Pat Spillane has said that he 'cried several times' watching the Monaghan Under-20s line out without their captain Brendan Og Duffy.
The talented GAA star was tragically killed last month after Monaghan's epic win over Donegal.
And Spillane paid tribute to centre back.
Monaghan senior team were in action on Saturday evening and lost their Ulster final to Tyrone with the Under-20 side playing 24 hours earlier where they lost to Armagh.
And Spillane, speaking on RTE's Saturday Game, paid tribute to the county.
He said: "Can I say two things about Monaghan? We always patronise Monaghan, condescending 'they're a great little county, they're punching above their weight'. What I want to say is that they are warriors and they're a damn good football team. They are not a one man band, they're a brilliant football team.
"Last night I watched them play in the Under-20 and I cried several times watching a bunch of lads who had just buried their captain a couple of weeks earlier and I watched Brendan Og Duffy's father speaking so eloquently As Gaeilge at half time and I sort of said to myself that we worry about this and that football is a matter of live and death.
"What the Og Duffy family have and what the Monaghan football family have gone through over the last couple of weeks and the performance of the Under-20s last night did Brendan Og so proud and the performance of their senior team today, they did the Og Duffy family and the Monaghan football family.
"Our priorities are assways, there are a lot more important things in life than Munster titles and All-Ireland titles. Credit to Monaghan, just a brilliant county and brilliant people and maybe last night and tonight give little bit of chink of light of the dark tunnel that is ahead for the Og Duffy family and the Monaghan football family ."
The parents of the tragic teen attended the game on Saturday with Brendan's father also speaking to TG4 at half time.
Monaghan scored a last gasp equaliser to send that game to extra time but lost after two late Down goals.
