It is a strange conclusion to Limerick's championship year. As the defeated players file out of the dressing-room, a small band of followers break into a sustained round of applause. Thunder claps ominously all across Roscommon and loitering here and there are several All-Ireland champions - Clarke, McGeeney, etc.

All in all these are fitting circumstances for Limerick's Muiris Gavin to deliver his valedictory.

"All we wanted to do - we made one promise, that we would leave everything on the field. We let ourselves down in the Munster final and today we just wanted to put a bit of pride in the jersey and die for each other on the field. I think we did that. We were shattered, even in the warm-up we felt tired.

"I don't know, it didn't feel like playing in a match that they were 11 points a better team than us. They were definitely fighting and it was only in the last few minutes they relaxed. But we have decided now, we are convinced that there is a Munster title in this team. We played the All-Ireland champions and the finalists in seven days."

As Gavin addresses, closing a moving season for Limerick football, the current player of the year, Kieran McGeeney is summing up an ordinary afternoon for the champions.

"I thought we played reasonably well. We gave the ball away a few times but all we wanted was a victory today."

Four goals for and none against. It augurs well. McGeeney, wary of July praise, cautiously assents.

"Sometimes you are just lucky to keep goals out. Dunno if it is all down to hard work. Yeah, they are doing okay - Andy (McCann) and Enda (McNulty), like. It's just one of those days. Other times they go by you. It is just another game and we are back in the All-Ireland proper now. I suppose there are certain teams people would like to see us get - Tyrone or Kerry - but we are not fussy, whoever we are given."

We take shelter under the shadow of Joe Kernan as another rainstorm spills over the venue that will be home to the Beach Boys in a week's time.

"We are still only learning," he says. "I like to think that you haven't seen the best of these boys yet. We huff and puff. At certain times of the day there are flashes - some of the scores in the first half were brilliant but it's a matter of getting the whole thing together."

As for Limerick? "Ah, it was very unfair on them having to play seven days after a Munster final," he sympathises. "They are going to learn. We learned. For three years, we were beaten by the three All-Ireland champions and we came through it. Limerick will improve too, they are a young team."

And finally, Muiris Gavin offers a general warning to those who would be king.

"Armagh? They are great All-Ireland champions, great heart. They have real bottle and are written off by the media but if you are on the field against them, you know why they are champions. And it will take a good team to stop them to be honest."