GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Final – Armagh v Galway

Galway and Armagh meet for the first time in a Sam Maguire Cup decider.

In one corner stands Padraic Joyce, an icon of Galway football and the star turn in their All-Ireland winning teams of 1998 and 2001.

In the other is Kieran McGeeney, whose inspirational All-Ireland-winning captaincy with Armagh in 2002 led to him succeeding Joyce as footballer of the year.

Joyce and McGeeney’s places in GAA folklore were secured long ago. For Galway and Armagh people, they still symbolise their county’s halcyon days.

But more than two decades on, they both stand on the cusp of elevating their legacy even further. It is a tantalising prospect for both men, but it has not been an easy road to this point.