Dungannon welcomes home Swifts heroes

Hundreds of people lined the streets of Dungannon on Monday night to give a warm welcome home to Dungannon Swifts FC after their Irish Cup final win at the weekend.

The team won their first ever Irish Cup 4-3 on penalties, beating Cliftonville in the final at Windsor Park on Saturday.

The champions left their home ground, Stangmore Park, in an open bus before making their way to the town centre, where they were greeted by cheering, screaming and chanting fans.

The atmosphere was electric outside the Hill of the O’Neill as the champions walked on stage to the Queen song We Are the Champions, where they were met with cheers and screams from the crowd.

Management and some players addressed the crowd, thanking them for their continued support throughout the season.

The players also welcomed the Queen of Country, Philomena Begley, on stage for a rendition of her popular song “Blanket on the ground” – the Swifts unofficial anthem for the season.

Speaking to BBC News NI, manager Rodney McAree said of his players: “I love them to bits; I love all of them. They gave me their heart and soul.

He said their performance on Saturday had “made us all very proud”.

“Especially the real Dungannon Swifts fans, people who supported this club through thick and thin, through the good times and the bad times.

“This is just remarkable.”

Goalkeeper Declan Dunne, who saved two Cliftonville penalties in the shoot-out, said: “It still doesn’t really feel real at the minute.

“I think probably when we start to sober up next week, towards the end of the week, it’ll start to feel a bit more real.

“But I’m absolutely buzzing for the team, the players, the coaching staff, and everyone associated with the club.

“There’s a lot of hard work that goes into here.”

John McGovern, who scored Dungannon’s goal in the final, said: “I think for Dungannon this is definitely only the start

“You look through the youth, you look through the entire club, there’s success coming through the club from no age all the way up to senior level.

“So I think this is only the beginning.”