Oisín McConville: Sometimes the qualifiers let you spread your wings and enjoy the journey

I think that was the real beauty of the qualifiers, especially in the early days – it gave teams the chance to play teams they normally wouldn’t.

Oisin McConville, Armagh, in action against Waterford's John Hearne in Walsh Park in the 2003 qualifier. Picture: Matt Browne / SPORTSFILE  

In the mid 1980s, St Patrick’s Primary School in Crossmaglen played Armagh CBS in a McGreevy Cup schools quarter-final. On the way to the match in Ballymacnab, the bus broke down. We were stranded and going nowhere - until a sand lorry appeared around the corner.

Your boy driving the lorry asked us if we needed a lift. We all nodded. We didn’t want to miss the chance of having a cut off the CBS lads. So your boy lowered the bucket of the lorry and we all climbed in.