In the end, Kilcoo had just too many holes to plug against Corofin.

The GAA is not only about identity of course, but the first Ulster Club title for the hardest of hardcore GAA clubs in Kilcoo Eoghan Rúa will forever sustain this miniscule community of shepherds in a hollow of the Mourne mountains.

Derrygonnelly will have a long winter to wonder how they were so wasteful as Kilcoo, who did more with less possession, took a big step towards an elusive first AIB Ulster club title.

Slaughtneil (Derry) 0-12 Kilcoo (Down) 0-9: They’ve had many great days in the last few years, but Slaughtneil had their sweetest moment yet in the Athletic Grounds yesterday, shrugging off the pressure to complete an unprecedented Ulster treble.