Veteran Paul Finlay basking in Ballybay's success

There is a photograph on the Ballybay Pearse Brothers Twitter page and it is surely one of the most meaningful GAA pictures out there.

In the shot is every senior championship winning captain that the club has ever produced.

Paddy McKearney is on the left of the frame – he led the club over the line in 1953, '54,'57 and '59. Sean McKearney is beside him – he captained the club to glory in 1969.

Next is Jim O'Hanlon, who lifted the cup in 1962.

Eoin McKearney had that honour last weekend when they beat Scotstown in this year’s final while, at the end of the line, John Joe McKearney stands as the team leader of 1987.

Towards the right of the shot is Paul Finlay, who led Ballybay to county title glory in 2012.

Six years back, Finlay retired from inter-county football with two Ulster titles to his credit between 2013 and 2015, the first bringing a 25-year drought for provincial success in Monaghan to an end.

He also featured in Ulster final defeats in 2007 and 2010. He gave 14 years playing for his county and since then he has devoted every waking minute to getting his club back to the top of the pile in his native county.

Last Sunday they got there. The emotion came pouring out.

Every Senior Championship Winning Captain: Paddy McKearney (1953,54, 57 &59), Sean McKearney 1969, Jim O'Hanlon 1962, Eoin McKearney 2022, Paul Finlay 2012, John Joe McKearney 1987. #ballybaypearsebrothers pic.twitter.com/FC9ISqYCAF

"A lot of special things happened when the final whistle blew last Sunday," Finlay told RTÉ Sport.

"But taking that picture of all our captains was surely the most special of them all. We are a small club, there are only around 4000 in the parish, and numbers are our biggest issue.

"Still, we have a great tradition and to have all