'This is just the start' - Irish team welcomed home from Women's World Cup

Thirty-three years and a month after Jack Charlton lamented that "we drank very little" to the hordes in College Green, the Irish women's football team returned home to a rousing welcome in Dublin after their historic first trek to a World Cup.

A crowd estimated to be 8,000 gathered in front of the GPO in the centre of O'Connell Street, closed to traffic for the evening, to greet the slightly jetlagged trailblazers back from their travels.

The fans started filing in before 6pm for what was supposed to be a 6.30 kick-off, though that was only ever a guestimation.

By the promised start time, the assembled were told breathlessly that the team had left their hotel with a garda escort, while the big screen tracked their progress via the bus dashcam.

"They're going through Castleknock, Blanch, Clonsilla and you know how it works, the louder you cheer, the faster they go," the hype-man and master of ceremonies Dave Moore told the crowds, not entirely accurately.

While young and old, men and women were all present, one demographic was especially prominent - young girls. Young girls everywhere, lining up against the railings, being perched on shoulders further back.

Many were bearing signs honouring their particular heroes. Katie McCabe was definitely winning on that front, though one sign singled out Jamie Finn and another namechecked Abbie Larkin, who announced herself with a thrilling cameo against Australia - there was a fair-sized Ringsend contingent present.

Mick and Betty Pender from Ashbourne were among those present. Mick - a former Pat's player and one-time coach of the Irish homeless team - said he knew a number of the girls through emerging talent programmes through his years coaching in Swords and Finglas.

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