Thousands to welcome Kilkenny heroes home

TENS OF thousands of hurling fans are expected to welcome the victorious Kilkenny team home this evening following their victory over Tipperary in yesterday’s All-Ireland Hurling Final.

“A truly historic day” was the reaction of the Mayor of Kilkenny yesterday after watching his county’s team win a fourth consecutive title.

Malcolm Noonan praised the “formidable” Tipperary team but said the result proves that “this Kilkenny team is the best team in the history of the game”. He was among more than 82,000 fans in Croke Park who watched the fiercely contested match which ended with a victory margin of five points and a scoreline of: Kilkenny 2-22; Tipperary 0-23.

The Kilkenny Cats have now equalled the Cork’s record – the only other team to have won four consecutive titles, which they achieved in the early 1940s.

Shrewd rag-traders in Dublin who had anticipated the result were already selling T-shirts after the game bearing the legend “Kilkenny 4-in-a-row” .

Disappointed Tipperary fans were consoled by their team’s performance which was described as “outstanding” by GAA president Christy Cooney.

Although he was “miserable and flattened” by the result, Tipperary supporter Val Lonergan said he had been “mesmerised by the quality of the wonderful game” and felt “no-ill will” at losing to such “a superb team”. He added: “There was only one winner – the hurling.”

The Kilkenny team spent last night in Dublin where they attended a victory banquet at the Citywest Hotel. Hundreds of fans bought €60 tickets to attend and booked rooms to stay overnight.

This morning the players will make their traditional visit to Our Lady’s children’s hospital in Crumlin.

Fans hoping to see the teams before their departure will have an opportunity to do so at Heuston station this afternoon.

The Kilkenny team will depart on a specially commissioned train at 4.15pm, and arrive in Kilkenny just before 6pm.

From there, the players and management will travel by open-top bus to a civic reception in the Market Yard beside the river Nore.

Organisers expect crowds of “tens of thousands”.

Gardaí have warned motorists that a temporary one-way traffic system will be in operation in Kilkenny throughout the day to facilitate preparations for the homecoming. Street closures will be implemented from mid-afternoon.

Meanwhile, the Tipperary team will return to the Premier County by train, departing from Heuston at 5.05pm and due to arrive in Thurles at around 6.30pm before travelling the short distance to Semple Stadium for an official homecoming.