Nearly 90,000 turned out in Limerick on Monday evening to welcome home their All-Ireland winning hurlers. It was a remarkable crowd for the first Limerick team to bring Liam MacCarthy to the county in 45 years.
Thousands lined the streets of the city and more packed into the Gaelic Grounds for the official homecoming ceremony.
Along the way, Cian Lynch sprayed supporters a bottle of Buckfast tossed from the crowd, there was a rendition of the Rubberbandits' 'Horse Outside', manager John Kiely - not for the first time - sang 'Piano Man' and there was a tribute to the sadly passed Delores O'Riordan with a rendition of the Cranberries' 'Zombie'.
Cian Lynch's Buckfast Champagne
Lads, someone just threw Cian Lynch Buckfast and popped it like champagne and the crowd went wild. Dats Limerick citaaaaaay #LuimneachAbu pic.twitter.com/0m1UhgzScJ
— Fintan Walsh (@FintanWalsh) August 20, 2018
The crowd at the Gaelic Grounds sing 'Horse Outside'
You can't get more Limerick than a huge crowd at the Gaelic Grounds singing along to 'A horse outside' #luimneachabu @Limerick_Leader pic.twitter.com/hRExCCPRs0
— Nick Rabbitts (@Nick468official) August 20, 2018
Limerick manager John Kiely sings Piano Man
(Video: Henry Martin)
The crowd sing the Cranberries' 'Zombie'
(Video: Henry Martin)
What it meant to Shane Dowling's father
"I can’t even think of what I’m saying to you it’s so loud," Limerick super-sub Shane Dowling told RTÉ.
It’s magical.
Outside the Gaelic Grounds, I came across my parents standing on the wall, hand in hand, and saw tears roll down my Dad’s face.
As far as I was concerned I would say ‘job done’.
Photo by Diarmuid Greene/Sportsfile
