A thousand renditions of The Fields of Athenryfill the streets after epic victory
IT WAS a day when just about everyone, it seemed, was from Munster.
"African by birth, Munster by the grace of God," was the slogan emblazoned across a young Ghanaian's T-shirt. Welsh rugby fans, switching loyalties for the day, carried Munster scarves and flags.
Even - whisper it - Leinster fans felt a grudging respect, with their "langer for a day" jerseys.
They all formed part of the heaving mass of red that transformed the streets of Cardiff over the weekend and lifted the roof off the Millennium Stadium as Munster were crowned European champions for the second time in three years.
"It was such an incredible atmosphere - we're all able to share in that," said Trevor Sturgess from Belfast, whose friends were draped in Munster scarves. "You can't help but admire the team and get swept up in the whole event."
Richard Mooneyham (77), based in Los Angeles, couldn't help feeling part of the Munster brotherhood. "I've been to superbowls and all sorts of matches - but I've never experienced anything like this. Funny enough, I feel right at home. The camaraderie here is something unique."
As fans poured out of the stadium after Saturday's match, the verdict - if it was ever needed - was unanimous: Munster had joined the pantheon of rugby greats following the evening's victory.
For some, like 69-year-old Patrick Hastings from St Mary's Park in Limerick city, the moment was wrought with raw emotion.
"This was everything we hoped for, and more," said Hastings, a former rugby player who emigrated to the UK more than 30 years ago. "I thought I was going to cry when I realised they were going to do it. I often have dreams of scoring tries for Munster, despite my age, and this was almost like a dream come true. Unbelievable."
His friend Joe Flanagan (64), from Ballincurra-Weston in the heart of Limerick city, agreed. "If there is a heaven, then this is what it must be like to be there. It's just simply magnificent - I'm lost for words".
As the Cardiff streets filled with the noise of a thousand renditions of The Fields of Athenry, it felt reminiscent of two years ago, when Munster lifted their first Heineken Cup. However, many felt Saturday evening's victory outshone even that momentous day.
"This felt more much more satisfying because of the tough route to reach the final, the quality of Toulouse and the pressure to prove ourselves once again," said Brian McCarthy (33), from Gurranabraher in Cork city.
"It was on a knife-edge all the way through. It was only when Toulouse knocked on with a minute to go that we knew we were safe. We could have lost it at any stage before that."
His friend Michael O'Leary, from Ballydesmond, Co Cork, put it succinctly. "They were a good team before - but now they're truly great."
Munster's nervy start, however, had many fearing the worst. At one stage the small crowd of Toulouse fans even threatened to outsing the estimated 60,000 Munster supporters in the stadium.
In the wheelchair section of the ground, James Clarke from Adare, Co Limerick, found it almost too much to take.
"I wasn't able to make the 2006 final because I was having surgery," he said. "This time around, when we couldn't get our hands on the ball, I almost had a heart attack. But we got there in the end. It'll take a while to recover from the shock of all this."
Also suffering an attack of the nerves was Rory O'Brien from Co Cork, who had just flown in that morning from San Francisco for the game.
After travelling more than 5,000 miles, he made it with just 20 minutes to go because of traffic jams on the way up from London.
Despite Toulouse dominating the opening exchanges, Munster dug deep to edge ahead, winning eventually by a narrow margin.
The thousands of fans who had travelled via the most unlikely routes across the UK - anywhere that would eventually lead to Cardiff - cheered their heroes to the rafters. The crowd also chanted the name of manager Declan Kidney, who sets off to manage the Irish team later this year.
By yesterday morning, the streets of Cardiff had emptied, as thousands began to make their way home. The celebrations for many, though, are only beginning.
Patrick Twomey (29), a factory worker from Millstreet, Co Cork, had taken the week off work to do the victory justice.
"This is going to be my summer holiday - I can't afford another trip," he said. "But I wouldn't have it any other way."