An Ulster title finally in the bag for Kieran McGeeney as a manager, but the Armagh boss already has one eye on the All-Ireland series.
After losing three consecutive finals, the Orchard County powered away in extra-time against Monaghan to end their 18-year wait for an Anglo Celt.
During his playing career, McGeeney scaled the provincial summit six times and admitted to RTÉ Sport that his players craved this latest success for the county more.
"I've been lucky enough to have a few of them but they probably wanted this one more than I did," he said.
"They wanted it more and it showed at the end that they really wanted it. I'm delighted for some of the boys, the Rory Grugans, the Aidan Forkers, Paddy Burns, Andrew Murnin, boys that have soldiered for a long time."
Armagh, All-Ireland champions from two seasons ago, begin their quest to regain the crown with a home game against Derry at the end of the month.
And while McGeeney will "let the boys enjoy today", his focus has already switched to the next challenge.
"We're all back at the starting line," he added.
"There are seven or eight out there looking on, going 'we'll have them'."
Kieran McGeeney claims his players wanted the Ulster medal more than he did, with one eye on the All-Ireland competition beginning soon.
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) May 17, 2026
"We're all back at the starting line now." pic.twitter.com/BtjHomKpPm
While the Orchard boss admitted that his side were a "wee bit jittery" in Clones, he praised the manner in which they seized back the initiative during those two ten-minute periods of extra time, this after Monaghan fought back from seven points down to force extra-time.
He said: "We missed a couple of scores and you're always wary of Monaghan with their two-pointers.
"When we went seven points ahead we just sat back a wee bit, but they are a good team, great players. McCarron [Jack] comes on and does his magic again. We toughed it out and showed a bit of class at the end."
Player of the match Oisín Conaty was full of praise for his manager, saying: "It's all down to him and his management team, his backroom team. We would never be anything without them; it's all down to them.
"You want to win all the medals in the game; we got one today after a battle with Monaghan and their never-say-die attitude. hopefully we can push on to the All-Ireland. That is our Everest again.
"We have Derry coming here and that's going to be a task in itself."
