Large crowds were waiting in Omagh, Co Tyrone, late last night to welcome home the All- Ireland football champions.
They were behind schedule due to celebrations in other towns on their route home from Dublin. They were detained by jubilant supporters in Aughnacloy and Ballygawley in Tyrone, having earlier survived torrential rain in Castleblayney Co Monaghan where they were greeted by a sea of red-and-white umbrellas as hundreds of supporters packed the streets.
The team was travelling in two yellow coaches which were escorted through the town by local bands as civic, commercial, and sporting leaders greeted them on impromptu platforms.
Brief speeches in Castleblay- ney by Tyrone manager Mickey Harte and captain Brian Dooher, thanking the many Monaghan fans for their support on Sunday and for the "great welcome back with Sam Maguire" , were almost drowned out by cheering.
Later, the coaches carrying the feted players, officials and supporters continued to Aughnacloy where hundreds of eager Gaelic fans were waiting to greet their footballing heroes.
Meanwhile the crestfallen Kerry footballers received an unexpectedly large and warm reception at the village of Rathmore on the Kerry-Cork border as they returned home.
Flags were waved, foghorns blew, detonators went off as the luxury Iarnród Éireann executive train pulled into the station at Rathmore.
A glum-looking team and their officials, heads down, filed on to the platform and ascended the stand. The calling-out of team names by the reception committee, echoed by the chanting of the fans, especially the names of local heroes Tom O'Sullivan and Aidan O'Mahony, as well as Gooch Cooper and Eoin Brosnan, brought a smile to the faces of the panel on the platform.
Kerry County Board chairman Seán Walsh told the turnout of more than 500 people: "While we haven't the Sam Maguire today, there's one promise I will make to you: we will have it this time next year," to hysterical cheering and the waving of hundreds of green and gold balloons.
Team manager Jack O'Connor said that next year the station at Rathmore would not be able to hold the crowd "when we bring back the Holy Grail."
After a 40-minute stop they moved on to Tralee and Killarney.