Benny Tierney recalls hilarious story of how he decided to retire from Armagh
Armagh will hope to lift the Sam Maguire once again, on Sunday, in Croke Park.
GAA fans tuned into RTÉ on Saturday evening as ‘Up for the Match’ previewed this weekend’s All-Ireland final between Armagh and Galway.
Marty Morrisey was joined by a sea of Armagh fans in the Orchard County while there was also a huge gathering of Galway supporters in Salthill-Knocknacarra with both sets of fans eagerly awaiting the season’s climax at Croke Park.
2002 Armagh All-Ireland winning goalkeeper Benny Tierney was also a guest on the show and told a hilarious story that tipped him over the edge when thinking of retirement from county football.
Read More Armagh v Galway All-Ireland final preview, prediction and verdict
Speaking on RTÉ One, Tierney explained that Armagh went to La Manga, in Spain, on one of the first soccer-style pre-season camps in the GAA.
“There was three training sessions a day,” he said. "There was no golf and there was no alcohol whatsoever.
“I remember coming back (home) and my wife thought I was on a jolly lads holiday, I got in and she goes, ‘Well, good time?' I said, ‘I’m alright, I’m retiring now pet.’
“I’m not going to La Manga ever again. But the finishing blow was the final year, I was humming and harring and the next thing a new box of jerseys arrived. The skin-tight jerseys,” he laughed.
“I looked at this thing that looked like a handkerchief and I went… I saw (Kieran) McGeeney struggling.
“I went, ‘If McGeeney can’t get this on, I’m gonna need a blow torch and some vice grips to get it on me.’
“I went into the toilets on my own, you know, as you do. When you're sort of a chunky person, I said ill try this, I got it on after 45 minutes and it looked like a wetsuit. I went, ‘I’m retiring, I’m retiring’.”
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