No one wanted to break the silence. Searching for the question is as hard as finding the answer as solemn loneliness surrounded the Kilkenny dressing-room. Drowned on the pitch and now drowning in sorrow. Yet they could so easily have been saved.

After a summer where everything moved so fast, the clock has ticked out its time and now everything is moving too slowly. The manager duly arrives, but all Brain Cody can do is close his eyes and wonder.

"We had our chances, no doubt about that," he says. "But on All-Ireland day there is never any argument. The better team will win on the day and that's it.

"What makes it devastating for us is that we had that lead in the second half and were hoping to hold on to it. Cork finished ferociously strong, got some terrific scores and things didn't happen for us."

So the ice is broken, and we can pry for a deeper explanation. What about the conditions?

"I think most of the players dread seeing a wet day like this," he offers. "The wet ball definitely made it awkward for everyone, and it always makes shooting a bit of a lottery. Obviously it's the same impact on both sides. They weren't looking for a wet day and we weren't looking for a wet day. After the break, I thought we did improve our accuracy, but we were still one short at the end and that was it."

And for Cork to hold them scoreless for the last 10 minutes? "That's some achievement. But I said all week that the strong point in this Cork team was probably the defence. They've been improving there all year, but I wasn't surprised by Cork's ability in any sector of the field. I still feel we crated more chances to win the game, but if you don't score them, they don't count."

He dismisses any question of nerves or pressure producing a game so fraught with mistakes. "Hurling is littered with those kind of games. Some Sunday's they happen and sometimes they don't. Even with the best will in the world, which all our players had, there's nothing you can do about it.

"We were prepared well and there's no one aspect that let us down. I still praise the lads to the hilt, but it's just bitterly disappointing. There's a winning dressing-room and a losing dressingroom. Unfortunately, were in the losing one for the second year in a row."

In the corner, head held high, is DJ Carey. More than anyone, he's had better days. "Well, I've often finished without a score before," he tries to convince us. "That's the way it goes. Cork took one more chance than us and they won.

"Some people were getting carried away by saying we were going to have it easy, but we knew how good Cork were," he continues. "The conditions were difficult, but there were still a few outstanding displays, and some guys have the day and some don't. We have to grin and bear it, as demoralising as it is. You train hard, you're confident, and then you go home with nothing again." There was that one goal chance which could have made things all so different. "Yes, it was reasonably close I suppose," which for DJ means desperately close. "I was probably slipping a bit when I kicked it, but it hit the side netting and was never on target. But they just closed us down so well and never left us much time on the ball."

Before departing, captain Denis Byrne throws up a few words. "We were never as well prepared. Our training went absolutely brilliant, and you won't get a better trainer in Ireland that Brian Cody. I wanted to win it for that man.

"I suppose there was pressure, and a lot of talk around the county, but I really don't know how much that had to do with it. You win All-Irelands on the field and nowhere else. Cork are a great team, and they've been coming and coming for the last couple of years."

Last to emerge from the showers is John Power, starring at the floor. Today he's been hit too hard and seen too much.

On days like this, any attempts for an explanation are in vain.