Kieran Donaghy Armagh All-Ireland winning homecoming party

NationalWorld.com

​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’.

Transcript

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.

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