Come on Limerick!  We believe: Hurlers have the whole county right behind them

IT’S BEEN a summer of hurling to remember, and the day is almost upon us when over 40,000  men, women and children from Limerick will hit the road for Dublin to roar on their hurling heroes in the hope of a first All-Ireland victory in 45 years.

The mass exodus by road and rail for those who have secured a coveted ticket for Croker will get underway on Saturday with the majority of fans leaving Shannonside on Sunday morning.

Those without a ticket have the choice of two big screens to view the action - in the Gaelic Grounds in the city, and the Square in Newcastle West. All 20,000 tickets have been snapped up for the big screen event at the Ennis Road venue where gates open at 12 noon.

The atmosphere across both the city and county reached a crescendo of excitement, and tension, this week, with people talking about nothing but ‘the match’.

Flags, teddies, hats, houses, headbands, cars, cathedrals, bunting and bikes are all dominated by one colour, green. Prayers have even been offered up in the Vatican for the Limerick lads.

At Limerick District Court this Wednesday, Judge Marie Keane granted a number of special exemptions for public houses in the city to remain open until 2am on Monday, saying she had done likewise in Galway Court on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, one county Limerick farmer has pulled out all the stops by organising an elaborate display on his road frontage, see above. Roger Mulqueen, 39, spent three evenings - after hurling training and after milking - putting it all together.

“I was at it until 10.30pm every evening and I had to get a man to stack the bales as well!” said the dairy farmer from Crean, Bruff.

The detail is incredible even down to injured Paul Browne's crutch. Roger, who calls himself the Leonardo da Vinci of Limerick GAA, nearly caused the Bruff midfielder more pain.

“I sent it to him in a Snapchat before I posted it to make sure it was alright and he said he nearly fell off the chair from laughing! David Reidy [from nearby Dromin-Athlacca] passed this morning while I was doing it and he thought it was brilliant.”

The car which isn’t roadworthy is the property of Roger’s nephew 15-year-old Oisin Mulqueen. The mannequins -  decorated in Sean Finn and Paul Browne’s likeness –  were drafted in from Raspberry Red boutique in Bruff and Charleville stores Chic Boutique and Murray’s.

Such was the crowd that turned out for the Leader’s photoshoot on Monday morning, that Roger’s mother Bridie had to oversee traffic control in one of their fields.

“You wouldn’t get as many at training,” said one local who counted 53 people at one stage gathered around the bales.

Two of those were parents of Limerick cornerback Sean Finn of Bruff.

This is one of the most joyful portraits of local life the @Limerick_Leader has published on its front page since 1889. It captures perfectly the support behind the Limerick hurlers this week. Picture taken by Michael Cowhey and conceived by assistant editor @AineFitzgeraldA pic.twitter.com/B2Z8nGobKd

— Alan English (@AlanEnglish9) August 16, 2018

“This is what you dream of when you are in a house full of GAA,” said his mum, standing in the middle of Mulqueen’s field.

“Meeting people in our local shop, Nagles, everyone is asking how things are and how’s Sean. He’s doing his normal thing, working away.”

The 22-year-old finished his degree in business in UL this year and continues to work in Glynn’s chipper in Bruff.

“He is working there part-time. He worked there all through college and they have been fantastic to him.”

Sean’s twin sister Sarah is currently on holidays in America  “but she’ll be home, please God, on Friday”, says Siobhan who is “one of  these mothers who is great in the first half of a match but a different person in the second half.

“I have to make trips for cups of tea and then come back down and Brian gives out to me saying, ‘why are you leaving?’Everytime I wake up all I can think of is the match. It’s more tense this week. I hope that none of them get injuries and when they come off the field they can say they gave it everything. These bunch of guys are so excited to be at the senior level.”

According to his proud mum, Sean simply “loves hurling”.

“Ever since he was about two he never went anywhere without a hurley. He always went to school with a hurley - it was just part of his school bag.”

Sean’s older brother Brian played with the U21s when they won the All-Ireland final. Younger brother Patrick plays with the U15 squad.

“We just eat, sleep and drink hurling,” Siobhan laughed.

“Patrick is so proud of Sean but he is also the one, when Sean comes in after a match, who would say, ‘OK, Sean, you should have done this and that. There is room for improvement’. But Sean takes it - he doesn’t bat an eyelid.

“I’m his biggest critic,” laughed Patrick from afar, who plays centreback.

Across the field, Sean’s dad Brian is shooting the breeze with a few locals. Brian was on the Limerick senior hurling panel in 1994 when they reached the All-Ireland final.

“ I’m very hopeful that they will win - we’ve lost too many of them. We are just hoping and hoping. I wish it was over and we had the cup in our possession but we have to go through a lot before we get to there,” he says.

With feet firmly on the ground he insists “we have to respect Galway”.

“They are All-Ireland champions. They have been there for the last five or six years. Their experience will be a big factor for them but I think our youth and our passion and our desire, please God, will win it for us.

“I think their management team is excellent. I notice even with Sean, they are very cool, they are not getting caught up in any of the hype and I think they are being very, very well protected.”

And come the morning of the big game, will he have any advice for his son? “I will be just wishing him the best of luck. At the end of the day, be it a player or supporter, you are just hoping for a performance and if enough of them perform, I think it should be sufficient.”

Meanwhile, wishing the team well ahead of the final, Bishop of Limerick Brendan Leahy said that, win or lose, “we can all take great example from Limerick manager John Kiely and his brave squad.

“No matter what happens on Sunday, this Limerick team is the story of what has been an amazing sporting summer in Ireland. They have been humble, honest and passionate in what they have said and we admire them for that.”

Among those who will be in Croke Park on Sunday will be the mother of the late Dolores O’Riordan.

Hurling fans experienced a spine-tingling moment at the semi-final in GAA HQ when, after the final whistle, Limerick players stood arm-in-arm while Dolores’ voice echoed around the stadium as Linger was played aloud.

“I hope they can do it. I’m going to be there with my son Joseph and three grandchildren,” Eileen told the Leader this Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Limerick team’s banquet is to take place at the Citywest Hotel in Saggart, County Dublin on Sunday night.

They are due in Colbert Station station, Limerick at 5.40pm on Monday evening when, win or lose, they will be taken by open top bus to the homecoming reception in the Gaelic Grounds.