Victorious Keegan Cup champions Summerhill arrive home to a heroes welcome

Home are the heroes. Those involved in helping Summerhill carve out a outstanding, memorable victory in the SFC final on Sunday brought the famous Keegan Cup to Dangan National School today.

The players certainly received a warm welcome from teachers and pupils many of whom were at Pairc Tailteann to see Conor Gillespie claim the famous trophy for the club for the first time in 10 years.

The fully deserved 0-22 to 1-13 victory wiped away past, painful disappointments for the 'Hill and their followers. The team had lost county finals in 2017, '18 and '19. They were also defeated last year when they were narrowly edge out by, yes, Ratoath. This time around Summerhill were fully fired up to turn the tables and they duly did that with a powerful, enterprising display - although they did have to take the scenic route and go to extra-time.

It looked like John Lavelle had given Summerhill victory in the closing stages of normal time when he surged forward to land a point only for Ratoath to equalise and force extra-time. It was then the Summerhill heroes rose to the challenge firing over a flurry of points to win with relative comfort. What drama.

The massive crescendo of noise that greet David Coldrick's final whistle told a story of just what this victory meant to the Summerhill supporters. They also gathered in big numbers in Summrhill village in big numbers on Sunday evening to celebrate the return of the Keegan Cup. The trophy, like the heroes in blue and gold had returned home.

Then today it was the turn of the pupils of Dangan NS to show their appreciation to the team for what they had achieved. The youngsters now have a new batch of sporting heroes to live up after a day all those involved with Summerhill GFC will remember for a long, long time.