STANDING still in Armagh this week meant running the very realistic risk of getting painted orange and white. That’s the way the build up have been in the Orchard County leading into Sunday’s All-Ireland final.
Sheep, cars, houses, curbs. You name it. Flags and bunting have surrounded the place like never before. Kids are stripped out in the orange, black and blue jerseys of Armagh. Housing estates are full of their own mini-All-Ireland final’s being played throughout the county.
Big days like these don’t come around too often. Every 20 years or so, an Armagh team emerges with the capability of getting their hands on Sam Maguire and Kieran McGeeney’s men are 70 minutes (or possibly more) away from doing that.
It’s been a long, hard slog at times. It’s not so long ago since the class of Rory Grugan, Stefan Campbell, Andrew Murnin and current captain Aidan Forker were plying their trade in the depths of Division Three.
They’re the older guard now. They’ve stayed the course and helped Armagh rise through the ranks and ultimately become All-Ireland contenders once again, for the first time in two decades.
A collection of Celtic Crosses for that particular crew, along with a few others, would be the ultimate prize for their perseverance. They won’t drift off into retirement just yet, happy with their lot, but they’ve earned their day in the sun.
Galway will have similar feelings heading down to Jones’ Road. Paul Conroy has plodded through the good days and bad days in maroon. He’s showed all the resilience and strength of character that will surely inspire those around him in the Galway dressing room.
When Padraic Joyce was first announced as Galway manager, he made his intentions very clear. His one objective was to win the All-Ireland. They’ve had great success in Connacht, winning three titles in a row, but that’s not enough anymore.
For a man that won two All-Ireland medals as a player, Joyce is hoping to join the list of men that have done it as a player and manager. Standing in the opposite corner, Kieran McGeeney can enter a much more exclusive club.
Very few men in the history of the GAA have captained and managed their counties to All-Ireland titles. Dublin legends Kevin Heffernan and Tony Hanahoe did it. Billy Morgan achieved that honour with Cork.
Paudi O’Se guided Kerry to Sam as a player and a manager. Brian Dooher captained Tyrone to two All-Ireland titles as a player and drove the most recent bunch of Red Hand All-Ireland winners up the steps of the Hogan Stand in 2021.
That’s the names Kieran McGeeney can be etched beside for the rest of eternity. He’s been through a lot in trying to mould this team through to where they stand now. As possible All-Ireland winners.
That’s the fairytale ending. Jarlath Burns, an Armagh legend himself, handing the Sam Maguire Cup over to Aidan Forker. That’s the dream. Now, it’s up to Armagh to make that a reality and it’s well within their grasp.