Victorious Cork camogie team welcomed home to Leeside

Hundreds ventured out on to the rainy and windswept streets of Cork on Monday night to welcome home the victorious All-Ireland camogie team.

The Cork panel was bringing the O’Duffy Cup back to Leeside for a record equalling 26th time.

The team put in a strong second half performance to record a comfortable 1-13 to 0-9 victory over Galway in Croke Park on Sunday to retain the title they had won in 2014 when they defeated Kilkenny.

The team travelled back to Cork last night by train, arriving at Kent Station at 8.15pm before travelling on an open-topped bus through Patrick Street and the Grand Parade for a victory reception on the South Mall.

There to welcome them were the Deputy Lord Mayor of Cork City Cllr Mick Nugent and the Mayor of Cork County Cllr John Paul O'Shea and a crowd of several hundred who had waited patiently for the team and coach Paudie Murray in far from ideal conditions.

Team captain Aisling Thompson, from Newtownshandrum, spoke of her pride at bringing the O'Duffy Cup back to Leeside and continuing a tradition dating back more than 80 years (Cork won its first All-Ireland camogie title in 1934).

“There’s no better feeling than coming back to your own county with the O’Duffy Cup - the turnout is outstanding here - it’s always about the dying minutes of the dying day and for people to be here at Kent Station and the city means everything to us,” she said.

Each member of the squad was warmly welcomed but there were particular cheers for dual stars, goalscorer, Briege Corkery and Rena Buckley who were each collecting their 15th All-Ireland medals to draw level with Dublin's Kathleen Mills as the most decorated players in Gaellc games history.