For the Forker family, at least Inniskeen is not too far away. Armagh will take on Louth in Round 2A of the All-Ireland SFC at the Co Monaghan venue on Sunday, but Cork and Galway were among some the other potential destinations this weekend, and all these things matter when you have three children under the age of 10.For Armagh captain Aidan Forker, juggling fatherhood and intercounty football is nothing new. Nonetheless, it’s a lively house these days with seven-month-old Tadhg joining Leo (9) and Ross (4) as their daddy’s biggest fans.“Three boys, it’s good craic. They’re great, thank God. It’s busy for my wife [Eimear], not really for me – she does all the heavy lifting,” says Forker.“I’m lucky, my wife is just amazing. I don’t know how much longer I’ll get away with it, but it’s good. She loves all this and loves the sport. They’re at all the games.“There are a handful of us [in the Armagh squad] who have children, the likes of Ethan Rafferty and Aaron McKay. But I don’t think there are too many county players with three children, to tell you the truth.”And yet here he is, still in the trenches after all these years. This is Forker’s 15th season as an Armagh senior footballer, making him one of the longest-serving intercounty players in the country.“I was one of the ones who stayed the course maybe a wee bit,” says the 34-year-old Maghery man on his unbroken stint in orange.“I think there’s a lot to be said for the value of just showing up and being consistent with your practice. It’s much easier when you have boys beside you who you’re happy to show up with on a cold December or January night.Armagh's Aidan Forker and Aaron McKay lift the Ulster SFC cup after their win over Monaghan on May 17th. Photograph: Tom O'Hanlon/Inpho “Going to the gym and pushing prowlers or lifting weights, it’s easier when your buddies are going to be there too. We’re lucky that we have a great group and a great set-up.“I don’t know anything else. I’ve been part of this group from when I was 18, 19 years of age. It’s been my whole adult life really.” Forker, who made his championship debut against Tyrone in 2012, believes embracing an intercounty lifestyle has benefits beyond the playing field.“I love high-performance sport, I love being involved. It’s probably going to be a transition out for a lot of us, because we’ve been so entrenched in it. But it’s great, you’re at the cutting edge of sports science and you’re around elite people who are challenging you to be better.“Every part of your life benefits from that, I’d argue. So yes, you become a better footballer and a better athlete around it, but I think you also you become a better person.“Team sport and elite sport teaches you a lot about life and all those skills that you can apply in business or your career or whatever, so I wouldn’t change it whatsoever. We’ll have time when we’re all done and dusted to look back and see what it actually did give you.”[ ‘It is two sets of posts and a patch of grass’ - Armagh’s Forker unconcerned by Louth game venueOpens in new window ]Inniskeen and Louth is all Armagh have been concentrating on for the last fortnight. The winners of Sunday’s clash will progress to the All-Ireland quarter-finals. The losers will face a Round 3 game against one of the Round 2B winners.Sunday’s 1pm throw-in is completely sold out. It has been reported that Armagh sought to train at the venue but, unsurprisingly, Louth did not accede to that request. Louth beat Meath and Cork at the Monaghan venue during the 2024 championship.Aidan Forker celebrates Armagh scoring a goal in the All-Ireland SFC semi-final between Kerry and Armagh at Croke Park in July 2024. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho Forker’s game time has been limited this season; after undergoing ankle surgery last autumn, he made his return in the closing stages of Armagh’s league win over Dublin at Croke Park in March.However, the following week he suffered a calf injury and has been working his way back to full fitness ever since. Forker came off the bench late in extra-time of Armagh’s Ulster final win over Monaghan last month.“I probably pushed hard [after the Dublin game] and kind of ignored the calf for a couple of sessions. Then I went and got a scan and I ended up having a grade two tear.“Listen, that’s sport. I’ve had ankle surgery and issues with my back, but I’ve been lucky, there are a lot of boys who’ve come through really rough injuries. Everybody has their injury story so I’m not on my own in that regard.”He is still fighting for a starting position this weekend but either way Armagh’s 2024 Sam Maguire-winning captain will accept whatever role Kieran McGeeney assigns for him against Louth.“I love being part of the group, I love the boys. They’re my best friends and I’d be very close to the management team. I still see myself as a strong leader in the group and trying to get the best out of the boys around me.“I’m on the other side of it now where I was preaching the message of putting the team first for many years, saying ‘stay the course, you’ll be fine’. It’s easy to do that when you’re playing. Now it’s time for me to live that a wee bit more.“Listen, I’ll not accept not playing, I’m an athlete and I want to play. I just have to be ready for an opportunity and stay ready.”