happy hannon It's "a lovely feeling" to wake up after winning the All-Ireland final

Limerick captain Declan Hannon said it was “a lovely feeling” to wake up after winning yesterday's All-Ireland final.

Hannon (28) climbed the steps of the Hogan Stand yesterday to raise the famous Liam McCarthy Cup aloft after the Treaty Country secured their second All-Ireland win in three years.

They lived up their billing as the best squad in the country after a 0-30 to 0-19 victory over Waterford at Croke Park.

The Adare man's speech was applauded as he paid tribute to healthcare workers across the country who have battled the Covid-19 pandemic on the frontline.

Hannon said: "I want to mention the frontline staff who've worked so tirelessly throughout this pandemic.

"The respect that have for you all, in going out there each day to keep us safe, is absolutely fantastic. It doesn't go unnoticed by us, so thank you very, very much.

"2020 has been an incredibly tough year. Businesses have been closed, people have lost their jobs, I know a lot of loved ones have passed away this year who really would have loved to be here.”

This morning he described waking up and feeling “over the moon and very, very proud of all the boys”.

“The only disappointing thing is that we didn’t have our families there celebrating with us but it’s after making our Christmas now and we might just chill out for a couple of weeks and enjoy the down time," he said.

“It’s been a very long year, very tough, but absolutely worth it to wake up the morning after.”

Online Editors