On Wednesday, Steven McDonnell's full interview for the Bord Gais Energy GAA Museum Legends Virtual Tour will be released.

The brilliant former Armagh forward reflects on:

• The importance of underage coaching
• Armagh's thrilling 2002 adventure
• Joe Kernan and Kieran McGeeney's passion
• Why making friends through sport matters so much

By Cian O’Connell

It was a journey that started in Killeavy and featured so many delightful destinations.

Ultimately Armagh’s most celebrated Croke Park day occurred in 2002 with McDonnell showcasing the skills that had been honed a couple of hundred yards from his home as a young boy.

Reflecting back on his career now, McDonnell, the prolific Armagh forward, is adamant good habits were acquired on home turf.

His brothers helped him on the sporting trail. “I was pretty lucky where I grew up, we lived only 200 or 300 yards from the local GAA club, Killeavy,” McDonnell says in an interview for the Bord Gais Energy GAA Museum Legends Virtual Tour, which will be released in full on Wednesday.

“My childhood days were spent down there. Once you got home from school you were straight down to the pitch for a kickaround and a mess around. Being the youngest of three brothers, I followed my brothers where they were going.

“They were heavily involved in playing in the underage teams for Killeavy so I was down playing and participating with the boys, just like they were. They threw me in at the deep end alright, but that was early involvement with the GAA as a six, seven year old playing on an under 10 team.”

Thomas Mallon provided valuable assistance and help to emerging footballers in the area according to McDonnell.

“He was a fantastic coach, I would dedicate a lot of what I achieved in my career simply down to the hours upon hours of endless coaching Thomas put into not only myself but the Killeavy teams I grew up playing in,” McDonnell admits.

“The one skill that I really believe stuck with me and helped me throughout my career was that I could kick both left and right foot. That was simply the message coming from Thomas Mallon.”

By 2000 McDonnell was turning into a key forward on an emerging Armagh team, who entered GAA headquarters hopeful about defeating Kerry in an All Ireland SFC Semi-Final.

Many lessons were learned by McDonnell. “I'll never forget the parade that particular day,” McDonnell recalls.

“The parade is always a great experience for any player if you use it to your advantage. That day unfortunately it backfired against me. That day I walked around the parade, taking in the whole atmosphere, taking in the crowd, not focused on my main job which was playing the match.

“I probably played the occasion and not the match. I had one of my worst days ever, I was held scoreless, the only time in my career for Armagh that I was held scoreless. I got taken off, we ended up drawing that game, and I got dropped for the replay.

“I came on and made a difference in the replay when I came on. The experience of getting taken off, getting dropped for the replay, and not playing to the best of your ability was something that stood to me, believe it or not, through the rest of my career.”

Another aspect of McDonnell’s approach was his willingness to graft. Mallon had a significant influence on mastering the basics of Gaelic Football.

“I was always a big believer, and I still am, in how you train is how you perform,” McDonnell says. “I trained extremely hard, I was never the most serious personality, but I knew when to be serious at the right time. I always believed if I trained hard I could perform in the big games.

“Therefore between the last training session and the big game it allowed me to relax a little bit more. It is something I learned to deal with even more as my career went on. So in the build up to some games I tried to be as casual as anyone was.”

Two years after drawing and subsequently losing to Kerry at the penultimate stage the counties were back clashing with Sam Maguire the considerable prize for the September victors in 2002.

“I always remember both Kieran McGeeney and Joe's team talks pre game and at half-time,” McDonnell remarks. “They were really emotional experiences so they were. They really got deep and personal about their love for playing for and representing their county. That definitely inspired us as a team.

Afterwards the joyful orange and white invasion furiously celebrated Armagh’s first ever All Ireland title. “We were really clinging on for our life in the last 10 minutes,” McDonnell continues. “We kicked on, went a point ahead, and had opportunities to go another couple of points ahead, but we didn't take them.

“So therefore we were fighting for our lives to try to stay in front of a very good Kerry team. What I do remember is that the dirty ball that had to be won, the high catch, or the flick that had to be won, we just had a serious hunger and desire to do it, to get the ball, to get possession, that is what got us over the line.

“It is a fitting tribute to Kieran McGeeney that he managed to be the player with the ball in his hands when the final whistle went. I suppose it is just sheer joy. The supporters of Armagh waited all of their living days to see that moment, we were part of it. The floods of people coming on to the pitch.

“The one memory that sticks out from being carried on people's shoulders and being passed around Croke Park was looking down and the first people I remember actually seeing was one of my brothers and one of my mates that I grew up with. They managed to get themselves from Hill 16.”

McDonnell had been able to realise his childhood dreams too. From Killeavy to Croke Park seven Ulster titles, three All Stars, an Allianz Football League, and an All Ireland medal were collected along the way.

For further details on the upcoming series click here.