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| Brendan Cummins celebrates with Tipperary fans outside the Palace Bar in Dublin’s city-centre (© Inpho) |
Tipperary’s All-Ireland winning hurlers left Dublin for Thurles this afternoon, but between traffic restrictions and the obligatory ‘stop-the-bus-I-want-to-wee-wee’ pit-stops, their heroic arrival isn’t expected until early this evening.
And having waited a decade for their 25th All-Ireland crown, it is safe to say that the delighted masses gathering in Thurles won’t begrudge waiting a few more hours for their boys to return.
There is little doubt that those who couldn’t make it to Dublin for yesterday’s final, or indeed those who remained sober enough to make the long, horn-tooting journey home last night, started lining the footpath’s in readiness from early this afternoon. The highlight of a memorable homecoming will be an open-top tour around the town around 7.p.m.
"There’ll be a huge crowd there anyhow," grinned full-forward Declan Ryan, obviously relishing going home. "Hopefully anyhow!".
Having nursed hangovers in traditional Tipp haunt the Palace Bar this morning, yesterday’s victors hopped on their bus and headed, not for the N7, but for Bolands in Rathmines, where a yellow and blue car with an equally yellow and blue cow on top awaited - much to the bemusement of the Rathmines’ locals.
But they were, for the most part anyhow, missing a very important individual. The man who steadily, over the last three years, turned Tipperary into All-Ireland champions once more. "So is Nicky around?" came the questions.
"Is Nicky around? No!" said Ryan. "He’s in bed at the moment. After looking after 28 guys for the last three years, he’s kinda shook!"
Most of them were looking a bit shook at this stage, to be honest. But after their utterly professional approach to this year’s championship, and especially yesterday’s clash of old foes, only a Galway man would begrudge them their happy hour now.
Ryan himself was not only celebrating for the lads out on the pitch but for the unfortunate duo that didn’t make it yesterday. "I’m delighted for all the lads on the panel, particularly John Leahy and Brian O’Meara, who couldn’t play for obvious reasons, " said Ryan
The aforementioned duo missed out on the culmination of a memorable year through a cruciate ligament injury and suspension respectively. But they were present nonetheless and receiving the plaudits with all the rest.
For the record, Nicky English did arrive shortly before the bus’s departure and had the appearance that he may have been in bed after all. It’s hard to blame him. And it was hard to blame him for wasting no time letting the humble scribes know he was officially off duty.
In a bizarre twist the assembled hacks appeared willing to stand him a pint in exchange for a few "exclusive" words of wisdom. It wasn’t until having joined the queue myself, I realised it stretched all the way from Rathmines to Thurles.
The team is expected to arrive in Thurles train station at 6.45 p.m. this evening, and will travel by open-top bus to Liberty Square at 7.15 p.m.
