A near-4,000 mile journey from Chicago to Limerick paid off for John Hunt, who got to see his hurling heroes lift the Liam McCarthy cup. 

John Hunt, the founding member of Limerick Hurling Club Chicago and honorary president of Chicago GAA, was the talk of Croke Park.

The 98-year-old was one sports enthusiast in the packed stadium who witnessed Limerick take home the All Ireland title for the first time in 45 years. 

The Athea, Limerick-native was there when his county's sportsmen lifted the cup in 1940. He emigrated to America as a youth, where he set up the Limerick Hurling Club in Chicago in 1959.

The touching video below shows the community stalwart explaining how he went to the heart specialist before boarding his Aer Lingus flight to Dublin. "They fly near Heaven don't they," the doctor joked.

John Hunt, a legend around Gaelic Park before his departure to Dublin to cheer on his native Limerick. A flight delay of 6 hours in Chicago could not stop this 98 yr. young man from Athea. See for yourself

Posted by John Devitt on Friday, August 17, 2018

According to the Limerick Leader, Hunt, who is also an honorary president of Chicago GAA, experienced a six-hour delay on his flight back home, but was the nonagenarian was still in top spirits.

98 years young and #HomeForTheMatch! This is John Hunt who’s flown from Chicago to support his native Limerick this Sunday! #BeThereAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/xflp8E2gt0

— The GAA (@officialgaa) August 17, 2018

He even posed for photos with friends and family members in his Limerick local ahead of the big game.

Posted by LIMERICK HURLING CLUB,CHICAGO on Saturday, August 18, 2018