Waterford playwright and life-long Déise hurling fan Liam Heylin said the county was daring to believe in this most extraordinary of years.
"It's been fantastic to follow so many legendary Waterford players and teams coming to Cork and Thurles and Croke Park over the years," he said.
"This time we'll be going into deliriums in front of our tellies in corners all over the world - where 'we all loves our county too, John Mullane'. Go on the Déise!"
Ballybricken, one of Waterford's oldest suburbs, was a sea of blue and white with even Santa Claus swapping his traditional red and white for the Waterford colours.