Supercats get heroes’ welcome

IT was Monday, it was early afternoon, it was raining, but there were no blues in Kilkenny yesterday, just black and amber, a city en fete as the 2011 All-Ireland senior hurling champions were welcomed home.

The team wasn’t due in the railway station until 6pm but from early afternoon the buzz had been building, people taking their places hours beforehand at the barricades in front of the stage in Dunne’s car park, where the official reception would take place.

The music was provided (appropriately!) by The Kilkennys, a lively and talented local folk/rock group, and as the open-top bus was spied crossing St John’s Bridge, down from one corner of the car park, they broke into an appropriate song of welcome, Luka Bloom’s ‘You couldn’t have come at a better time!’