Sea of green flags as trophy is held aloft

MANSION HOUSE:DUBLIN CITY centre was a sea of green yesterday as up to 20,000 supporters packed in and around Dawson Street to welcome home the Six Nations' Champions.

Ecstatic fans waved a sea of green flags outside the Mansion House while hundreds more watched proceedings on a giant screen on St Stephen’s Green.

Crowds started gathering around 1pm but had to wait until almost 4.30pm before their heroes made it on stage in front of the Lord Mayor’s mansion. But the wait turned into something of a gig as they were entertained by rock band Jungle Boogie.

Meanwhile politicians, family members, friends and other dignitaries gathered in the Mansion House Round room for a reception, among them Taoiseach Brian Cowen. “When the ref put his hand up for the last penalty British-Irish relations were at stake,” he quipped to reporters.

Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin said of the team “I don’t think they realise what they’ve done for the mood of the country”.

The golden boys themselves arrived by bus to the back entrance of the Mansion House. They were welcomed by deputy Lord Mayor Cllr Emer Costello, who said “how proud we are of your achievement” and “you are simply the best”.

IRFU president John Lyons, who described the team as having a “never say die” spirit, said “we’re on a sort of odyssey” that started for captain Brian O’Driscoll at the under-19 World Cup in Toulouse.

Brian himself described the journey to victory as “a long, long quest”. They held to the mantra “never give up” and in the end “managed to sneak it”.

On the way out to the waiting crowds, forward Donncha O’Callaghan described the event as a “huge honour”.

“If we didn’t win yesterday we’d have scarred an awful lot of players,” he said with a huge grin.

On the street the match highlights were rerun on big screens, to tumultous cheers. RTÉ’s Des Cahill welcomed the management on stage and then the team.

In groups they came out the Mansion House door, down the green carpet through a guard of honour who played drums and waved green flags, and up on stage amid huge applause.

Paul O’Connell described the most memorable part of the Wales match. “The last five minutes of the game was something. Two drop goals and the last kick – that they missed.”

Ronan O’Gara, asked his thoughts when the Welsh got the last minute penalty said “I was ready to kill Paddy ” who gave away the penalty.

Paddy himself quipped: “I just felt the game lacked a bit of excitement.”

Then Brian O’Driscoll and coach Declan Kidney arrived on stage to tumultous applause, and a rousing chorus of “Olé, olé, olé”.

O’Driscoll told the crowd it was all “fantastic” and “when you wake up in the morning you’re not as sore as you would be if you’d lost”.

Declan Kidney spoke of the last five minutes of the game and “as in any game you play to the 80th minute”.

Try-scorer Tommy Bowe, forced into singing the chorus of Black Velvet Band, was the master of understatement in describing his score as “nice”.

Then the moment everyone waited for arrived. Brian O'Driscoll and Declan Kidney held up the Six Nations' Cup to rapturous applause, as green confetti was released into the sky. The PA system belted out U2's In the name of love.Perhaps There'll be days like thismight better have described the mood.