ONE of the last two in the Cork dressingroom, manager Jimmy Barry Murphy leaned against the table and spoke about what must have been almost as wretched an experience as he's ever experienced in the venue he graced as a player during a distinguished career.

Losing the 73 year old unbeaten home record was one thing, but losing to Limerick by 16 points. "There's not a lot I can say. We're very disappointed to be beaten so comprehensively. It was embarrassing and I feel sorry for the supporters. I can't say more. Limerick were entitled to be as confident as they appeared to be coming down.

"We'd a lot of young players and needed huge performances from certain players, and without that we struggled all over the field. We decided to play with the wind because we had a young team and needed to get some scores early."

The match hadn't gone well at any stage, but a goal before the interval held out the promise of better things in the second half.

"At half time, I was happy enough to be even a point ahead. We seemed to be coming back into it and I thought we could win. The wind didn't seem to be a factor and puckouts weren't causing that much trouble."

After a promising winter, it was the more forbidding evidence of the spring that proved more reliable. Barry Murphy and his selectors knew what they were up against and, presumably, even the incorrigibly optimistic within the county now know it as well.

"We'll just get on with it. We knew we were struggling as a team. But we'll work away and hope it comes right. Cork will come again. It's just an even longer road back than we thought."

His counterpart Tom Ryan was quietly satisfied rather than ccstatic. He knows Limerick's semifinal meeting with All Ireland champions Clare will be a challenge of a different dimension. Ryan was entitled to his satisfaction.

"They're a self motivating team and Carey's a fantastic captain. He's added a lot with his captaincy," he said.

He had this to say about his debutant man of the match: "He has been very effective since we put him in there. Mark Foley is hardly 20 but has great strength and hits the ball fast and long.

He's very tenacious and he'll be a great hurler.

"We took a chance to give new players a start and your head is on the block when you do that, so I was particularly satisfied.

"Clare are still the team to beat, but before them, we had to beat Cork. We'll have to improve to beat Clare. Our shooting in the first half wasn't great and we weren't as lethal with chances as in the second half."

Foley himself was reluctant to take personal plaudits from his storming performance at wing back.

"I was happy with the victory. That was the first thing on our minds. When Paudge Tobin kicked the ball to the net, then we knew all we had to do was keep hurling. We were happy enough at half time. We felt we'd been caught by a sucker punch, but knew we were winning the game."

Centre forward Gary Kirby believes the team is the best he's played with in his long career.

"It's the first time since I've been playing that any of the six forwards could score, and then you see the likes of TJ (Ryan) coming in and getting three or four points."

After last year's drubbing by Clare, the next appointment is one Limerick are looking forward to. "That's the one we've been waiting for, but there's no use in going in casual in three weeks. We'll go hell for leather for it."