Long day's journey back to Meath for returning heroes

It was a long day's journey into Meath. Navan is only an hour from Dublin, allegedly; but you'd never have guessed it yesterday as the All-Ireland champions crawled homewards through a lot more obstructions than the Cork defence could mount last Sunday.

Timetables on these occasions tend to be highly aspirational, and the bus was already an hour late by the time it reached its first stop at the Clonee headquarters of team sponsors Kepak, where the slogan on a teenage girl's shirt - "Meath men don't whinge" - gave one clue as to why the county has won four All-Ireland titles in 12 years. They didn't whinge, obviously, but a free bar was some consolation to those who'd been waiting.

The day had dawned as dour as Meath's footballing reputation, but when the entourage reached manager Sean Boylan's home town of Dunboyne at around teatime, sunshine bathed the large crowd gathered by the village green, where autumn had painted the county colours even on the trees.

In a development which many of their rivals would consider long overdue, the Meath team was escorted into Dunboyne by prison officers. They were off-duty, however, and were there only as members of the Irish Prison Service Pipe Band. Moreover, their presence represented a triumph of sporting ecumenism.

Mostly Dubs, they piped the team bus into the village green as Boylan and local players Enda McManus, Nigel Crawford, David Gallagher and Nigel Nestor walked ahead with the cup. Here Sean Boylan recalled darker days when Meath had come home as losers, and told supporters: "Don't be afraid to enjoy yourselves now."

On the evidence available last night, he needn't have worried.

There was one tense moment in Dunboyne when a Barry's Tea van drove down the street, with Cork flags flying from its four corners. Fortunately the driver had taken the precaution of hoisting a small Meath flag as well, like a letter of transit. And apart from a few catcalls, it was enough to get him through enemy territory safely.

Via stop-offs in Dunshaughlin, Ross Cross, Garlow Cross and Kentstown, the champions finally reached Navan just after 10 p.m., where they were swallowed up by an adoring and - thanks to hundreds of fog-horns - ferociously noisy crowd. "Let them hear you in Patrick Street, Cork," shouted the MC, but nobody could hear him.

An estimated 10,000 fans turned out in Cork to welcome the defeated finalists and hear team coach Larry Tompkins promise they would be back next year.

"We feel we have let ye down because these guys are winners and I know they're winners - I'm very proud of them . . . I remember defeat myself in 1987 and 1988 and I know each one of them wants to bring Sam Maguire back here next year," he said.