Leinster SHC: Seán Moran finds the last Wexford coach to claim a Leinster hurling title glad to hail the new generation

As Wexford took their first Leinster title in seven years at the weekend, Rory Kinsella lost his. Until Sunday he was the last manager to take the county to a senior provincial title. He happily gives up the distinction.

"I was delighted to see it go," he said.

A selector with Liam Griffin during the All-Ireland winning year of 1996, Kinsella took over the reins for a further three years, retaining Leinster in 1997. He is particularly pleased that the current team represents such a departure from the past.

"It's a whole new squad. There are very few left from 1996-97, actually only three started on Sunday. It's a whole new regime really and I was absolutely delighted for management and players. There wasn't the same outpouring of emotion that there was in '96 but it's important that another generation now knows what it's like to beat Kilkenny and win Leinster.

"We thought that if we could get the ball into our inside line they'd do well but in fairness, it was the half forwards, who there were doubts over, that did it for us. Barry Lambert was carrying a shoulder injury but got three points, Eoin Quigley got three from play and Paul Carley scored 1-1.

"Adrian Fenlon looks very fit. He's had a few ordinary seasons but he hit a lot of ball on Sunday, and quality ball. He reminded me of the mid-90s when he was flying."

Star of the show on Sunday was goalkeeper Damien Fitzhenry whose shot-stopping kept Wexford afloat in the first half when Offaly dominated possession and chances created. He's been a fixture for over 10 years.

"I spotted him at school years ago," says Kinsella, "and he was always one to watch. He said he was just doing his job but in fairness he's been doing it since 1993, performing miracles on several occasions. He's been the difference on different Wexford teams. And he's not 30 yet. He'll be there as long as he wants.

"I rang him on Saturday to wish him luck and you'd think he was going to play a club match."

Ask him what happened to the county since the glory years of 1996 and '97, and Kinsella isn't inclined to blame the slow fade of the generation of older players for whom success came late in their careers. In fact he believes the barren state of hurling in the county has been exaggerated.

"If you look at the under-21 championship, since '96, we've won four Leinsters and we're back in this year's next week. We have players who have beaten the likes of Kilkenny and Offaly. That's not a bad record and they'll give Kilkenny a run for it next week as well."

Kilkenny, despite being beaten in the senior semi-final, remain the great underage monolith.

Kinsella accepts that but feels Leinster hurling's brand leaders have a major advantage, one that has attracted more attention in recent months.

"Kilkenny have a great record but they don't have football to worry about. If we cut out football we'd improve at underage hurling. I'm not saying we should but it would improve hurling. Take an under-14 squad and spend months working on football and months working on hurling. Then spend all the time working on hurling. There'd have to be a difference."

Yet however they order and prioritise their affairs, it works for Kilkenny. During the 1990s the county won every single minor provincial title. With the exception of Offaly in 2000, Kilkenny have won 14 of the last 15. Kinsella isn't too perturbed by the lack of silverware at under-18.

"The minor situation doesn't worry me that much. With good coaching and a good development squad we've shown that we can bring players through at under-21.

"At schools level if you take St Kieran's out of it - and obviously I know you can't - there's not that much between the others. But it will be interesting to see how the lack of boarders will affect them now. St Peter's was a boarding school years ago and won Leinster and All-Irelands and competed a lot more frequently."

For the moment, concerns about underage development are on the back burner as the county basks in the unexpected sunshine of senior inter-county achievement. The crowds came out on Sunday night in force. A massive throng greeted the team bus in Gorey.

Whereas the scenes weren't comparable to the famine relief of eight years ago, Wexford hurling is in upbeat form.

"We didn't even play well," says Kinsella. "But we won and that's a marvellous feeling."