Enthusiastic Welcome in Castleisland for Homecoming Heroines

Five weeks old Tommy Hickey, added to his impressive footballing pedigree as he slept in the Brendan Martin Cup cared for by mom Una and Tom O’Connell with ladies coach driver Billy Mangan lending a hand at the Kerry ladies stop in Castleisland on Monday evening. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Dan O’Sullivan pictured with his son Dan and grandsons Darby and Danny Óg as they waited to greet the returning Kerry Ladies All-Ireland Champions in Castleisland on Monday evening. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Eager fans of all ages, including: Con Bergin, Tom O’Connell and coach driver Billy Mangan and Mary O’Connell getting their hands on the Brendan Martin Cup courtesy of the Kerry Ladies All Ireland Senior Football Champions after their bus stopped in Castleisland on Monday evening. ©Photograph: John Reidy

One year old Robyn O’Connor demonstrating the hand-off technique on her mom Maura Conroy as thr Kerry Ladies bus came to a halt in Castleisland on Monday evening. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Kerry defender Eilís Lynch pictured with young fans and a smile that says it all and she shares the Brendan Martin Cup with her admirers on arrival in Castleisland on Monday evening. ©Photograph: John Reidy

The bus carrying the All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Champions, Kerry comes to a halt outside the Castleisland Desmonds GAA Club Grounds this evening just after 6:30pm and was met in victory as it was in defeat by admiration, love and pride in what the county’s heroines and their managers have achieved this year. ©Photograph: John Reidy

The will they? – won’t they? uncertainty about whether or not the just crowned All-Ireland Ladies Senior Football Champions bus would or wouldn’t stop in Castleisland this evening fizzled right out at 6:30pm.

The first sign and sight of blue flashing lights from the Garda motorcycle escort at Clonough Bridge did it.

It dispelled any doubts that the people of Castleisland were to be snubbed and that the team and the bus and the cup and all were to skeet off down the bypass and into Killarney.

The ever swelling crowd which had been gathering for over an hour moved like a tidal wave and lapped around the bus as its driver Billy Mangan brought it to a halt outside Castleisland Desmonds GAA Club grounds at Moanmore.

Enthusiasm Unlikely to Wane

The local heroines alighted with the cup, which eluded Kerry teams since 1993, and they held it aloft with the kind of enthusiasm that’s unlikely to wane for some time.

Once upon a time autographs were all the go. Now the fashion is for photographs and selfies with the local stars.

That too the new champions did with a patience that showed no signs of wearing in spite of all the demands they met in the course of the one of the greatest, most memorable and testing weekends of their lives.

Absolute Heroines

One can only hope that the team, as a whole, and the members who shared the brief spell on Limerick Road this evening realise the impressions they made on the children and young girls who looked and stared up at them as absolute heroines.

They also made a happy and huge impression on people who had seen it all before. But it’s new this time as the local parents and families of players and panel members took messages of congratulations and good will on behalf of those who did their people proud on the sod of Croke Park on Sunday. Fair play to them.

You can contact The Maine Valley Post on… Anyone in The Maine Valley Post catchment area who would like to send us news and captioned photographs for inclusion can send them to: jreidy@mainevalleypost.com Queries about advertising and any other matters regarding The Maine Valley Post can also be sent to that address or just ring: 087 23 59 467.