Sandy Lane resort in Barbados may be on Limerick’s holiday horizons

Limerick’s All-Ireland winning players and management could be in line for an all-expenses paid team holiday to JP McManus’ luxurious Sandy Lane resort in Barbados later this year.

McManus, who with his brother Gerry sponsors Limerick GAA via his Sporting Limerick vehicle, joined the jubilant scenes in the winning dressing room about an hour after the final whistle.

Now the Adare Manor owner is understood to be prepared to underwrite a Caribbean break to reward the group for all their efforts in bringing All-Ireland SHC glory to the county after 45 years.

In the dressing room, McManus addressed the players and told them if he had his way yesterday would be a Bank Holiday.

“When they win the NFL in America they call themselves world champions, so in hurling now Limerick are the world champions. If I had my way I would make it a Bank Holiday. It’s so special — I am really proud. I don’t know if I ever got as much pleasure out of a game as I got today.”

The 67-year-old billionaire’s association with Limerick GAA has been a long one and he was among the first supporters in the dressing room when the county beat Kilkenny in the 1973 All-Ireland final.

The generosity of McManus is well-known. Five years ago, he marked the opening of the new Staker Wallace GAA grounds in Kilbreedy close to his home with a challenge game between Limerick and Kilkenny.

The Artane Boys Bands performed before throw-in and the players involved as well as those from the 1973 teams were kitted out with suits for a post-match gala.

Meanwhile, ahead of the Dublin-Tyrone All-Ireland SFC final on Sunday week, the GAA are likely to review their end-of-match protocols after a number of Limerick supporters were able to make their way onto the pitch at the final whistle on Sunday as the historic nature of Limerick’s All-Ireland success saw an immense outpouring of celebration in Croke Park.

Not since the 2009 All-Ireland SFC final between Kerry and Cork has there been a full-scale pitch invasion.

Elsewhere, Limerick’s homecoming in the Gaelic Grounds is not expected to have a major effect on the pitch surface for this Sunday’s All-Ireland U21 HC final between Cork and Tipperary.