The Armagh team, who’ve been on the losing side of many matches and penalties, finally managed to savour their success. Gleefully, they found pleasure in this victory. Contrary to his jersey number six, Tiernan Kelly performed a role vastly different to a traditional centre-half-backs. After the game, he let his thoughts stray to plans of a grand celebration in Lurgan.
Tiernan expressed his relief at crossing the finish line, evident in the emotional response of the spectators and his team. Despite their struggling performance at the end and frequent turnovers, they managed to win. He said, “we managed to tick that box that we had been aiming for, for such a long time. It’s a dream come true.” Still, he acknowledged the victory was hard to digest, especially for some players, but believed they would soak in their success over the subsequent weeks.
A member of Clann Éireann, he reflected on the uncertainty of future wins noting that victories have been long in the making. In addition, the contribution of Oisín O’Neill, who despite often being on the bench, demonstrated the embodiment of the Armagh spirit. His significant contribution as a substitute resulted in scoring the team’s final point, a feat that Kelly described as priceless. This move proved critical in attaining victory.
“We were set a formidable task at the beginning of the year; our entire team was supposed to show an increased level of maturity and readiness to even give up personal interests, regardless of who we are and how we’re seen. The focus is on what contribution each one of us can make towards the team and the collective goal. Today, there were plenty of other lads who might have stepped onto the field. Those of us here were merely the fortunate ones, selected to fulfil that particular responsibility,” O’Neill expressed.
He further added, “Our aim as the starting players is to simplify the task for the ones who join in later when our competition begins to fatigue. Our credit truly goes to our backroom support team. Essentially, they claimed this All-Ireland victory on our behalf. Each day of the week, be it Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday… and through to Sunday! These individuals championed our team and without their tenacity, this triumph wouldn’t have been possible. It’s my earnest desire for us to stay united as a team moving forward.”