Fireworks will illuminate the night sky in Tralee and Killarney this Monday night with thousands of jubilant supporters expected to line the streets to welcome home the warriors that carved out Kerry’s 37th All-Ireland title in Croke Park on Sunday.
The victory parade, with the team and mentors on board an open-top bus, is expected to turn into College Street shortly after 9 o’clock and a rousing reception will await in the bunting bedecked Glebe car park where the victory platform will be erected.
The all-conquering Kerry Minors will also be part of the parade and will travel in a separate bus.
The biggest cheer of the night is likely to be reserved for co-captains and local lads Kieran O’Leary and Fionn Fitzgerald and, of course, the noise will reach fever pitch when James O’Donoghue is introduced to his home crowd less than 100 yards from the pub owned by his grandfather Dan Linehan.
After the customary visit to Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children in Dublin this Monday morning, the players will return to their hotel in Ballsbridge for lunch before travelling by coach to Heuston Station to board the Kerry bound express at 1.45-pm.
They are due to arrive in Rathmore at 4.40pm and a massive welcome will be given to local sporting legends, man-of-the-match Paul Murphy, veteran full back Aidan O’Mahony as well as Kerry Minor star goalkeeper Shane Ryan.
The train is due to depart from Rathmore at 5.10pm, and is due to arrive in Tralee shortly after 6 o’clock where the open top buses parade will wind its way through the streets, via Austin Stack Park and Boherbee, before the welcome reception at Denny Street.
At 7.45 pm the teams will travel by road to Killarney’s Fitzgerald Stadium for a buffet meal and then all hell will break loose as they bring Sam Maguire and Tom Markham on a tour of the town.
The parade from Lewis Road to College Street is scheduled to commence at 8.45pm.
