THEY ARE TWO of the outsiders who now have a place deep in the heart of every Derry City supporter.
The Dubliner and the Englishman.
Brian Maher and Cameron McJannet belong to something far bigger after this historic FAI Cup final triumph.
Strangers a year ago, but no more.
They shared a house together after becoming teammates at the Ryan McBride Brandywell at the start of this season.
Yesterday, they made themselves at home at Aviva Stadium.
Ruaidhrí Higgins inherited McJannet in his squad and brought Ireland U21 goalkeeper Maher north from Bray Wanderers. Both are now central figures to a revolution still in its infancy.
McJannet helped himself to a famous brace of goals in a record final win, while Maher’s clean sheet was never in doubt given he didn’t have a shot on target to deal with.
It was more than the pair could have wished for when they went to bed on Saturday. Again, they found themselves together, roommates for the night in the team hotel.
“I must be his lucky charm,” Maher beamed. “To score two, it’s something he didn’t dream of. He said he would take one to me [last night], so for him to get two, thank God we are breaking off for a while because I wouldn’t hear the end of it.”
McJannet, from Milton Keynes and a former Luton Town and Stoke City player, still seemed dazed long after he wrapped the winners’ medal around his neck.
“And it will stay there for a few days,” he laughed. “I’m a bit speechless to be honest. It’s unbelievable.”
Derry’s aim now is to make occasions like this – successes like this – the norm.
A decade has passed without one, 10 years in which Sligo Rovers, St Patrick’s Athletic, Dundalk, Cork City and Shamrock Rovers have all lifted the famous trophy at Lansdowne Road.
You have to go back a quarter of a century to when they were champions of Ireland, the Class of 1997 casting a shadow that no side since has been able to emerge from.
Confident steps must now be taken to do so and, with self-made billionaire Philip O’Doherty continuing his longstanding backing of the club, Higgins will surely be able to rival champions Rovers further next season.
That is the kind of burden which captain Patrick McEleney was happy to take on when he returned to his hometown club from Oriel Park ahead of this campaign.
“I said that when I came back, we were sleeping and standing still, hopefully we can kick start with this and not look back,” he explained, Sunday being the seventh time has played in Irish football’ showpiece.
“You have to set standards, keep progressing, the likes of me and Mickey Duffy, Mark Connolly who has been outstanding, they all set standards for us every day.
“You have to have a winning mentality and not take your foot off the gas. Taking our foot off the gas in the mid-season hurt us.
“I have always tried to win things, since I was younger, that’s never going to change or leave me, as long as I am here.
“And I have said this to the players – I will keep driving this. You have to execute it. It’s fine having good players, but you need to do the business when it matters.”
As he walked down a corridor near the Derry dressing room, Maher had his phone in his hand. He still hadn’t turned it on to read any of the flurry of messages that had come his way.
When he did, the first ones to come through only added to the emotion.
“Texts are all from my family – Mam, Dad and my sister,” he revealed after checking. “That’s all you want after the game to get those photos. They are memories I’ll hold forever. At 22 years old to win my first cup is incredible. Hopefully, if I’m lucky I might get another chance to play here.
“I had my Mam, Dad, sisters and uncles and about 15 friends and cousins here as well. It was a great day out. My Dad is following me to Derry now so we’ll see him in three hours [for the party]. There is something planned up there, after that it would be rude not to.”
Dublin belonged to Derry yesterday, and it was clear from as early as three hours before kick-off that they would have the majority of what turned out to be a 32,412 attendance – one of whom was Ireland international James McClean.
At Connolly Station a little after midday, packed DART carriages echoed to the sound of songs with a northern twang. Pat Fenlon, on commentary duty for RTÉ, and former manager of both clubs, was left on the platform as the train headed in the direction of Lansdowne.
Centre back Connolly knew of a different kind of journey being made by his mother and some of his family from Clones, Co. Monaghan.
“I woke up to texts telling me to win, so no pressure there then,” he joked. “But coming to the stadium myself, and knowing they were on their way together, it made it extra special to think about them.”
Connolly spoke movingly about the death of his father last year and a moment like this was bittersweet, he admitted. And as the initial euphoria wpre off, the 30-year-old also began to think of his own family, his wife and two young children.
“You realise the sacrifice they have made to be part of your life, when you move from place to place. I’ve had more clubs than Tiger Woods at this stage. I need to put down ties somewhere. I can’t keep moving. My wife said that to me too.
“It’s a culture of football up there in Derry and I need to put down some roots. I’m hoping that will be in Derry now.”
Connolly once cost Bolton Wanderers £1 million when they signed the talented centre half from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2009. Since then, he has traipsed around England and Scotland searching for that home.
Derry is stop number 10. Yesterday was just perfect.
The future will soon have more demands.