Each recipient knew exactly what it meant. After six years at the helm of Armagh football, Joe Kernan was gone. It was his way of saying goodbye to his players and to a dynasty he had helped create. In an era where the county was one of the Big Three, his side had defied popular thinking. Along with Tyrone and Kerry, they had listened again and again to how they must win two All Irelands to achieve true greatness. Unlike the others, Armagh never got over the line a second time but in trying they became great anyway, winning four Ulster titles, a league and an All Ireland under Kernan, that last one finally releasing him from the frustration he had felt as a player.

It was 1977 when Kernan lined out in an All Ireland final himself, the county's last appearance before his management. He scored two goals that day but the side still lost to Dublin and his sole consolation was a medal. It was 25 years before it was seen again, Kernan, having turned it into a plaque of sorts, producing it at half-time of the 2002 All Ireland final against Kerry.

The sides had started evenly that day but with the break approaching Eoin Brosnan began to get on top of Kieran McGeeney, John McEntee went off injured, Oisin McConville missed a penalty and Kerry ran riot, taking a 011 to 0-7 lead into the dressing room. It was there Kernan was waiting for his players.

During a now famous rant, he produced his runners-up plaque from''77 before telling the latest crop of the county's footballers he had hidden it away in a cupboard ever since, that he was ashamed to show it to his children, that it was the sign of a loser and that he didn't want these guys to have to endure the same emotions he had. They all watched on in amazement as he hurled it off a wall in the showers before returning to the pitch. How much of an affect it had on the second-half turnaround can be overstated but Kernan never cared having finally been part of an All Ireland-winning set-up.

The county's attitude to training and football became legend during his years.

When the side lost a heartbreaking All Ireland semifinal to Tyrone in 2005, it was joked that he'd have his players back out in a chain gang before the week was out. Kernan wasn't always so hard on his troops, mind. As Crossmaglen manager from 1993 onwards he used to drink with the senior panel after championship games on the Sunday and often on Mondays as well. It hadn't affected their performances, with Rangers dominating Armagh club football and Ulster club football from the mid-90s onwards and picking up an All Ireland in 1997. But in 1998 Kernan changed.

It was then Liam Austin resigned as Cavan manager and Kernan told some of his club players he was leaving them to take his managerial bow at inter-county level.

Nothing had been signed but Kernan believed things had moved along far enough so that he could let some people know. It was to the sides surprise then that Val Andrews was announced as manager at Breffni Park soon after and Kernan returned to Crossmaglen with an aggression and anger none of them had ever seen and one demonstrated best by a couple of guest speakers Kernan had befriended.

Before that '97 club final win against Knockmore, Kernan had invited Colm O'Rourke to speak with the players to provide a little motivation in a timid manner. The Navan man talked about how two things could happen them in Croke Park. Either they would freeze or they would realise this is where they wanted to be and they'd jump higher, run faster and hit higher.

Two years on it was the turn of Sean Boylan to speak with the group before the decider with Ballina and the training session the then Meath manager took was ferocious. When Cathal Short went down injured mid-way through, some of the players stopped to see if he was alright. Boylan was having none of it and quickly imposed himself. He turned to a couple of them, told them to get Short off the pitch and leave him behind the goals before rejoining the rest of them.

Kernan nodded in approval.

Cross won as they did the following year. They finally fell exhausted in Ulster to Castleblaney in late 2000 and it was then he left, picking the right time to walk away.

Just as his departure last week was at the right time as well. Many saw him as the raging bull after missing out in Cavan and it was an attitude he took with him into the Armagh job and that was seen in his players on many of their greatest days. However this year was the best example yet that the sort of same voice syndrome that had affected Paidi in Kerry, Sean Boylan in Meath and John O'Mahony in Galway had finally set in with Kernan. The side lost to Donegal in the Ulster quarter-final in the sort of game Armagh used to win.

The side lost to Derry in the qualifiers in the sort of game Armagh used to win. The motivation appeared to be gone. Time for a change.

No one can be sure if Kernan realised this himself though. Some in Armagh suggested early last week that he was considering giving it another year. Not everyone was happy though. Some players had allegedly been saying to John Grimley about taking the post, half-joking, half-hoping. And it's said that when the county board in Armagh heard of Kernan's intentions, they quickly intervened. There's no doubting that if this is true they did Joe a favour. Football is played in the now and despite a championship record of 22-7-4 under his reign, it was only going to get worse and his departure now leaves Armagh to move on, gives two more of his sons, Paul and Tony, the chance to move onto the Armagh panel and allows Joe himself to move on as well.

If he was thinking of giving another year to Armagh, the drive clearly remains and there's no reason why he won't give another county his time and knowledge. Thing is, it won't be in 2008. After that loss to Castleblaney, Kernan said it took him a year to re-energise before he could start another climb.

This will be no different and by the time he's sat back, taken a deep breath and taken everything in, there'll be a string of mid-tier teams that could end up without a manager but it's hard to see Kernan doing an O'Dwyer and bringing hope to the hopeless. If he does go again, he'll want to start with contenders and turn them into champions, just like he did with Armagh. The tribal nature of Ulster football and his commitment to his own county over the years means he's likely to head further a field if he's to go anywhere. One county jumps to mind. And the chances are Pillar won't be around come 2009.

What's the betting on Mickey Harte, Jack O'Connor and Joe Kernan battling it out again, only this time in very different circumstances?