'I'm happiest I have ever been right now'

As he stood on the balcony of Trim GAA clubhouse with the Jubilee Cup raised aloft Kilmessan captain Mark Horan roared above the cheers of the supporters 'it's coming home'.

The hairs stood on the back of the necks of every single Kilmessan supporter, tears ran down the faces of some, the smiles beamed from ear-to-ear.

Horan delivered a speech for the ages, one to rival Jack Coyne's words after Mayo claimed Sam Maguire last in July, the drought wasn't as long for Kilmessan, but the tone of Horan's words told huge relief and pride.

And all delivered without a pre-written speech. It was from the heart of a man of just 21 years old, with a couple of u-21 HC medals and a Junior football memento in his back pocket, but a man with wisdom and leadership beyond his young years.

Even after returning from the heights of the balcony to share the cup with his team mates Horan still showed remarkable composure and clarity when he spoke to the Meath Chronicle and elaborated on the nerves he spoke about in his captain's speech.

"I'm ecstatic, without a doubt the happiest I've been in my life and in between there was every emotion as well, from nerves in the morning, stress before and during the game it was just a pool of emotions, but I'm happiest I have ever been right now," said the Kilmessan captain.

"Finally we have it, it's been a long time coming, people have been saying we've been building for years, building for years, we're finally there and I couldn't be happier.

"It means so much to the club, from the very start of the championship we were written off, there wasn't really anyone giving us a chance other than the people within the group.

"We knew what we were capable of and we just needed to show it and winning this is showing it and it's showing that what we believed in was something worth believing in.

"We made it happen and we knew we could, so it means so much that we follow through on what we thought we could do."

Being written off was something that drove on this Kilmessan team, but Horan could understand why teams like Ratoath, who were chasing a three-ina-a-row, or Kiltale, who only lost last year's final in a replay, were being touted as favourites.

The Kilmessan players ignored the outside noise, their belief in their own ability and under the guidance of Chucky Keena, the coaching of Paul Reilly, the assistance from Paul Donnelly and Trevor Maguire and with a little bit of help from Steven Clynch thrown in for good measure, their belief was justified - Horan never doubted it.

"With the new structure of the championship, you wouldn't write off any team, it's such a competitive division. Anyone could have been here today, we just got the few results we needed, got ourselves here and we put in the performance at the end," reflected the captain.

"I don't blame anyone for giving Ratoath or Kiltale a chance at the start, they're good teams and they deserve the titles of good teams, we just put in the work, we stuck to our own agenda, we knew what we had to do and that was all we were thinking about.

"Even today we knew Kiltale were a good side, but we were only focusing on our own performance, that's all that mattered today and that's what got us over the line.

"To be completely honest, we had the belief for the last two weeks. We didn't write off Kiltale, but I was never so confident going into a game because of the attitude we had.

"I knew we'd get over the line today. If anyone asked me during the week are we going to win, I'd say yes.

"The vibe in the camp was good, we knew we had to do this, we knew how important it was and you look around here today, this is why we've done it.

"We had to get into the game but we knew as soon as we were sticking with them, we knew we'd push on, the confidence was there, the belief was there and we followed through with it."

The game itself was a slow burner and Horan admitted that nerves might have played a part in that, but he knew going in at half-time just a point down after playing against the stiff breeze that his side were in a very strong position.

In that second period, every player, to a man, stood up, but few stood taller than Lorcan Byrne and after scoring each of his five second-half points he jumped higher and higher into the air to celebrate.

"That (celebration) has been a running theme with him for so long, he is unbelievable, you'd swear he's been playing with the senior team for 20 years," remarked Horan.

"The experience that man has for a man that's only 21 or 22 years of age is unbelievable. He is such a leader on and off the pitch and in my opinion he is the best hurler in the county and I have no problem in saying that.

"He drives us all on, he sets the standard, you've seen it there today, he wins the balls, I don't know how he wins half of them, he is an unbelievable hurler and he is one for the future as well as right now.

"For a lot of the players today was our first time in a game this big. We knew we'd be nervous for the first 10 or 15 minutes, we knew we'd have to get ourselves into the game and we managed to keep ourselves close.

"We knew when we went in at half time that we have the bit of the wind, not that it would have won us the game, but it would have helped and we knew we were settled in. We got to the pace of the game and we just ploughed on from half time."

With Pairc Tailteann out of commission due to works on a new stand, Trim GAA took centre stage for the Jubilee Cup decider for the first time in 20 years and St Loman's Park was in pristine condition.

Horan reserved special praise for the venue and insisted that the celebrations will go long into the week.

"We played a lot of our games here, it's an amazing venue. The pitch today was in unbelievable nick, you can't fault Trim GAA at all. I have no issue with playing here.

"We had such a big crowd, the atmosphere was unbelievable. It'll be great to be back in Pairc Tailteann next year, ideally back in the same position as today, but winning the Jubilee Cup is the main thing.

"It will be a good few days in Fergie's," concluded Horan before returning to join the celebrations with his team mates.