FROM his vantage point between the posts, Crossmaglen goalkeeper Paul Hearty has seen it all over the past two decades, record after record being broken and now carving one of his own which may never be equalled in the history of the game.
The 37-year-old ex-county 'keeper, not alone captained Cross to their 19th title in 20 years at the Athletic Grounds last Sunday, he also created his own little piece of personal history by winning his 19th senior club medal.
“Its a little crazy, when you think about it," he said, “but this is not about personal records or achievements. We turned in a very good performance today, the boys performed well all over the field, they were hungry, things went well, we polished off our chances when we got them.”
Caught on the hop by Omagh St Enda’s in Ulster last year, Hearty doesn’t need reminded there are bigger fish to fry.
"When one assesses what happened last year and the year before, we absolutely let ourselves down in Ulster. We trained hard to win this championship to get a chance to put that right and put our best foot forward in Ulster this year. We are really looking forward to getting another crack at it,” he said.
Harps may have put it up to Hearty’s goal on a few occasions, but the result was never in doubt from the arrival of the first goal minutes before the break, giving the champions a 1-10 to 0-5 advantage.
“I think once Rico’s [Kelly] goal went in, it gave us a nice cushion and, then, when Donal McKenna grabbed one in the second-half, it was game, set and match," added Hearty.
"The end of the game turned into a bit of a procession. There will be sterner tests ahead, we are well aware of that and experienced enough now to know that the next game will be the hardest, so we will be preparing diligently for whatever comes out of Antrim."
Just what exactly motivates this exceptional outfit is really no secret, according to the big man: "What drives us on is days like this,” he said.
“That’s what the hard work is all about, winning silverware, winning cups, it’s great to come here today, put in a good performance and lift a cup. It will be no different the next day. You see young Oisín O’Neill coming in today and Shane Farrelly, young minors who won a minor championship two weeks ago. We are not going away, you know."
Even without talisman Aaron Kernan and top marksman Jamie Clarke, there was no halting Cross as they tore the city side apart.
"Ah listen, we have lost many a key payer over the years, when Oisín [Mc Conville] retired, when Francis Bellew retired, the McEntees retired, but we just keep coming back. With players that come in and do the job, someone else always steps up to the plate, and that’s the way it was today," said Hearty.
"It was a great performance all across the field by everybody, so it doesn’t matter who we have got out on the field, we know the quality of the young lads coming on. Jamie [Clarke] gone and Aaron [Kernan] gone today and Aaron Cunningham didn’t start, we still have plenty of cover in all positions, we have great minors now, we are playing 15-a-side in training every night. It’s fantastic.”
History maker, record breaker, Hearty has no notion of sitting back on his laurels, though he does admit it could be a case of one game at a time from here on in.
“It was our 19th today and six in-a-row, but it’s just the same as our first, we still celebrate in Cross," added Hearty.
"It’s great for all our supporters who came out today and gave us the backing we needed. It’s a great achievement, but listen, as for my own personal achievement, I’ll have a wee look back at it when I retire and see what the stats are, the next one’s 20, so we’ll see what happens."
