In the moments following the final whistle of Sunday's All-Ireland hurling final, Cian Lynch's mother was one of those to ignore pleas from the stadium announcer for fans to not invade the pitch.
Plan B did not quite have to be implemented by the Croke Park stewards - it was just a handful of supporters who stepped onto the turf. Though, not all of them would have been as welcome as Valerie Lynch.
In the chaos of the celebrations, Valerie managed to find her son. Inpho's James Crombie snapped a shot of a poignant moment between the two.
'Well Done Son' @LimerickCLG's Cian Lynch celebrates with his mother Valerie in @CrokePark after today's game @LiveGAAResults #Limerick #LIMVGAL pic.twitter.com/35PFzrqejZ
— Inpho Photography (@Inphosports) August 19, 2018
"The mother actually hopped over the fence and got onto the pitch at Croke Park yesterday - I'd say there's still a warrant out for her," the Limerick midfielder told OTB AM on Monday.
It mean's so much to everybody. It's unbelievable.
Even the lads were saying, 'What did it feel like after the game?' I put the head down - I actually struggled to breathe for a couple of minutes. You're kind of saying, 'We after winning an All-Ireland, it's a dream come true.
That moment where Lynch embraced his mother allowed him time to focus and realise what he and his teammates had just achieved.
"I remember, the mother jumped up out of nowhere and I put the head on her shoulder. It was a moment where I could breathe for a second and take in my surroundings and realise, 'You know what? This is what it's about'.
"She's the woman that was there for me from the beginning. Just to see her there on the pitch - whether the stewards were after her or not - to see her smiling and going around to everyone, it puts it all into perspective really."
