Mattie McGleenan's homecoming has sparked a new wave of hope and optimism in the village of Eglish.
After a high-flying decade on the provincial circuit at club and county level with Scotstown and Cavan, the former Tyrone star is back among his own people.
A colourful career has come full circle as he takes up the managerial reins at the club where he learned the basics of the game as a youngster and moulded out a footballing life that made him a household name.
Eglish reclaim their place in senior football with two famous sons back on the old sod, and if McGleenan's appointment has created a stir, the return of former Aussie Rules star Conor McKenna has caused seismic reverberations.
"It's great to be back in Eglish, but I probably haven't really gone away either, in that I have been helping out with youth teams over the last eight or ten years," said McGleenan.
"I have always been keeping my hand in with the youth coming through in the club.
"It's great to have no driving to do, I can be at the pitch from home in five minutes."
His work with the club's under-age squads has been influential and self-enlightening.
No-one in the Eglish set-up has a better understanding of the potential of the many young talents who have come through the ranks in the past decade, and many of them have broken into the senior squad, others ready to knock on the door.
"Eglish were in the Grade One Minor Championship final last year, and won the Grade One League the year before that.
"We have been working hard, trying to bring the youth through.
"From the U14 team that Conor McKenna was on, I think there's 13 or 14 of those lads kicking down the door looking to play senior football.
"So if we amalgamate that with some of the older statesmen, the likes of Conal McNulty, Joey Jordan, and the younger boys, there's plenty of talent there."
His predecessor Paul Coney guided Eglish back to the premier grade at the end of last season following a brief spell at intermediate level.
"Paul Coney did a brilliant job this last three years with the club.
"He has got them back into senior football, he has done fabulous work with the boys.
"But the job was there and I was always going to go for it."
The club's promotion, along with that of Edendork, completes a cluster of five senior clubs within a small radius in the south-east of the county, all of which will engage in fierce derby rivalry this year.
Last season's sensational championship win by Dungannon means the Clarkes will be at the focal point of a local power struggle which also involves Donaghmore and Galbally.
"With the Clarkes winning last year, and this is the feeling among various people out and about that I have been talking to … the Clarkes have re-ignited what is going to be another mad championship.
"Edendork will feel that on any given Sunday, they could beat Dungannon, Galbally will think the same and so will Donaghmore.
"The Clarkes have woken people up to say that anything is possible if you get your house in order.
"I thought they were brilliant last year, and they have left all clubs in Tyrone excited about the journey ahead, at whatever stage it comes back."
Conor McKenna's decision to bring his Aussie Rules career to an end has come as a massive boost to club and county back home.
The 24-year-old has already demonstrated his value to Tyrone and his potential to become a leader and a Red Hand great.
McGleenan can't wait to begin building an Eglish team around the former Essendon star.
"Conor is a brilliant young man. I had him at U13 and U14.
"He's a fantastic energy, he brings a smile to the football field.
"I have yet to see Conor McKenna training or playing football without a smile on his face, and that energy is infectious.
"Let's be honest, the club is bouncing that he has come home.
"We have been missing a natural leader that can really play ball, and that brings the team together, and Conor is that man.
"He's coming from a professional sport, but Conor McKenna is coming to play with friends, lads he grew up with.
"You can feel it around the community that he's home, and the people are just so looking forward to seeing him again playing football in the black jersey."
The three McKenna brothers will line out for the St Patrick's in 2021, their first full season together in the club's senior team.
Emmet has remained a constant, but Ryan has also returned from a spell in Australia to re-join his former club-mates.
All three siblings have played senior football for Tyrone, and look set to develop a formidable family partnership.
"There's a great lift around the club, and Ryan, his brother has come home as well, so for the first time in a few years, the three brothers will be playing together."
McGleenan brings proven management credentials to the sideline at Fr Connolly Park.
From a MacRory Cup triumph with St Patrick's Armagh to a four-year odyssey at Scotstown, which yielded three Monaghan SFC crowns in four seasons along with a provincial club final appearance, to a two-year spell as Cavan boss, his impact on Ulster football has been immense.
But he said: "I don't worry about yesterday, to be honest. I'm always more interested in tomorrow.
"I have had a wonderful trip, it's been a brilliant journey in the last ten or fifteen years with clubs and with county.
"It has brought me to this point here. Everything comes around in its own time, and I felt that it was near time to come home."
McGleenan doesn't expect to be throwing himself into competitive action anytime soon though.
He anticipates that the GAA will be able to press ahead with its stated intention to run the inter-county campaign in the initial stage of a split season, with the clubs to get going in August.
"It will always be county now. Hopefully with the vaccine, they will get going in April, get finished by the end of July.
"If we have a similar league and championship as what happened last year, I think all clubs would take that."
An Ulster Championship winner in 1995 as a bustling full forward, he was part of a Tyrone team which reached the All-Ireland final, along with midfielder Feargal Logan.
And he backs his former team-mate to bring success back to the Red Hanc county in an exciting new era.
"I have huge time for Feargal Logan, I kicked ball with him, I also played with Brian Dooher towards the end of my career. They're great lads.
"I thought Mickey Harte has been an inspiration to Tyrone over the last 20 years.
"He has taken Tyrone to a place that they always dreamed of and never could get there.
"I'm really looking forward to seeing what Brian and Feargal bring to the table. And they look to have a great backroom team there.
"Their hands are tied because there's possibly just a four-game National League and then straight into Championship.
"So they haven't much time to mess about with the team, they've got to get it right immediately. For their first year in, they're really in a cauldron.
"But with Conor back and a few injuries cleared up, they can go places.
"Mickey Harte has made Tyrone a top three or top for team in Ireland, and that's their challenge, to make sure they're still in that area, pushing for honours."
