Massive turnout for Tipperary hurling champs’ homecoming

There were two topics of conversation in Thurles tonight.

The stunning performance of the senior hurlers was, of course, fresh on the minds of the tens of thousands who turned out at Semple Stadium to welcome their heroes home from Dublin, along with the Liam MacCarthy Cup. And there was also much talk already about the future of Tipperary hurling - and how this squad must learn from the failure of the talented 2010 team to add to their success.

As if he knew what they were thinking, team captain Brendan Maher promised the crowd the squad would “strive to ensure the success will continue and we’ll bring Liam MacCarthy back again”.

The gates of Semple Stadium were opened more than four hours before the Tipperary senior team were introduced to the huge crowd at 8pm - preceded by the minor squad, who helped the county to their first minor-senior double since 1949.

‘Local boy’

Mary Butler from Clonmel was in the stadium to celebrate the victory and "Seamus Kennedy in particular, because he's our local boy". The St Mary's clubman was one of a host of former county footballers who did not make themselves available to the big ball code this season. Kennedy decided to concentrate on hurling this year, and carved a place for himself in the half-back line alongside Thurles brothers Ronan and Padraic Maher.

"I've been to every final Tipperary have been involved in since Babs (Keating) played in his bare feet (in 1971)," said Mary, while keeping time to the sound of local band Seskin Lane. "We've only seen Liam MacCarthy once each decade since the 1970s. At least that record is gone now. This is a young team, I know there's more in this team and, hopefully, they know it too."

But, with the success of the county’s senior football team, should Kennedy be tempted to go back to Gaelic football? “No way,” said Mary.

Along with Seskin Lane, several local music acts kept the growing sea of blue and gold entertained before the main event - including country music singer Louise Morrissey and the 2 Johnnies and the Boogie men - who had everyone dancing to "This could be our Year" and a 2016 edition of their 2010 song "The Premier Rap".

Minor manager Liam Cahill appealed to "everyone here to keep hurleys in the hands of their children". To cheers, he added that "we now have the neighbours on the backstep, and that's the place to keep them".

County board chairman Michael Burke thanked senior manager Michael Ryan for "the job he did in leading us back to the Promised Land".

One of the biggest cheers of the evening was for star forward John “Bubbles” O’Dwyer, who revealed on Monday he had received hate mail after being sent off in the Munster final victory over Waterford. Along with thanking everyone for their messages and support, he tweeted “to the people who sent me some lovely letters at the start of the year abusing me and my family. I’d love to meet ye now.”

The 24-year-old also apologised for a "slip of the tongue" on RTÉ immediately after Sunday's final, when he said Tipperary were "champions of fucking Ireland".

“It happens the best of us,” he added.