His life as a footballer over, Jarlath Burns stands in a stone corridor and peers into the embers before reminding us of the class that sustained him over the years. There is no escaping the moment.
"Yeah, that's it. You know, a lot of fellas have played for their whole life and not had the chance to play the games I played in and had the experiences I had or met the people I did and there is just no point in looking back with any bitterness.
"I'm happy with what I've done - I think if we hadn't won Ulster I wouldn't have been. But what I am optimistic of is that this team will be back. This was a stepping stone on a greater journey and its hard to come down on your first year and win an All-Ireland. Galway did it last year, but unfortunately we had a man sent off and couldn't make it, " he says softly.
Ger Reid's departure in the 55th minute was unsurprisingly identified as the point at which Armagh's aspirations began to irrevocably nosedive. Booked in the first half for affording Graham Geraghty undue attention, the Armagh full back was sent off for tripping the same man close to his own goalline.
"I didn't see the incident, but I did hear that Ger Reid should have had a free out before that," says joint-manager Brian Canavan with a grimace afterwards.
"I wonder why a Meath official went to the ref at half-time - I questioned that and they couldn't tell me what it was. I thought that the ref wasn't allowed to be influenced or not influenced . . . But spoken to by opposing mentors . . . TV pictures will show he went straight to the ref.
"Ah, it appears strange to me that Ger Reid was sent off for a flimsy tackle at the end of the day when you look at the physical content of the game. But the referee called it as he saw it and we have to live with that."
Although Armagh buckled shortly after Reid's lonesome walk, they were in part architects of their own ruination, hitting just one point over a second half saturated with vital misses.
"Yeah, we missed a lot of scores at a vital time and if he had hit three or four points, it would have asked questions of the Meath backs, but we had the opportunities and didn't take them," admits Canavan.
"So today, we are all downbeat, devastated really but I must applaud the effort the lads put in."
The disappointment for the Ulster team is, however, overshadowed by word that Oisin McConville's father Patsy had been taken gravely ill over the day. The family are an essential part of Armagh's Gaelic football heritage.
"Oisin came out to-day with a heavy heart," reflects Burns. "He only joined us late last night and we all that that on our mind for Oisin. It's very disappointing for poor Oisin and it puts everything in context. Patsy McConville is a man who is synonymous with Armagh football and his wife Margaret is well known throughout the county and beyond as the secretary."
