It is only when things are taken away that you realise how much you miss them. For years, Kilcoo had become accustomed to running out in front of their fanatical support as their dominance of Down football grew stronger and stronger.
That all stopped in 2020 just when the Magpies needed their fans the most. They’d suffered a heart-breaking defeat to Corofin after extra-time in the All-Ireland Club final in January 2020.
The pandemic would deny them an opportunity to retain their Ulster title and a chance to return to Croke Park.
Yet, if good things come to those who wait, then great things could be just on the horizon for Kilcoo as Saturday evening affords them the chance to make up for lost time.
A shot at redemption and, crucially for attacker Paul Devlin, the thrill of running out onto the hallowed turf at Croke Park in front of legions of their adoring fans.
“It is brilliant - at the end of the day, you want to be playing in front of big crowds because they do give you a bit of an incentive,” said Devlin.
“It is that sixteenth person to try and push you over the line. Last year, we missed it through Covid.
“People were always looking to see how the football was going.
“It has been a positive for the people around this area to see football back and being able to attend and getting joy from coming to watch us.”
Kilcoo supporters have certainly been getting their money’s worth as Mickey Moran’s side have been involved in some great battles throughout their Ulster and All-Ireland campaigns.
They set out their stall with a devastating 3-13 to 1-8 win over Cavan champions Ramor United in their Ulster quarter-final, but they needed extra-time to edge out Glen 1-11 to 0-11 in the semi-final.
Kilcoo returned to the Athletic Grounds and delivered one of their finest performances to blow Derrygonnelly out of the water, winning 3-10 to 0-3 in the Ulster Club final.
Devlin then looked posed to fire his side into the All-Ireland final at the expense of St Finbarr’s in their semi-final clash at O’Moore Park last month.
He stood over a last-ditch free which was subsequently overturned as Aidan Branagan picked up a red card for an off-the-ball challenge on Adam Lyne.
Branagan has since had his dismissal overturned and is free to play on Saturday and Kilcoo won in injury-time against the Cork outfit with five points to spare.
“We needed that test to see where we can improve before we take on Kilmacud Crokes,” said Devlin
“In extra-time, the legs are tired, the mind is tired, and mistakes can happen more often.
"I thought that we controlled the ball, and worked the scores. One point in extra-time is massive.
“Against Glen, we got a goal in extra-time. We got big scores at the right times.
"We worked those scores to the right areas. We weren't thinking about trying to take pot shots. We played to the percentages. We worked well to get the right men on the ball in certain areas.
"St Finbarr's were very physical, powerful and they knew what they were about. Hopefully it will stand us in good stead.”
Devlin also hopes that the Down kingpins have learned the lessons from their painful All-Ireland final defeat to Corofin.
The Galway side became the first team in history to win three successive All-Ireland Club SFC titles following their 1-12 to 0-7 win over the Magpies in Croke Park.
Kilcoo’s free-taker forced extra-time with a nerveless kick deep into injury-time, but they failed to score for the duration of extra-time with Conor Cunningham’s goal sealing their fate.
Their current run of form suggests the current squad, under the guidance of legendary club boss Moran, are a bit more street smart and Devlin knows they cannot afford to let the occasion get the better of them.
“We did take a lot of positives out of it (the Corofin game),” added Devlin.
“As a team we did learn a lot from ourselves, and from Corofin in terms of what way they went about their business, and how we can improve our game based on them. Although we lost the final, it has been a positive outcome from then to now.
"It's just probably the occasion of the whole thing, maybe people not being used to the surroundings.
"The big wide pitch, the posts can sometimes be deceiving in terms of the areas you're shooting from.
"Definitely from the final against Corofin two years ago, we've learnt a lot from that, and hopefully we can take it into this weekend."
In Kilmacud Crokes, Kilcoo face a team who have won the All-Ireland Club Championship twice in the past (1995 and 2009), but they will be without former Dublin star Paul Mannion, who is ruled out with a knee injury.
Kilcoo may never get a better chance to clinch the Andy Merrigan Cup. After a few near-misses and false starts, 2022 could be their time.
