Armagh and Tyrone GAA fans gear up for Ulster's biggest rivalry: ‘This fixture brings out the best in both teams'
Clones wasn't big enough for the rival counties' fans, and to add even more drama, that game ended in a draw — so the following replay match was held in Croke Park as well.
The two teams haven't actually met in the Ulster Championship since 2012, so their semi-final clash this Saturday has an added aura of friction and historic significant, and supporters far and wide are both excited and trepid for the event.
Tara O'Neill was only a baby when Tyrone won their first All-Ireland back in 2003, beating their Orchard county neighbours in the process.
Whilst she has little memories of those early Noughties battles between the squads, she wouldn't miss Saturday's semi-final for the world — even with a five-hour time difference in New York.
'I've lived in New York since September and I'm here working for the foreseeable, but I'd be a big Tyrone supporter and we would typically watch the games in one of the Irish pubs,' said the Omagh native.
'I'm always keen to watch it as well because I love having that link to home. I do have early memories, especially around 2005-2008, of Armagh being a big rival, and my mum and dad would always have been at the matches before I was born, so they always would have told me stories about the rivalry.'
The 23-year-old continued: 'I was even explaining to my housemate who is from Galway, that this is going to be a big match at home, because it hasn't happened in a long time.
'The match will start at about 11.45am here, but I'm so looking forward to it. I only have 10 days of paid leave with the company that I work for here, which is the standard in America, but I've been saying since I moved over that I'll be saving my paid time off for if Tyrone get to the All-Ireland, or even just make it far in the championship.'
Over 3,000 miles away, and on the opposite support side, is Damian McCullough — an Armagh legend in his own right, who will be attending the match at St Tiernach's Park this weekend.
The 66-year-old has risen to GAA fame for his Tigger costume, which he initially donned when Armagh won their first All-Ireland title back in 2002.
The Camlough man dressed as the Winnie the Pooh character again for Armagh's All-Ireland final last year, and by doing so, raised over £5,000 for two charities — Sister Consillio's and Care for Caolan.
Tigger won't be making an appearance on Saturday, but Damian — who describes Armagh as 'the ecclesiastical capital' — believes his county will win, probably by a knife's edge.
'Tyrone and Armagh have been good for each other, because they try to bring the best out of each other,' he said.
'And don't forget, we got robbed in 2003 [All-Ireland final] with a very, very bad refereeing decision.
'I've been there through it all. I was there the day when Frank McGuigan scored right, left and everywhere, and all you could do was applaud the b******.
'I was there in 1980, when we beat Tyrone 4-10 to 4-7 in the Ulster final.
'But with Armagh, it's all about meeting people. I go to all the games, so you're meeting the same people at the same games, and I'm sure it's the same with Tyrone.
'I suppose with the way the world is at the minute, it gives us a wee bit of a break from the reality of life.'
Paul Kelly from Portadown, founder of the popular Armagh Fans 1889 social media pages, lamented the fact that the game isn't on terrestrial TV, and will instead be exclusively shown on the GAA's new streaming platform, GAA+.
'It's a shame,' he stated, and questioned whether the regular channels of BBC NI, RTE and TG4 have 'missed out'.
'Armagh v Tyrone is a fixture that goes back to 1890 — 135 years ago. We met Tyrone in the Ulster final and won with a scoreline of 2-08 to 1-02
'Since then, this historic GAA fixture has given both counties their best days and days we would like to forget; a rivalry like no other in recent years.
'What can be said is this fixture brings out the best in both teams, it brings out the best with the fans also. It's one neither of us want to lose.'
Stephen Millar, who lives in the border area of the Moy (which is in Tyrone but only separated from Armagh by the Blackwater river) added: 'Tyrone are going to win by two (hopefully), then every Armagh person is getting evicted from the Moy, including my mother.
'I can't wait. Half of the mates would be Armagh (Collegeland) lads and the slagging is good craic. Please God, we can win.'
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