TYRONE'S ability to nullify the attacking threat of Kerry's twin-towers Tommy Walsh and Kieran Donaghy was always likely to be the most significant factor in winning their third All Ireland Championship.

The Kingdom's potent twin-pronged double act had terrorised defences throughout the land en route to their fifth final appearance on the trot. Above all else, Mickey Harte's key decision was who would be deployed to quash an attack that had accumulated 3-14 between them during the course of the championship and as a consequence of the havoc wreaked the 'Gooch' Cooper had produced a personal scoring figure of 2-19.

Harte has pulled off a few masterstrokes during his time as the Red Hands supremo but the decision to call on brothers in arms, Joe and Justin McMahon to obliterate the twin towers will go down in Tyrone folklore as the main reason why SuperDooher and company completed an historic treble triumph at Headquarters on Sunday.

Not only did Harte meet force with force in deploying the height, physical presence and defensive ability of the McMahons but he was asking brothers to stand shoulder and shoulder in the trenches, maximising the telepathy and understanding that they had developed over years in the back garden and at club level.

It's one thing giving it your all for the cause, giving it all for your team-mates but the blood-is-thicker-than-water scenario is a whole different ball game.

That particular school of thought and possible reason for his juxtaposition with younger brother Justin at the heart of a Tyrone defence that restricted the Donaghy and Walsh combination to a solitary point was not lost on an exhausted and bleary-eyed Joe McMahon at Monday night's Healy Park homecoming.

"Possibly from watching us in training and at club level he realised there is an understanding, a bond there," said McMahon in a tired gruff voice.

"From growing up together we were always used to competing against each other. Obviously we developed an understanding and we both always dreamt of winning All-Irelands. Standing alongside your brother at Croke Park was surreal, a proud moment for me and I'm sure my mum and da and whole family were very proud too.

"It's just been unbelievable. Obviously having Justy there was great, we have had the shared experience of playing club football together."

The versatile player admitted that standing beside his younger sibling at the final whistle was the perfect and emotional climax to what had been a thrilling experience.

"Absolutely. We were never too far from each other throughout the match and we were fortunate to be in a position to give each other a hug at the end; to thank each other. I suppose it hasn't really sunk in yet. Justy has been a great player all year and if he doesn't get an All Star, as Colm O'Rourke said, 'I'll eat my hat'."

While much of the spotlight centred on the McMahons during Monday night's celebrations at the County ground and their home club, Omagh St Enda's, the affable Joe was quick to acknowledge the contribution of the entire squad during the high and lows of an extraordinary journey to ultimate glory.

The 6'2" school coach, too, revealed that he feared he was going to dropped just three days before the showdown at Croke.

"On the Thursday Mickey and Tony (Donnelly) called me into the changing room and when he gave me the curly finger I was sort of dreading the news, so to speak, that I was going to be sacrificed for something else.

"But thank God he asked me to go back and do a job against Tommy Walsh. I was more than happy to go back and do a job for the cause.

" Numbers mean nothing within this team. When Mickey asks you to go and do a job you go out and do it to the best of your ability. It's for Tyrone at the end of the day."

"It was a daunting prospect. I knew Walsh was big but until I shook his hand and stood beside him I only realised the physicality of this guy. He proved himself all year. He's a young player and will be one for the future."

"We knew that Tommy Walsh and Donaghy were the prominent forces, they were the twin towers, so to speak. We knew we were going to be up against it.

"But fortunately a lot of work had been done out field in curtailing the supply line and I think Kerry were restricted in terms of their play. They chose the higher ball more than the lower ball in and that worked in Justin and myself's favour.

"As Mickey always says before a match, individually these Tyrone jerseys mean nothing but when you put them on they mean everything collectively."