Niall Grimley post All-Ireland final

NationalWorld.com

Armagh’s Niall Grimley spoke to us after his side won the All-Ireland final today.

Transcript

00:00You're an All-Ireland Champion. How does that feel? How does that sound?

00:05Yeah, it sounds a bit surreal. I suppose, from a young boy growing up, that's what you dream of.

00:12Within my own club, Kevin McAvana was a hero to me.

00:17Boys like Gleaser and John Tolde had their medals and I was always thinking, I want a piece of that.

00:23I suppose now that it's sort of hit me, it's a bit surreal.

00:28But no, it's amazing. It's not really about me, it's about my family and luck.

00:34If it puts a smile on their face, that's what it's all about.

00:37I'm not really worried about the medal or the cups.

00:39It's sort of just doing it for them because they haven't had much to smile about over the past eight or nine months.

00:45But it is what it is.

00:46Can you talk about your year on the whole, Niall?

00:48I think I'm right in saying you didn't play in the league or in the Ulster Championship.

00:51You got thrown in against Derry and just since then you've been playing.

00:53I suppose my brother Ciarán gently reminds me that I sat on the bench for 12 games and I only made the 26th twice.

01:01So that was my driving force to prove to everyone that I'm still fit, I'm still able, I'm pushing hard.

01:11There were 17 county games for Armagh this year and I only played the last five.

01:17The most important games anyway.

01:20Was it a case of just putting your hand up in training, working as hard as you can, trying to impress the team?

01:25No, luck. This isn't a poor time thing.

01:29This isn't something you just try and turn up on a Tuesday or a Friday night and be like,

01:33I'll try and play well tonight. This is every day.

01:35This is your life and this takes over your life.

01:38There's a lot of sacrifices, not only for me, my wife and my daughter.

01:42There's weekends away and my family and events and stuff.

01:45But it's all worth it.

01:48You might have a thousand bad days, but one good day makes up for absolutely everything.

01:52So it's a bit surreal.

01:55Can you talk about the build up to the game?

01:57Lining out, saving, the shake of the hand of the president, the national anthem.

02:01Was there anything different, any nerves, any excitement?

02:03We obviously done our routines during the week of training and stuff and we sort of went over all that.

02:07No, luck. The team has assembled, they're unbelievable and they leave no stone unturned.

02:12They're incredible. They do the simple things well.

02:17I suppose he was just saying this before the match, just go out and express yourselves and enjoy yourselves.

02:23Don't be coming in here and having regrets.

02:27That was a big thing. It wasn't about the defeat.

02:29It was sort of just not waking up on a Monday morning and having a regret,

02:32because that would be the worst in the world.

02:34That would live you for the rest of your life.

02:36It was just about trying to go out there and do whatever you can.

02:39If it meant putting a block in, or a score, or a kick out, whatever it was.

02:43How do you reflect on the game as a whole then?

02:45It's probably tight, cagey, tight goal.

02:47Yeah, goal-based. Obviously they're an incredible team.

02:50They're a bit like us. They're in the same sort of journey that we're on.

02:54It's a heartbreak for them lads. They've lost the All-Ireland Final by a point,

02:58so you have to show your sympathy for them.

03:00It's amazing, but that's what it is.

03:06That's the beauty of sports. There's a winner and a loser,

03:09and we all sign up for team sports.

03:11Unfortunately, goalie's on the wrong side of it, we're on the right side of it.

03:15We might be treated like heroes, they're treated like failure,

03:19but them lads are just equally as good as us.

03:21A point only to separate and decide.

03:24Can you describe the scenes at full time?

03:28Can you put that into words?

03:30Yeah, I suppose. I dropped on my knees and stuff.

03:33There's two people there, my brother and his wife.

03:37We lost them eight and a half months ago.

03:39For me, that was the first thought that went through my head.

03:44I wish they were there. They weren't, but since they've passed,

03:48there hasn't been a minute gone by that I haven't thought about them.

03:51When the final whistle went, I just dropped on my knees.

03:54I don't know, there's a God. He was looking out for me today.

03:58I wish they were there to see it.

04:00Their three kids were there. I had them on the pitch after.

04:03That was amazing, just to have them on the pitch and see them smiling,

04:07because they haven't had much to smile about.

04:09Look, Niall, I don't know how to put it into words.

04:11You're a credit to Madden, you're a credit to Armand,

04:13you're a credit to your brother.

04:15Which way is celebration?

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