Kieran Donaghy Armagh All-Ireland winning homecoming party
Armagh coach Kieran Donaghy was in a great mood when speaking to the Newry Reporter on Monday evening at the homecoming party, and he described the All-Ireland winning squad as ‘a special bunch of lads’.
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00:00Can you put the last 24 hours into words?
00:04It's hard to put it into words. It's pretty epic to be honest.
00:08Just to see the buzz around the whole team, what it means to people.
00:14What it feels like for the players group, for Gieser.
00:18The rest of the management team, it's a lot of blood, sweat and tears.
00:22A lot of hard luck stories.
00:25Maybe fortune favoured the brave yesterday time with them in the front foot.
00:29Went that things at times when we could.
00:33Probably got a bounce of a ball.
00:36But you need that. I've played enough finals to know that.
00:39You need a bit of a rub of a green in a big game.
00:43Delighted to see Aaron McKay, who's a real spiritual leader of this team,
00:46pop up off of a typical slashing run from Snoopy Campbell.
00:51To see those two boys who've soldiered a long time to get that pivotal goal was brilliant.
00:56I think Aaron McKay had only ever scored one point for Armagh before yesterday.
01:00The most unlikely of match winners.
01:02Yeah, I think if he put his mind to it he probably could score more.
01:05But he's totally selfish in what he does for his team.
01:08The way he behaves around the group, it's completely...
01:11He probably epitomises the we before me attitude of his team.
01:16But he's a very intelligent player.
01:18There's a reason he's always around when those loose balls fall,
01:21including the one off of Joey McIlroy's block.
01:23Highly intelligent guy.
01:26Able to read the game and cut out ball.
01:30Threw his body in a line in a ball against Roscommon.
01:33It was unbelievable.
01:35Sorry, it was the Galway game. Bouncing like he went head first into a ball.
01:39So yeah, I'm delighted for him.
01:42You've mentioned already the hard luck stories.
01:44The timely shootouts, the bad days.
01:46The easing of the stick, it's fair to say.
01:49Does this make it all worthwhile?
01:51All the long journeys up and down the road, this is what you do it for?
01:54Yeah, this was the goal.
01:59So yeah, absolutely.
02:01There is long drives home.
02:03Scratching your head after maybe me myself having a poor session
02:07and not getting stuff across to the players.
02:09Or the players underperforming in a session.
02:13There's a lot of time for yourself to be mulling stuff over.
02:17But people that I know in Tralee would be saying,
02:23how are you doing it?
02:25I just think there's a bond built up with these lads.
02:29Just as a group of men.
02:33They're a special bunch of lads.
02:36Unbelievably dedicated.
02:39Ciarán O'Hanlon, class footballer, struggling to get back from injury
02:43and get into the 26.
02:45He's played a huge part in training over the last number of weeks.
02:48He moved his wedding from Friday before the final to next week.
02:53When he knew he might not be on the 26,
02:56when you have players doing stuff like that,
02:59it just sums up what it's all about.
03:02And one last question about the fans.
03:05The football awards, the celebrations.
03:07That's incredible.
03:08This is only the start of it.
03:09Yeah, I know.
03:10But that was class out on the pitch there.
03:13I've seen Aidan.
03:16He's probably of the geezer mould.
03:24There's no quitting him.
03:25There's no doubting him.
03:27He does everything right.
03:28He's meticulous with his preparation.
03:31Brilliant. Delighted for him as captain.
03:33Delighted for everyone.
03:34You're the man.
03:35Cheers.