Tullylish man James going for glory in All-Ireland final

“Playing was the only gig in town,” McCartan told the Leader last week, as he spoke of his younger days on the pitch.

"Basically playing was the idea. It certainly wasn't a case of dreaming of managing, you don't think like that,” he added.

Now, as the the third Sunday in September approaches, the local man is in the enviable position of managers across the country.

But despite the undoubted pressure on his shoulders, McCartan said support from his home crowd is a big help.

“There's been loads of people round home and they've been very vocal,” said McCartan.

“And I've seen them at all the matches so it's nice to know that you've people at home hoping you do well.”

A win on Sunday could see the McCartan dynasty sealed as one of the Gaelic Games’ greatest, with James following in his father’s footsteps as player and manager.

While James senior, who holds three All-Ireland player medals, was never able to replicate that success as manager, he is always there to lend a word of advice, said his son.

“Well sometimes you don't have to ask him for advice, he offers it," McCartan laughed. “At times when he sees something he does let me know, but by and large he does let me get on with it and doesn't interfere too much."

James senior, who managed the county in the 1980s, will be in Dublin on the day to cheer on the Mournemen.

"He's looking forward to it and he's looking forward to a great occasion,” said James. “But as I say he just really lets us get on with it.”

And the football star seems to be working rather well on his own merit so far, having led the county team to the final in his first year as manager, despite a rocky start.

“When the Ulster Championship started Tyrone might have been thinking of being in the All-Ireland final but the rest of the Ulster counties were just focused on the provincial title,” McCartan told journalists at a press conference in Newry last week.

“We were beaten by Tyrone in the Ulster semi-final but after making a tentative start in the qualifiers we improved as we went along but we do not see ourselves as the finished article.”

As the Down squad look to their manager for inspiration on Sunday, so too will McCartan remember the greats he idolised as a boy and played with in later years.

“Within Down I was fortunate to end up playing alongside people like Greg Blaney, Paddy O'Rourke, Mickey Linden and players of that ilk,” he told the Leader.

“Again from outside the county I ended up being fortunate enough to play for Ireland in the International Rules Series - people like Eoin Liston, Jack O'Shea and that calibre of player.

“Those were the players I looked up to and I was very fortunate to play alongside them.”

With a cabinet full of medals already, it’s very possible McCartan may have to make room for another come Sunday.