Mayo’s All-Ireland champions have set off from Heuston Station on their journey back to Castlebar, where thousands are expected to gather for a historic homecoming celebration.
The county ended a 75-year wait for the Sam Maguire Cup on Sunday with a memorable victory over Kerry at Croke Park, sparking scenes of joy among supporters. The final drew an average audience of 944,000 viewers, with a peak of 1.1 million, while RTÉ Player has recorded 566,000 streams.
The team is due to arrive at Hastings Insurance McHale Park around 6pm, where a crowd of up to 40,000 or more could welcome them home.
Speaking from the train on RTÉ Radio 1’s Liveline, Aidan O’Shea paid tribute to the 1951 Mayo team, the last group to win the title before this year.
“People outside Mayo joke about the curse, but we got to know some of those players over the years,” he said. “It's unfortunate none of them are alive to see this. There are pictures of them in our dressing room areas and in MacHale Park.”
He also acknowledged former teammates who came close to success in recent years but never lifted the trophy.
“They've helped embed that mentality of being in All-Ireland finals and have an expectation of being in All-Ireland finals.” O’Shea said. "Then yesterday, the fruits of that and young fellas coming through at 18, 19 years of age winning it. So it's incredible, it's massive."
"Let's not hope it's 75 years again. I don't think it will be.”
Preparations for the homecoming began immediately after Mayo’s semi-final win over Louth. Organiser Gerry Bourke said plans initially accounted for 40,000 attendees, but demand may exceed expectations.
"I was talking to (Castlebar publican) Mick Byrne earlier on this morning. He said, 'God, in the town (this morning) at five o'clock, it was buzzing'. So if it was buzzing at five o'clock this morning, what will it be buzzing like at five o'clock this evening?!" Bourke said.
Meanwhile, teenage star Kobe McDonald described the triumph as “surreal” during a visit to Temple Street Hospital.
"These little moments are just as important as any other. To give them this bit of joy is special.
"It's going to be special now to bring Sam home.
"It's been a whirlwind of a year. If I was offered this at the start of the year, I'd like both hands off to be honest, it's something I never could have imagined.
"Of course you think you're going to do it, but doing it is a whole other thing. To look down and see that I have this (Sam Maguire Cup) in my hands, it's unbelievable." McDonald said.