The longer the wait for a 12th title, the more credit Cody concedes to his former greats

Traditions are an intriguing twitch of the curtain, a means of discovering what people reveal when relaxed. The last decade witnessed a gravitation of Kilkenny hurlers past and present, Senior County Final over, towards a particular public house on John Street. The great and the good congregate, with the atmosphere typically way above the bar service.

I have a strong memory of being in there after the 2015 Senior Final. There is always a touch of The Sopranos on those occasions, an atmosphere of sharp intimacies. Highly decorated individuals, including some lads who had played in that decider, were arrayed around the front bar.