As Slaughtneil prepare to take on Omagh in Sunday's Ulster Club SFC final, Cahair O'Kane looks at the influence manager Mickey Moran has had on the Emmet's senior footballers in the most successful year in the club's history...
AROUND this time last year, Mickey Moran was making his once-familiar trip to the heart of Tyrone.
He's a well-travelled man, is the former Derry, Donegal, Mayo, Leitrim and Sligo manager, who has had various club conquests in a distinguished career.
They remember him where he's been, but there is particular fondness in Omagh. Up until Lawrence Strain guided them to the O'Neill Cup at the start of October, Moran remained the last man to have brought the silverware back to Healy Park.
That was back in 1988 and while there are obviously none of the players from that 2-6 to 2-4 defeat of Clonoe in Dungannon still pulling the boots on, Moran will no doubt recognise a few faces.
Barry McGinn and Damien McSorley are assistants to Strain along the line, and both were in Moran's team 26 years ago on an afternoon when 2-2 from Paul McElhatton made the difference.
There'll also be sons of fathers. Omagh utility man Conor Meyler's father Seanie scored two points that afternoon from centre-forward, while goalkeeper Ryan Clarke's father Kenny was also on the squad. Mickey Joe Flanagan was also in the half-forward line back in '88, and his son Michéal would have been playing had he not departed for Australia at the start of the year.
A year ago, they had a reunion to mark the 25th anniversary of that success and Moran travelled down.
Clonoe hadn't long been crowned the new Tyrone champions at that stage and Damian Cassidy's men lent the trophy to the St Enda's boys for a celebration of their last successful team.
But he'll be in the other dugout on Sunday, trying to deny the St Enda's a first ever provincial title by guiding Slaughtneil to the same feat. It looked like this day would never come for either Moran or the Maghera man's neighbouring club, which he took charge of after a year with Kilrea alerted everyone to his willingness to return to management.
Mickey Moran has worked as hard with Slaughtneil as he has done in any managerial job since he took over as Derry manager at the tender age of just 29 in 1980.
Football took him all over the country over the next 30 years, with a particular affinity for the west.
The retired teacher's popularity with those he managed was emphasised by his reappointment for a fourth year with Leitrim in August 2011. But just three months later, he was forced to step down because of ill health.
For two years, his was a very low profile as he fought that illness. Now, while he still tries to avoid over-exerting himself, the Glen man is relishing his return to the dugout. Slaughtneil is a quiet, modest village. No better man for them than the quiet, modest Moran. The difference he has made has been typically subtle.
He has instilled a calmness and composure in a group of players whose heart and character is well renowned. Rashness has been a side-effect of that heart which has at times seen them unstuck in the past decade.
His role in the Emmet's success has been offered little in the way of headlines. Outwardly, he had inherited a squad that were on the cusp of winning a championship anyway.
Inwardly, he worked on the weaknesses that had seen them go a full decade without adding to their first county title. He studied and stewed.
Then he waved the recorders away when the media came, knowing he was in a sense turning away the chance to cement his own part in this historic run.
Despite being immersed in football and coming from a neighbouring club that concentrates its efforts on the big ball, he understood what hurling means to Slaughtneil as well.
He and senior hurling manager Mickey Glover worked together on the dual players' training schedules, ensuring they got enough of both - and got enough rest.
For each opponent, he has dissected DVDs of previous performances. Taken them apart, bit by bit. If ever there was proof of the method, it was in the way they calmly picked Clontibret apart. They hardly gave a ball away after a nervy first 10 minutes.
All of it has led to what is by far the most successful year in Slaughtneil's history. "He got us to believe in ourselves," said his captain Francis McEldowney. "Mickey would have done a lot of work behind the scenes, even when there was no training, on other teams and what we were up against, and how to go about it. "Cutting out the mistakes was a big thing. Looking back on our matches this long time, if we'd cut out some of the mistakes we made, we probably would have won more championships."
His fellow defender Barry McGuigan backs up that view: "A calm head, more than anything." That is what he brings according to the rejuvenated former county man, who at 32 has enjoyed one of his best seasons despite commuting from south-east England on a weekly basis. "He knows a lot of our players being a close neighbour to us and from watching us over the years. He's brought his experience to the table and it's paid big dividends for us, it's plain to be seen."
After completing the 'double double' of senior and reserve football and hurling championships on Friday night, and having had strong underage sides over the past 15 years, they want him to stay and build a dynasty.