Farrell ponders future after experiencing ‘the joy of victory’

Last year, Dessie Farrell greeted defeat in the All-Ireland minor final with a face that was impossible to read and he wore the same impassive look yesterday after his latest batch of young Dubs made amends.

“What’s the saying?,” he pondered. “The joy of victory is not comparable with the depression of defeat, or something like that. They are two very extreme emotions and thankfully today we came out on the right side and things worked out for us.”

In truth, the regrets born of that loss to Tipperary 12 months ago will never go away for Farrell and those players but their successors never really looked in danger of succumbing to a similar fate against an outclassed Meath side.