THE WALK up to the Burlington Hotel after visiting the Kerry camp put any thoughts of enjoying this job into perspective. A lone Cork defender is spotted, head down but still track-suited, trudging in the opposite direction.

The green and gold beaming faces are quickly replaced by the bloodshot, lifeless eyes of Cork men.

On arrival the place is almost empty. There are the remains of a party, but not a memorable night. Just a long one.

The reaction of the manager is the priority, but selector Jerry O’Sullivan brings some positivity to the morbid scene.

“One thing hasn’t changed anyway and that’s the result. It is disappointing for the lads. They played so well all the year and they didn’t do themselves justice yesterday and that’s the disappointing thing, but nobody knows that better than themselves.”

Confirming Counihan has another year to run, progress, it can be noted, has been made.

“There was huge progress. They’re as good as any team in the country. They’ve beaten the best, but, on the day, in the first quarter of an hour they showed what they’re capable of, but after that it didn’t happen and you’d have to give a bit of credit to Kerry as well.”

It has been a long night and Counihan has very little to add. On the verge of being hailed the saviour of Cork GAA (they need football to be successful now more than ever with the hurlers in disarray), Counihan’s demeanour has been nothing short of crushed these past 48 hours.

Normally a jovial, approachable man with a quick wit and a forensic football brain, his answers were polite, but brief.

“It is still a bit raw, it hasn’t got any prettier, anyway. We are hurting, but that’s sport and we have to face up to that. It’s difficult, but we have to move on.”

This was supposed to signal the start of a new era, not the continuation of a nightmare that has lasted a decade.

No retirements coming on a Monday morning. It should be noted that, at 31, John Miskella was the oldest Cork starter.

Four points was the final margin, but, in reality, Kerry owned the day from not long after the Cork goal – 1-3 after 10 minutes was a dream start, but soon Kerry had surpassed that with white flags.

We asked Counihan about the turning points, something that may have crossed his mind as he attempted to force some shut-eye on an unfamiliar hotel pillow.

“Their come-back after the goal and the way we allowed them back. There was also a period in the second half when we had a number of opportunities that we didn’t take. Then again, it’s about taking them.”

The referee last Sunday was Marty Duffy. He was criticised before the match and while he didn’t influence matters to a great extent, he was hammered on the message boards yesterday.

“I said yesterday I won’t be commenting on that and I’m not going to start now. You can give your unbiased view on that.”

Kerry being a more wily group is suggested. “Were we a bit naive, I don’t know.”

Counihan is a solid football man and will speak with more clarity to the public again, in a less depressing environment. More questions than answers here as the Cork lament is a familiar one: Kerry, always bloody Kerry.