I didnt really reflect on the day until i seen this thread but i have here goes.
My weekend started off poorly, the lift i had booked to the game had to cancel on me and my brother and I were left on Sunday morning with no way to the match. We went round the town early and to no avail did we get into any bus, walking up the Newry road with our thumbs out started to look like a reality until i met ogs man Joe McArdle at McAnerneys. We knew Joe as we played for the cuchulainns with his son and on the morning of the greatest day of Armaghs history 2 Harps senior players (17 and 19) found themselves a place on the Pearse ogs bus. They took stools out of the social club and we sat up aisle to Dublin.
I was very nervous pre game, mostly for my good friend lining out at Full forward. I took very little alcohol pre game as i wanted the full experience plus our boy had a county final the next week so was on a ban. The game was a bit of a blur and like many i remember it more from a TV stand point now, taking our place on the hill what struck me was how rammed it was. Oisins goal was akin to a mosh pit at a concert, limbs absolutely everywhere. at the final whistle i got down to the fence and as i scaled her plan b was implemented and i was swung with fence onto the field. I remember more geezer telling us to get back rather than lifting the cup. Afterwards i ran into Tommy Clarke Ronans brother and he tried to persuade me to go to Citywest and gatecrash, i seriously contemplated it but knowing my bank account was lets just say pre-student loan i knew i couldnt hack that evening, something i regretted. I also met Ciaran McKeever too and only knowing him through tussles down the years we went to Quinns for a drink, that was probably his last Armagh match he watched as a fan too for many years.
The bus journey home on the ogs bus was very long but the light drinking had went out the window. If memory serves me right we headed to Wolly Toms and as i went to Kellys bank machine to pick up my last few quid for a lock of drinks i had over £500 in it, i think it was back payment from the SELB when i cleaned schools over the summer and the next few days l had well a good time. I remember the mother saying to me on the wednesday or thursday 'you must owe a fortune the drinking you've done', i couldnt tell her as the ol' housekeep had been well consumed.