Tom Morrissey and his brother Dan (left) celebrate with the Liam MacCarthy Cup after Limerick's All-Ireland SHC Final victory over Galway.
By Cian O'Connell
In the City/West Hotel as Limerick supporters still celebrated on Monday morning Tom Morrissey, a crucial contributor throughout the year, was trying to make sense of it all.
The Liam MacCarthy Cup will return to Limerick for the first time since 1973 and that sense of adventure and achievement mattered deeply.
That Morrissey’s brother, Dan, was also instrumental in the triumph added greatly to the feel good factor.
“It is the first medal I've ever won really with Dan,” Tom Morrissey stated. “We haven't been on successful teams together through the club, so it was nice to finally win something with him, a special moment for ourselves and for the family as well.
“It is huge for the people in the club in Ahane, they are hugely proud and I think we are the first two All Ireland medalists since Mick Mackey in the 1930s or 1940s. We probably don't realise how much of an unreal achievement that is either. I'm looking forward to going back to meet the guys in the club now.”
Leaving Croke Park armed with silverware delighted Morrissey, who enjoyed a hugely productive campaign for John Kiely’s outfit.
“Even this morning you can still see a rake of supporters,” Morrissey adds. “When we came in last night there was so much support, even driving through the streets of Dublin after the match all the Limerick supporters that were there.
Tom Morrissey netted a crucial goal for Limerick against Galway at Croke Park.
“I'm looking forward to the homecoming now and I think the supporters are as well. The emotion of the last 45 years, the barren spell, the way it has ended it means a lot to them.
“Not only us as players, but to the people of Limerick. You can see that there is euphoria everywhere you look around the place. You are just trying to soak it in, to enjoy the moment.”
It has been a dramatic 2018 for Limerick with Morrissey acknowledging the significance of the Allianz Hurling League promotion winning March victory against Galway at Pearse Stadium in March.
“Personally I think we had a lot of big moments in the year,” Morrissey reflected. “The draw with Cork in Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Sean Finn's block at the end or Kyle Hayes' point from that match.
“Then you had the comeback in Salthill, maybe that did kickstart it and it was the first major moment of the year. It was something we were striving to get for a long time.
“Eight years, I think, we were in 1B so to get over Galway in Salthill and they had a lot of their All Ireland Final winning team out that day so it was huge for us.
“Probably it did set the tone and platform and it instilled real belief in us that we could not only compete, but win at this level.”
