The black and amber flag flew above the rooftop of Kilkenny Castle last night, signalling that "King Henry the Great" was back in residence.
The pleasure generated by the Kilkenny team's All-Ireland hurling victory was matched by public pride in captain Henry Shefflin, whose powerful and emotional speech in Croke Park on Sunday continued to generate favourable reaction.
He had dedicated the win to the memory of Vanessa McGarry (31), the wife of James McGarry, a senior member of the Kilkenny hurling panel. She was killed in a car crash in July.
Their son Darragh (11), who was injured in the crash, had accompanied the Kilkenny squad to the final.
The doyen of GAA commentators, Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh, believes that the All-Ireland hurling final should replace St Patrick's Day as the national holiday. Which would suit the people of Kilkenny just fine as the county yesterday celebrated winning the title for a 30th time and the second consecutive year.
Throughout the day, pubs across the city showed replays of the match - over and over. The local KCLR radio station provided news updates about the team's progress in Dublin. Mr Shefflin told listeners: "we're up here in Dublin but there's only one place the players want to be". He revealed that they had breakfasted at the Citywest hotel and "were all allowed a fry" by the team dietitian.
Before departing for Heuston Station the players went to visit patients, families and staff at Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Crumlin. At three minutes to six, their specially chartered train pulled in to McDonagh Station.
Among the waiting crowd was Kevin Hughes (87), "a staunch GAA man" who stood with the aid of two walking sticks. He has attended every homecoming since 1939.
Henry Shefflin led his team from the train like Jason followed by the Argonauts. Trainer Brian Cody patiently posed for photographs with delighted fans.
Then the team, dressed in a casual "uniform" of chinos and striped blue-and-white shirts, boarded an open-top bus en route to a civic reception through streets lined with an estimated 25,000 people. Mr Cody described it as "a journey which lives with players for the rest of their lives".
Ned Quinn, the chairman of the Kilkenny County GAA Board introduced Shefflin as "the greatest hurler of modern times".
The captain told the crowd that he remembered as a boy in 1992 "looking up at the bus in awe and little did I think I'd be standing here 16 years later". He encouraged the children present to "keep on hurling".
And then, by the banks of the Nore, they sang the county song, The Rose of Mooncoin. Later the players went to Langton's Hotel for a victory dinner.