Lovely hurling: Fans hail homecoming heroes

For a split second after waking up, Anna Geary wasn’t sure whether she had an ache in her belly or a smile on her face, but then she remembered the O’Duffy Cup was theirs to take back to Cork.

“And then I had the biggest smile on my face,” she told the cheering crowd of supporters that turned out in Cork City last night to welcome home the winners of the All-Ireland Senior Camogie Final.

Warming up the crowd with “Don’t worry you won’t need to sit down” — a reference to her acceptance speech in Croke Park, cut short by a TV ad break — the Cork captain drew loud applause when she lifted the first All-Ireland Senior Cup to arrive Rebelside this year.

“Cork people everywhere are so proud of your achievement,” said Cork’s lord mayor. Though the size of the crowd did little to reflect that pride, cheers rang loudly in the ears of the women who deserve so much more kudos then they’ve got.