Donal Lenihan: The best Six Nations Championship Ireland never won 

By refusing to be constrained by the requirement of finishing as high up the table as possible for the badly needed prize money, Farrell managed to do just that and build the required depth at the same time. 

Stuart McCloskey's ball carrying, offloading and sublime passing added another dimension to Ireland’s attack during the Six Nations. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Park your disappointment. This may yet prove to be the best Six Nations Championship Ireland Never won.

Before exploring the reasons why, thoughts on a tournament that had even the most casual of followers left scratching their heads as to why they hadn’t fully tuned into the sport before now given the quality and entertainment on offer from start to finish.