The agony and the ectasy

IT’S Kilkenny’s hurling world. Everyone else just lives in it.

The Cats won their third All-Ireland title in a row yesterday, annihilating Waterford by 3-30 to 1-13 in front of 82,186 spectators. It was the Déise’s first All-Ireland final appearance in 45 years, and their inexperience showed, with Kilkenny “relentless”, as their captain James “Cha” Fitzpatrick put it later.

A bad day for the romantics, then, but a good day for Kilkenny, as their minors showed the conveyor belt is in good nick by picking up the U18 title also.

Manager Brian Cody paid tribute to his team. “I never have a worry whether the players will turn up, or whether they’ll perform, or whether they’ll put themselves in a position where they could win the game.

“They were outstanding. They were everything you could ever ask for. They were a team, they were together, they were hugely for each other.”

Cody, now regarded by many as the greatest hurling coach of all time, was at pains to play down his role in Kilkenny’s magnificent run. “The players were outstanding. It was the complete display. They were totally focused and hurled at a very serious level from the first to the final whistle. I couldn’t ask for more from them.

“They got no more than what they put into their game. They are very serious players, serious operators and top class fellas, and I’m absolutely delighted for them.

“Obviously it’s a super feeling to have won another All-Ireland title and the fact that it’s three on the trot only adds it,” said Cody.

His opposite number Davy Fitzgerald appealed for the Waterford people to support their team. They were ready to party like it was 1959, when they last won the title, but they left Croke Park shell-shocked.

“It’s important the Waterford people give them support. There’s nothing worse than the way they feel in that dressing-room. They’ve worked hard, they’ve trained hard, and that arena out there is the worst place to be when things aren’t going right.”

Kilkenny sub-keeper James McGarry, who has not played championship for the county since his wife Vanessa was killed in a road accident last year, was introduced late in the game, a move that drew warm applause from both sets of supporters.