More than 30,000 people packed into Fair Green Park in Ennis to welcome home the Clare senior hurling team following their victory against Cork in the All-Ireland hurling final yesterday.
The Clare team arrived with the Liam McCarthy Cup at 9pm after claiming the title for the first time in 11 years.
They began their homecoming tour at Wolfe Tones GAA club grounds in Shannon, continuing the trip through Clarecastle.
Flanked by a bagpipe band, they received a hero's welcome from more than 30,000 fans at Fair Green Park.
The side were supported by live acts and music, who entertained the crowds ahead of the team’s arrival.
Support for the hurling team has also poured in from across the county, country and the world following their historic victory against their Munster rivals.
Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council Alan O'Callaghan described the squad as the "blood in the veins" of the local community, which was brought together by the momentous win.
"These are the real ambassadors of our county. What they have done in Croke Park was phenomenal," he said.
Mr Callaghan said that "there was only a puck of a ball, very small margins between losing and victory".
But, he added, the "team stood up to the mark".
Clare GAA Chairperson Kieran Keating praised the indomitable spirit of the "lightning in a bottle" line-up.
Mr Keating said: "Clare have won four All-Ireland’s in my lifetime.
"There was a point in my life in the eighties that I thought I’d never see any."
He said the team that "Brian Lohan has brought together worked hard and have finally reaped the rewards they deserve."
At the core of the celebration was the team themselves.
Goalkeeper Eibhear Quilligan hopes the team will inspire the next generation of Clare hurlers to chase even more silverware.
"I was lucky enough to grow up in the nineties and just about remember that [1995 All-Ireland] and the likes of Brian, they were my heroes," he said.
Mr Quilligan said that now other young people have an "All-Ireland winning team to look up" to, adding "hopefully we can continue the cycle".
Former Clare hurler Tommy Guilfoyle also hopes the banner county’s success will continue long into the future.
"We had to wait 81 long years before winning in 1995 and in that time great people came and went," he said.
But, he said, the county were back "up there competing" with the best.
"We’re a proud hurling county with great people involved," Mr Guilfoyle said.
"So hopefully it won’t take another 11 years to bring Liam McCarthy back into the county," he added.
Earlier today, the team visited children at Children's Health Ireland in Temple Street.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Ennis mayor Clare Colleran Molloy said banners will be flying high across the town, as well as the wider county.
The weather was cooperating, she said, so the Clare public could show "the boys in saffron and blue how proud we are of them and how delighted we are at their incredible performance".
Ms Colleran Molloy added that banners, flags and bunting have been out for the last two weeks "to ensure that our hurlers knew we had their back".
She described yesterday's match as "very tense", as a "red wave" approached the Clare team in the first half.
"It just goes to show the resilience in the Clare squad, it was just extraordinary to see them continue to dig in and continue to fight for that title," she said.
"When you see such dedication, commitment, like these incredibly skilled hurlers and the team management, and the self-belief and confidence - it is highly emotional."
Clare lifted the Liam MacCarthy cup yesterday afternoon for the first time in 11 years after defeating Cork in extra time.
The Banner County battled back after going seven points down within the first 15 minutes of a pulsating game at Croke Park.
Captain Tony Kelly with some superb individual play to score Clare's third goal
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) July 21, 2024
They take a grip on the game
📲 Updates: https://t.co/6NBQ3ae85V
📺 Watch live @RTE2 & @RTEplayer https://t.co/AKAre5FHdN
📻 @rteradio1 pic.twitter.com/1cB4krlVrT
A Patrick Horgan free levelled the sides up with the last puck of normal time, before Clare found an extra gear in extra time to emerge victorious on a scoreline of 3-29 to 1-34.
The wait goes on for Cork, who last lifted the title in 2005, as a Tony Kelly-inspired Clare side prevailed by the smallest of margins.
Rebels' return
The Cork hurlers and their management team have been welcomed home by thousands of supporters at an event at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Cork Manager Pat Ryan thanked the crowd for supporting the team throughout the year.
He said the wait to bring the Liam McCarthy Cup back to Co Cork will go to 20 years next year, but the panel would be back to try to do that in 2025.
Earlier, Cork GAA Chief Executive Kevin O'Donovan said: "The result may not have gone our way, but we are so proud of Pat Ryan’s team for what they have achieved.
"Rebels' Return will be an event for our incredible fan base."
"They have been with us throughout this year, in the rain and the sun, cheering from their homes and painting the county the rebel red.
"Let’s close this chapter in style and start working on the next one."
Additional reporting Paschal Sheehy
