BBC SPORT | N Ireland | Armagh heroes back home

Thousands of Armagh fans have greeted the All-Ireland Football Champions on their return across the border after Sunday's triumph over Kerry.

Armagh are champions

Joe Kernan's victorious squad's first port of call was the Carrickdale Hotel just south of Newry.

The Armagh players arrived at there at around 1530 BST on Monday evening where a sea of fans bedecked in orange hailed the all-conquering heroes.

Team boss Kernan spoke of a "great day for Armagh people all over the world".

"Those of you that are old enough to remember 25 years ago, we came down the road feeling very sorry for ourselves but knowing we didn't do the job," said the Crossmaglen man.

There has been a lot of hard work gone into this

Joe Kernan

"To be honest, we knew we didn't deserve to do it on the day.

"It took a lot longer than we thought but when these players got together, there was only going to be one answer".

Kernan spoke of the sacrifices his players had put in to win the All-Ireland title.

"Like you, the players and management are going to enjoy the next few weeks and rightly so.

"There has been a lot of hard work gone into this.

"Men two or three days a week, leaving Dublin at four o'clock in the afternoon (to come to training) and not getting home until one in the morning.

Young and old greeted the Armagh heroes
Kernan and Stephen McDonnell with a young fan

"It takes that if you are going to win an All-Ireland".

The Armagh boss also paid tribute to the county's supporters.

"We got some enjoyment out of seeing 20,000 of you making it out onto a field that you weren't supposed to be on," added an ecstatic Kernan.

Team captain Kieran McGeeney also addressed the crowd at the Carrickdale Hotel.

"Winning the Sam Maguire was everything for us but seeing this here today makes it all the more worthwhile," said the skipper.

After a meal in the Carrickdale Hotel, the squad left at shortly after 1800 with Crossmaglen and Armagh City their further destinations on Monday evening.

Earlier after a night of celebration at their Dublin base, Kernan had acknowledged that his voice was "not too good".

"You dream and wonder what it would be like and when it does happen, it's hard to believe," the Armagh boss told BBC Radio Ulster.

By accident the wooden plaque hopped off the shower

Joe Kernan

Kernan spoke about the half-time team talk which had rallied a side that had been decidedly second best in the opening period.

The Armagh boss got out the plaque which he received when the county were hammered by Dublin in the 1977 final.

"There had been a piece of silver on it but over the years the silver seemed to have gone missing," said Kernan.

"All I had was a plaque which was very bare looking.

"I also had an All-Ireland medal from years and years ago which someone else owned - unfortunately not an Armagh man.

"I showed the boys both and said:'Which one do you want?'

The scene outside the Carrickdale Hotel just south of the border
Thousands greeted the Armagh heroes

"By accident, the wooden plaque hopped off the shower at the same time".

Kernan said the emotion of the victory would not sink in for some time.

"But to see grown men cry, children crying and people talking of relatives that they wish were here - all that happening is a great thing.

"As we travelled into the hotel at City West in Dublin last night and the total bedlam, I said to somebody:'Do we really know what we've done?'," added the Armagh boss.

Armagh fans will get a further opportunity to hail their heroes at the GOAL Challenge in Crossmaglen on Wednesday (1700 BST).

Armagh's opposition in this celebratory game will be neighbours Louth.

Pictures of Armagh's victory

All proceeds will benefit GOAL's work with the famine threatened population of Malawi.

Wednesday's match seems likely to beat the attendance record for the GOAL fixture which was the 13,000 plus who turned up to welcome Derry back to Bellaghy in 1993.


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