Clare captain pops the question on eve of champions’ trip to Cancun

The Clare hurlers’ bachelor mission to the Mexican resort of Cancun is a man down yesterday after captain Pat Donnellan confirmed he popped the question to Limerick girl Edel Leahy.

The All-Ireland winning team — as part of an 80-strong group — assembled at Shannon airport yesterday to fly out to the sun destination.

The All-Ireland winners, just like their 1995 predecessors, has the rare distinction of not having any engaged or married player on the starting 15.

However, that is no longer the case after Pat Donnellan yesterday revealed that he scaled the heights at Croke Park for a second time this year, and this time it was to pop the question to fiancee Edel from Creeves, West Limerick.

Crowning an unforgettable year for the 28-year-old, O’Callaghan’s Mills clubman Donnellan revealed that he went back to Croke Park to get down on bended knee.

“I booked a private tour of the Croke Park Skyline a week or so before Christmas and we went up there on what was probably the windiest day of the year, so bad we nearly got blown away up there,” he said.

“I got down on one knee up there and popped the question and thankfully it worked out well and she said yes. I don’t think 2013 could have been any better and Croke Park is where it all happened. I won’t forget it for sure.”

A delighted Edel said she was taken completely by surprise. “I wasn’t expecting him to propose at all, certainly when we were going into Croke Park that day. It’s been an amazing year for us,” she said.

The couple said they would enjoy the break in Mexico and make plans for their wedding on their return — the only married member of the All-Ireland winning squad is Fergal Lynch, who announced his retirement from inter-county hurling after the September win.

Hundreds of young Clare fans turned up to wave the 2013 All-Ireland Champions off from Shannon Airport.

Manager Davy Fitzgerald was first to arrive, with the Liam McCarthy cup in hand, and one of those to stand in a photo with the Clare legend was none other than one of Ireland’s most successful music stars Dolores O’Riordan, fresh from her performance on New Year’s Eve at the opening of Limerick National City of Culture.

As for the holiday itself, Fitzgerald said he could not wait to get on board. “We are so looking forward to this, you could not believe it. The lads have put in an absolutely massive year for their county and they so deserve this break,” said the Clare manager.

The team departed at 1.30pm from Shannon for Boston where they will get a connecting flight to Cancun. They will return via New York, where a reception will be hosted for them by the Clare Supporters Club.

“That will round off the trip brilliantly as it’s great to be able to bring the Cup out to Clare people who were not able to make it back home for the All-Ireland and those who, indeed, did make it home in September,” said Fitzgerald.

Looking beyond the well-earned trip and to the new season ahead, the Clare manager said: “We have a long year before us and every other county out there will be looking to take the McCarthy Cup off us so God knows we’ll need the rest.”