland SFC final against Kerry.
She said: “Unfortunately, like today, we didn’t get tickets for the final. We all went into town to watch the match.
“We were at the quarters and the semis that year but I was only 8 at the time and remember being devastated not to be at the final.
“I’m not at the final this year as I couldn’t get enough tickets for me and all my kids but like in 2002 the buzz around the town then and now is amazing.”
Now, with a family of her own, she still follows the orange and white, attending a lot of Armagh games.
“This year, me and the child went to most of the league games and the McKenna Cup back in January and the quarter and the semi-finals of all the Ulster games also,” she said.
“I would say, easily, over the last two seasons before the same all the League, McKenna Cup, etc. 30+ [games] in the last few years.
“Since I’ve been a child, God I couldn’t even count, my daddy used to take us to them all every year, it was great.”
Ciara McGill and her family have gone all out this year in decorating ahead of this year’s All-Ireland football final.
“People have been stopping outside our house to get pictures of our display,” she said.
“The kids are really enjoying the hype and running in to tell us when a car has stopped and are saying, “They must be ‘Up Armagh’ too.”
Ciara’s husband is from Donegal and the kids trying their best to get him to wear an Armagh jersey, but no luck yet.
Lastly, our colleague Annette McManus sent a photo of her sister, Janet Small, when then Armagh captain Kieran McGeeney went to her primary school, St Malachy’s in Camlough, after the All Ireland in 2002.
