Adam Hogan was shocked when he first met his hero Brian Lohan - then stunned into disbelief when the Clare boss called him up for the Banner over a decade later.
Hogan recalls that he was seven or eight when, on the ferry from Rosslare across the Irish Sea at the start of a family holiday, he spotted Clare's All-Ireland winning star full-back Lohan.
"I used to idolise Brian," he said. "I saw him there and I was in shock. I didn't even go over to him, I was too shy.
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"My parents had to go over and my mother introduced me.
"He probably doesn't remember now but it was surreal. I even knew Brian then, like that's how (big a) character he is in Clare - he's one of the heroes.
"I'd say he doesn't remember it. Actually, I was watching the 1995 All-Ireland final a week ago, it was unbelievable to be fair.
"Back there, he's inspirational. Like he is as a manager, I suppose."
Hogan will start against Dublin in tomorrow's All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final at the Gaelic Grounds, as he did at the venue a fortnight ago when he couldn't believe he wasn't awarded a last-gasp free that would have brought the Munster final against Limerick to extra-time.
The exciting young corner-back addressed that a day later when he was present at the All-Ireland series launch in Waterford.
But, ahead of the knock-out encounter with the Dubs, he smiles as he remembers his reaction when Lohan called him into the extended senior county panel last year, along with Keith Smyth and Conner Hegarty, after the under-20s campaign ended.
"I got a text message but I thought it was one of the lads pranking me," admitted Hogan.
"I was like, 'Jesus, is this true or not?'.
"So I texted one of the lads. Paddy Donnellan's on the senior team as well, so I was saying to him is that his (Lohan's) number.
"He said yeah. I didn't believe it really, to be honest.
"At the start it was very surreal. I remember going into the dressing-room, I went into the corner and I was just looking around and looking up to these lads from 2013 and even after 2013.
"But I kind of had to take it as it came and I suppose, take an opportunity when it came."
Hogan had the pedigree to make it. His father before him was also steeped in the game - he won a county championship with Feakle as well as two Harty Cups with Flannan's and a Fitzgibbon with UL.
His grandad was also Galway hurling secretary for 25 years.
"Since a young age I'd be down in Feakle with my friends and just playing, dreaming of playing for Clare and thank God it came through," Hogan said.
He is a Harty Cup winner himself, playing an influential role in the celebrated victory by St Joseph's Tulla last year.
But he was recently disappointed that, under the seven day rule, he was unable to line out as captain of the Clare under-20s in their Munster final loss to Cork.
Experiencing the atmosphere and build-up to a senior provincial final was something else, however.
"It was fairly surreal going on the bus and we passed Clare supporters, they were all cheering at us and then we had to get Garda escort through the motorway because it was block to block and in the stadium was unbelievable," he said.
"You could barely hear from one metre away to shout at your man.
"The parade was unbelievable. Looking to the crowds, it was savage."
Of course he wants to taste more of that this summer. Dublin, after beating Carlow, have to be dealt with before an All-Ireland semi-final meeting with Leinster champions Kilkenny.
The message from Lohan is to avoid a repeat of last summer, when the Banner fell off a cliff after pushing Limerick so hard in the Munster decider that was only resolved after extra time.
"We were a bit flat last year, I thought, in the Wexford and Kilkenny games," Hogan said. "We want to show ourselves that we're better than that.
"We're not looking towards the semi-final, we have to beat Dublin first.
"But we'd love to get back and show how better we are than what we did last year.
"Hopefully we'll get back on the horse and show what we're made of against Dublin."
