Monaghan defender Fintan Kelly attributes the Farney County's ability to punch above their weight to a strong work ethic.

Despite drawing on the fourth-smallest population in Ireland, Malachy O'Rourke's men have won two Ulster championships in the past four years and have established themselves as a Division One force. Their unlikely credentials have been underlined by superb away league victories in Mayo and Kerry this month:

"We just have a good attitude about the whole thing," Clones clubman Kely told GAA.ie. "It's a hard-working team. Obviously there's a lot of skillful players in it, but it's not filled with out and out skillful footballers, it's just a hard-working team.

"That attitude was there as far back as when 'Banty' [Seamus McEnaney] was in charge of the team. I remember watching him and they were a hard-working, honest team. Physical and just no-nonsense.

"I suppose that's transferred on to us. It's the first thing you have to get right in a football game - hard work - and I think that's been our mantra. If you can work harder than the other team you can wear them down and get ahead of them.

"I suppose we have a small population, but we're a well-run county in the background as well."

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