‘Good times never seemed so good!’

If there was a moment during Sunday’s homecoming that summed up exactly the feeling of jubilation among the massive crowd of spectators present, it came as the team and supporters joined forces and belted out the classic Sweet Caroline, throwing all their energy into the line ‘Good times never seemed so good!’.

Good indeed was the feeling in the town centre, tempered with, almost, a sense of disbelief that we had done it. Beaten Goliath. Possibly opened the door to a new type of Leinster in which the footballing giants wear maroon and other teams talk of the obstacle Westmeath poses to their progress.

That might sound ambitious, but no one tipped Westmeath to win – and yet on the day, they outclassed the Dublin side. They look like a new force to reckon with.

It didn’t take long for word to spread that the team would be back in Mullingar around 8, and that, like the last time Westmeath won the Leinster championship, they would be assembling outside the Greville Arms. But that time, 24 years ago, was so far back in history that the majority of those who turned out on Sunday were either not yet born or were just children.

And that also applied to the majority of the team.

In advance of the lads’ arrival back in Mullingar, a trailer was brought to Pearse Street for use as a stage, and the gardaí closed the town centre to traffic.

A deejay blasted out tunes that stirred the spirits, and the master of ceremonies did a masterful job in keeping the crowd entertained until the team arrived.

From every street, a steady stream of fans arrived – families, groups of teens; diehard supporters; people who had been in Croke Park – and people who regretted not having gone to Croke Park. Notable was the number of parents who brought their children along conscious that this was a day in the history of Westmeath.

To be fair, the town has had a bit of experience at this stage of hosting large-scale gatherings. Many felt there was something of a Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann vibe to the occasion – but it was also reminiscent of the homecoming parade through town organised for Olympians John Joe Nevin and Joseph Murphy, following their return from the 2012 London Olympics.

The trailer was set up opposite the Greville Arms, and the street was fully packed with people from Just Books to the Market Square.

At one stage – even before the team actually arrived – concerns arose about the danger of children getting squashed by the crowd – and it was difficult to get through.

Into that throng arrived a procession of women in Westmeath tops bearing a cup – and there was a great welcome as people realised the low-key arrival was that of the first set of Leinster champions – the ladies team who had defeated Wexford to win the Leinster Intermediate Football title.

The women were on a high, and their arrival added to the excitement as the growing crowd awaited the bus from Dublin.

And then, it arrived, and walking behind a garda motorbike, the panel, attired in matching flesh-toned polo shirts, walked through the crowd, shaking hands and beaming with delight as they made their way to the stage.

It was, in fact, touching to see how thrilled the team was at the turnout, and the genuine joy on their faces as they looked across the crowd of thousands. There was a real air of pride, of delight, of hope for the future, of regret at the absence of so many GAA devotees no longer with us, who would have loved to have had the chance to witness such an occasion.