Waking up and living the dream

Armagh celebration:  "But this is every dream you've ever wanted and even more" - Armagh manager Joe Kernan. Ian O'Riordan experiences the orange frenzy at CityWest.

First words heard around Armagh's team hotel yesterday: "How's the head doing, boyo?" "Dyin', boy, dying." Talk about a celebration.

They reckon 8,000 Armagh supporters followed the team back to the CityWest Hotel on Sunday night and many were still there yesterday morning, in various stages of recovery. Yet this was just the starting point.

From here to Carrickdale to Crossmaglen and to Armagh town: the All-Ireland homecoming would be a slow procession but when you've waited more than century, what's the rush? Every moment is worth lingering on.

There's a sort of grand staircase in the lobby of the hotel, and when Joe Kernan finally comes down the frenzy hits a whole other level. He is greeted like the Chosen One. Just a shake of the hand, just a touch. He doesn't get much room to breathe. "You know, we were coming here last night and I said to one of the boys, 'what in God's name have we done'. Unbelievable scenes. But this is every dream you've ever wanted and even more.

"And I'd been telling the players that it's when they woke up on the Monday morning when they'd realise they'd really done it. It feels that way now."

Already the legends surrounding their All-Ireland victory are starting to spread. Like Kernan's half-time talk, the time Kerry were up by four points, with the wind in their backs to come, and apparently with more than half a hold on Sam Maguire.

"It was all quite simple really," explains Kernan. "At half-time we always go over what we're doing wrong. But just before they went back out I showed them my own runners-up plaque from 1977.

"It's a bit of wood, with some silver on it. Very poor for being in an All-Ireland final. And I also had an All-Ireland winner's medal, from back in 1916, which is pretty historic in itself. I showed them to the boys and asked which they wanted. The plaque or the medal. And I think the plaque is still lying in the shower in pieces because I hopped it off the wall.

"But I just wanted something different, some wee thing that would motivate them a little more. I'd showed them my jersey the last day against Dublin. And in fairness to the boys they went out and played exceptionally well."

The second half: Kerry kept to three points - just one from play - and Armagh scored 1-5. Kernan highlights that feat as the obvious difference, but there were so many differences too in the way players were taking to the game.

"For Oisin McConville to score that goal after missing a penalty took something. A lesser player would have thrown the towel in but not Oisin. A great character and he showed it and I'm delighted for him.

"But it wasn't that we were that much wrong in the first half. We just had to stop Kerry running at us. Tony McEntee came in and made a difference and I was delighted for him too, because he couldn't kick a ball for five or six months and that was so frustrating for him.

"We kept telling him he'd have an important part to play before the end of the year and he certainly had. And Barry O'Hagan had been travelling from Donegal every night on his own to train and that was worth it yesterday as well."

Other legends will continue to grow. The tireless preparation epitomised by team captain Kieran McGeeney, and the meticulous method of Kernan's own preparations. And the smaller things, like last weekend before the game when the team came to CityWest to practice the drill of All-Ireland Sunday.

"Sure, we were also down before the Dublin match," adds Kernan. "I think Dublin had it booked as well, then realised we were in before them and had to go somewhere else. That wasn't done on purpose, by the way."

Some legends though need to be dismissed as myths, like those rumours that a hypnotist had been called in to keep the team focused. "No truth in that," says Kernan, drawing a smile. "No hypnotist needed. But maybe some of the TV pundits might need one after this."

What Kernan seems most enthusiastic about is building on this legend, bringing Armagh back to All-Ireland finals again. Days like this will help.

"I think a lot more people will want to make it now on the Armagh team. That can only be good for the game. And I think Kieran McGeeney said it all when he talked about some people wanting to be millionaires, but he wanted to lift that cup.

"Winning club titles was different, almost a family thing. This goes all over the country, and all over the world. I've got calls from rugby players and golfers about this. One of them is involved in the Ryder Cup next week and he said if their team have the same aggression and belief, then they'll win that as well."