The first Ulster football semi-final down for decision this weekend will serve as a reminder of the one of the most intense, if relatively short-lived rivalries in the game.
Saturday's clash between Armagh and Tyrone in Clones is the 46th time the sides will cross paths in championship fare, with the Orchard County edging the overall head-to-head with 22 victories to 18 of the Red Hand.
It brings together two of the All-Ireland champions from the last four seasons, both sides emerging as unlikely winners from the outset of their respective seasons.
Among the general football public, there is a hope that we could return to the heyday of the fixture, when the sides met six times in the championship between 2002 and 2005.
Armagh’s maiden Sam Maguire in 2002 was immediately followed by a similar feat by Mickey Harte’s men, who would add two more Celtic Crosses. Those wins saw Tyrone down their rivals at the penultimate stage ('05) as well as the final itself ('03). Add into the mix an Ulster final between the sides at Croke Park that went to a replay and fans were treated to enthralling fare.
Speaking on the RTÉ GAA podcast, former Tyrone player Enda McGinley recalled the gripping rivalry
"Those were easily the most tense games," he said. "Both teams were at the peak of their powers. I remember the tension in the ground and stands.
"The intensity on the pitch was unmatched in my playing career. It was before the era of controlled possession, so looking back on the games now, it seems like kamikaze football.
"It was a phenomenal time for both counties."
McGinley feels that 2005, with three titanic tussles at Croke Park, was the high-water mark of the rivalry. Supporters just couldn’t get enough of it as the biggest names and characters in the game went toe-to-toe, best demonstrated by a McKenna Cup game in January 2006 that drew 20,000 fans through the turnstiles at Casement Park.
"That was what 2005 led to. It was crazy times."
Numerous players on both sides have referenced the fact both sides brought out the best in each other, with McGinley stating that Armagh’s breakthrough was a huge factor in their own success.
He sees parallels now, with Tyrone – and indeed a number of teams chasing ultimate glory – seeing Armagh’s success last year and wanting that for themselves.
"We didn’t see Armagh as a better team than us (in 2002)," he says. "We knew they were an excellent team, there was no doubt about that. They had been longer on the road than us and deserved their win in 2002, but we thought, hang on a minute, that should be us.
"It impacted out mindset. That first All-Ireland title for Tyrone, that it shouldn’t be this otherworldly thing, it should be achievable for us.
"Now there is a feeling – not just in Tyrone, but across the board - that because we are now out of that dominant Dublin era, the All-Ireland is there for the taking. Throw in the new rules and it feels like such an open field this year.
"This weekend is the first true challenger to step up to Armagh to take a shot, and I think they (Armagh) will relish that."
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