Two weeks ago, Augher and Eskra met in the Tyrone junior football championship with the former coming out on top after a hard battle.
This Friday night Augher play in the quarter-final of the competition. It's a long way removed from the 1970s and 80s when they were senior kingpins of Tyrone with Eugene McKenna and his family back boning a great team which won three county titles in 1976, 1982 and 1985 but the battle to recapture those glory years never ends.
The team of the 70s and 80s hung on for another few years before dropping into intermediate and then into junior ranks from where they are currently trying to climb upwards.
Their south Tyrone neighbours Eskra, themselves, were a senior outfit in 2014, but dropped back to junior eight years ago and still play at that level.
Less than five miles separate the two clubs with Ballygawley and Errigal Ciaran only a stone’s throw away from them both and last year they looked on as Errigal Ciaran made it all the way to the All-Ireland senior final last season.
They looked on knowing they are a million miles away from such a journey and adventure but still, there is much to play for.
All over the country, rural GAA clubs are struggling for numbers, urban areas are overwhelmed with numbers and units are struggling to find chairpersons, secretaries, treasurers and committee members.
In both Eskra and Augher, however, there is a gritty resilience and youthful enthusiasm to keep the club driving on.
Last winter Eskra raised an incredible £470,734 from a fundraising draw to deliver a new floodlit training field, a community walkway, and more facilities.
They did it buoyed by a young executive and membership, including players who knocked on doors all over Ulster for three quarters of a year.
Karl Gartland is only 32 but is already in his eighth year as secretary.
Niall Marlow is PRO and is 33. Senan Gill is assistant treasurer and is 24 whilst 10 of the club’s committee members are still playing.
"We actually have one of the smallest clubs in terms of membership," Gartland says.
"We have about 160 adults and there were up to 100 of those out selling draw tickets every week for about 36 weeks.
"So, it was a major commitment but it just shows that you don't need massive numbers when you have a committed group.
"A lot of our players are also on the club committee as well, so it was a busy, busy period for everyone, but we got the rewards from it."
Now with nearly half a million pounds towards their new facilities, the club can look ahead to their new floodlit training field and community, all the time looking to strengthen ties with the local community.
And that local knowledge is crucial, particularly when it comes to mapping out a future.
These days every county board has a Demographics Officer and Committee who gain access to the GAA’s Data Insights Hub.
This means all relevant demographic data is accrued and helps clubs and counties to know the birth-rate and population in their catchment area.
It can inform how many players clubs have in their ranks at any one time across all age-groups, and what the participation rate is compared to the overall population in those age-groups.
This data supports small, rural clubs to examine birth rates and identify issues coming down the line, giving them a chance to prepare for it.
For Augher Chairperson and local businessman, Conor Mc Elroy, the choice was simple – either get involved or look on as the challenges mount.
McElroy is still playing reserve football and is a selector with the first team, his father was part of that era defining senior outfit of decades passed.
Six years ago, he became involved in a 'Night at the OsKaRs’ fundraiser, the club invested around £15,000 into it and took out between £50,000 and £60,000 after the event was held.
"That was probably a decent enough fundraiser for us and after I think a few old heads were going, ‘look at these young ones, hi, they know what they're talking about here.
"So, that was it. We all got involved. Me and my friends. We all grew up together and we all played together and we’re still in the thick of it now."
Club secretary is Finbarr McQuaid who is 35, is playing away albeit recovering from his second ACL injury. Treasurer Aodhan McCaughey is 24 and, like Eskra, they also have a few committee members still playing
Shortly after that fundraiser, McElroy was appointed assistant secretary, then secretary, before taking on the role as chair.
"Someone approaches you to run something you love and they trust you to take a job like that," he says, speaking of the role as club chair.
And while they may be local rivals, it’s that love of their own club that make McElroy, Gartland and their friends the exact same behind it all.
"That's it," Gartland adds. "While Conor and I and many others are GAA enthusiasts, not everyone in the community is. We want to bring all the different aspects on board and that's where the walkway and other facilities can make us a community hub. And even if people move out of the club or the region, they can still be very, very attached to it. You never lose that."
McElroy outlines how Augher have a five-year plan in operation which is not just centred on football, but more about getting everything and everyone moving in the same direction.
"It’s centred on the premise that there will always be somewhere here for someone when they call themselves an Augher person. And anyone who can help us is involved in that plan. There will always be a job up as long as you've got your club at heart and you want to improve it."
Gartland summarises the task facing Eskra in the coming years.
"Numbers," he says.
"You are going to some youth game and if you are lucky, you might have three subs.
"And then you don’t want to overwhelm all the people who helped with the huge fundraising campaign – especially those who are still playing.
"Those are the issues but that’s why we all work so hard to meet them and plan ahead."
