'All-Ireland agony and ecstasy await county icons'

All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final - Armagh v Galway

Date: Sunday, 28 July Venue: Croke Park, Dublin Throw-in: 15:30 BST

Coverage: Watch on BBC iPlayer, BBC Two NI, BBC Sport website & app; listen on BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Ulster; live text updates, radio, report, reaction & highlights on BBC Sport website & app

As Galway and Armagh dream of a future hugging Gaelic football's most coveted piece of silverware, it is striking that both teams are led by men who were pivotal protagonists in their county's last tale of All-Ireland triumph.

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.

In his pomp as a die-with-your-boots-on defender, McGeeney was captain under legendary Armagh boss Joe Kernan, who famously delivered the Orchard County a first All-Ireland title in his maiden season at the helm after replacing co-managers Brian Canavan and Brian McAlinden in late 2001.

McGeeney, however, has had to wait 10 seasons to have a crack at the big one.

As a manager, the seeds of his complicated relationship with the championship were sown early. The Mullaghbawn native had been part of Paul Grimley's backroom team during Armagh's surprise run to the 2014 All-Ireland quarter-finals before taking the top job for the 2015 season.

Having previously managed Kildare for six years, leading the Lilywhites to an All-Ireland semi-final in 2010, 'Geezer' was handed a five-year term.

By the end of year two, however, the pressures of carrying the hopes of a football-mad county began to show.

His first championship tilt as boss faltered. Well beaten by Donegal in Ulster (he would have to wait until 2019 to win a provincial game), McGeeney's first season in charge was ended by the county he will face on Sunday, with Galway winning 1-12 to 0-12 in the second round of the 2015 qualifiers.

In 2016, an Ulster exit at the hands of Cavan was followed by not one but two defeats by Laois. Beaten by the Leinster side in the qualifiers, Armagh returned to Portlaoise and lost again after Laois' erroneous use of an extra substitute in the first game prompted the GAA to order a replay.

The pressure arrived early but McGeeney was typically unmoved. He first appeared in the Armagh senior set-up in 1989. Outside of those six years in Kildare, he has been involved with his county ever since. He is their ironman.

As an Armagh player he won eight trophies, three All-Stars and his footballer of the year gong. He won Armagh and Ulster club titles with Mullaghbawn and Dublin and Leinster with Na Fianna, who he moved to in 1999. Like Joyce, he also captained Ireland in the International Rules Series against Australia.

Most would be satisfied with such a CV (which also boasts a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu), but here he is, still trying to lift a group of players to that feeling of invincibility he had on the steps of the Hogan Stand 22 years ago.

His unwavering dedication is not lost on his players.

“I'm on record with my level of respect for him and what he's done for me on a personal level and as a footballer at a stage when I was just floating through my inter-county career," says Rory Grugan, who has been present throughout McGeeney's entire tenure.

“He's really driven me to the best version of myself both as a leader and as a footballer.

“I can't thank him enough. I have a total belief in what we're doing and there's an element of wanting to repay his faith and his support in terms of what we do as a team."

It's just as well McGeeney has such a strong bond with his players as they've been through hell together, their long list of painful defeats headlined by four shootouts (Ulster finals against Derry and Donegal and All-Ireland quarter-finals against Galway and Monaghan).

After the Monaghan game, Oisin McConville - who played alongside McGeeney in 2002 - said his former team-mate had earned the right to decide his next move.

As it turned out, McGeeney's future was put to a vote from Armagh clubs. They backed him, 46-16, but the uncertainty of the situation heightened the stakes of the 2024 season.

In Ulster, de ja vu struck. On a stormy afternoon in Clones, Armagh lost to Donegal on penalties. Standing in the tunnel after the game, McGeeney wore a hauntingly blank expression as he processed another close call.

It was difficult to see the way back, but McGeeney forged a career out of perseverance and wasn't prepared to change tack.

From there, they beat Derry and Westmeath and drew with Galway to top their All-Ireland group. Beating Roscommon meant a first All-Ireland semi-final since 2005, while a gripping defeat of Kerry returned Armagh to Gaelic football's showpiece for the first time in 21 years.

Lifting Sam Maguire aloft in 2002 came 10 years after his championship debut. Might this be the second time he ends a decade-long quest in the grand manner?

To do that, McGeeney must outfox a familiar face in Joyce, who he has known and respected for years. They faced off in Armagh and Galway's first ever championship meeting in 2001 but later represented Ireland together in International Rules.

Like McGeeney, Joyce is still revered in his county for his exploits as a player, which included scoring 1-2 and 0-10 in Galway's All-Ireland final wins in 1998 and 2001.

His tenure overseeing his county is half as old as McGeeney's, but he has still had to overcome some significant hurdles to reach this point.

Of course, Joyce invited pressure on himself when he, upon taking the reins in 2019, brazenly outlined his ambition of leading Galway to an All-Ireland.

With the team having failed to reach the 2019 Super 8s under Kevin Walsh, it was a bold proclamation to make before a ball was kicked.

Indeed, when the Tribesmen were hammered 3-23 to 0-17 by Connacht rivals Mayo in the Covid-hit 2020 National League, Joyce was moved to call it the "most embarrassing day" of his career. A year later, Galway squandered a five-point half-time lead to lose the Connacht final to Mayo.

It marked a turning point. Ahead of the 2022 season, Joyce shook up his backroom team. Cian O'Neill was added, as were former boxer Bernard Dunne and strength and conditioning coach Jonathan Harris-Wright, whose work with Bristol Bears Rugby and Cricket Ireland promised to bring fresh perspective to a despondent group.

Joyce later admitted to "rough nights" after 2021 but his self-belief was not shaken. The redemption of winning the Connacht title in 2022 set up a run to the All-Ireland final, where they were narrowly beaten by Kerry.

But having failed to reach the 2023 All-Ireland quarter-finals, Joyce has this year found himself under intense pressure amid a growing injury list and an underwhelming Division One campaign.

Indeed, when Galway edged Mayo to win a third successive Connacht title in May, Joyce celebrated like a man who had the weight of the world lifted off his shoulders.

And when Galway stunned holders Dublin in an epic quarter-final, Joyce railed against those who had written him and his players off - he had been stung but not broken.

The celebrations were more muted after beating Donegal in the semi-final, but if Galway end a 23-year wait for Sam on Sunday, you can expect to see another dramatic release of emotion from Joyce.

And McGeeney, too, for that matter. Given what they've endured for their counties, it would hardly be a surprise.