'It's been difficult this year because of my dad' - Philly McMahon puts All Ireland winning celebrations into perspective

When Joe McQuillan blew the final whistle after approximately 73 seconds of vintage Dublin possession football, Philly McMahon's thoughts turned to his father as Croke Park exploded into a cacophony of noise.

The elusive three-in-a-row. Legends. History.

Five-time All Ireland winner McMahon celebrated with his Dublin team-mates on the Croke Park pitch but there was one place he wanted to be - on the steps of the Hogan Stand with his father, who was diagnosed with stomach cancer earlier in the summer.

"It's been difficult this year because of my dad. The gift the lads have given me is amazing. Funny enough, after the game, he was trying to run down to the gate in the Hogan Stand," said McMahon, speaking at the launch of National Fitness Day.

"I was going, 'Stay up there', because where they were sitting was just covered in Mayo fans all the way up the steps.

"So I said, 'stay up there' and jumped in. I was running up the steps... they were pulling out of me and cursing me. And they weren't to know, to be honest.

"It was special for me. It was probably a bit more special than any other All-Ireland because who knows?

"And that's the thing with this team. We're very grateful for what we have.

"I think it was the league final last year, a man came in to us and he only had a couple of days to live.

"Little things like that make us not give a s**t about what people say to us in the papers. Life is too short to be listening to people that talk bad about us."