They came, they saw, they conquered! Connacht returned to a heroes’ homecoming in Galway, bringing with them the prized PRO 12 trophy, which the players paraded through the city in an open-top bus on Sunday.
Galway Gardaí estimate that 20,000 supporters thronged the streets and marched behind the bus as it snaked from the Town Hall to the Sportsground.
It was the biggest local sporting celebration since the All-Ireland winning footballers arrived to Galway Cathedral in 1998, and the senior hurlers returned with Liam McCarthy to Eyre Square after ending a 57-year famine in September, 1980.
Hundreds turned-out at Knock Airport, in the small hours of Sunday morning, and bonfires blazed to greet the victorious Connacht team in traditional GAA strongholds along the N17, from Mayo to Galway.
Longserving local legend and captain from Portumna, John Muldoon, lauded the crowd for the rapturous welcome the team received. “This is phenomenal,” he said. “Thank you so much.”
After 131 trophy-free years – most of them bleak – the western province finally made the breakthrough by capturing their first-ever silverware at Murrayfield on Saturday.
Connacht, the traditional ‘poor-relation’ of Irish rugby, defied their underdog status and sunk a star-studded Leinster. And what’s more they did it in style, out-scoring their opponents by three tries to one, on the way to a swashbuckling 20-10 triumph.
It was the biggest ever exodus of Connacht fans to an away game, as the Scottish capital was awash with thousands of the ‘green army’; the famous stadium rocked to the sound of the Fields of Athenry.
See full coverage of match and homecoming in news and sport in this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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