FRESH FROM CLIMBING the steps of the Hogan Stand and lifting the Brendan Martin Cup once again, Dublin’s three-in-a-row All-Ireland champions continued a fine tradition and shared the celebrations with those in Crumlin’s Children Hospital this morning.
All-Star defender Rachel Ruddy, who works as a physiotherapist at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital led the way with the silverware, with smiles all round as her team-mates and members of management shared their joy with the staff and patients present.
Mick Bohan’s Sky Blues were 2-3 to 0-4 winners over Galway after a dogged battle in front of a record-breaking crowd of 56,114 at Croke Park yesterday. After suffering three final losses to Cork between 2014 and 2016, they made it a third consecutive All-Ireland title yesterday, joining their male counterparts on a weekend to remember for the city.
One to savour, but it’s about much more than that.
The All-Ireland champions Dublin were in Temple Street Children's Hospital today as the celebrations continued on a Blue Monday #RTEgaa pic.twitter.com/8lttgBK5vA
— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) September 16, 2019
“Going into some of the rooms with kids who have just had heart surgery, the parents are like, ‘Oh my God, your knee,’” star forward Nicole Owens explained to RTÉ’s Evanne Ní Chuilinn after recently undergoing surgery for cruciate damage. “I’m like, ‘I’m fine!’
Sport seems so important but at the end of the day, it’s something that we enjoy and it’s a privilege that we get to enjoy it. Coming in here really does put all that into perspective.
Perspective, indeed.
Here’s a look at the heartwarming scenes:
Five-year-old Lauren Knight from Donabate and 11-year-old Kate Cullivan from Naas with the Dublin team
Lauren Knight with goalkeeper Ciara Trant, Player of the Match Lyndsey Davey and All-Star defender Rachel Ruddy
Ruddy, who works in Crumlin, with her colleagues
Darragh Carroll, 10 months with Trant, Onnagh Whyte, Davey and Nicole Owens
Brid O’Connell and her two-month-old son Geoff McGovern with Hannah O’Neill, Jennifer Dunne and Sarah Fagan
Goal-scorer O’Neill with baby Geoff
Alex Daly from Stillorgan with members of the Dublin team
Three’s a charm!
Six-month-old James Ryan from Mayo with O’Neill, Kate Sullivan, Olwen Carey and Jennifer Dunne
A few more, including defence coach Paul Casey, join the party
There was a lot of love for baby James
Former Ireland performance analyst and current coaching wizard of OZ Eoin Toolan joins Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey to predict Ireland’s World Cup, break down every pool, and call the overall winners.
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