Keith Dugganhears from Jackie Tyrrell about how the winners stayed on top of their game
In the rain, Jackie Tyrrell leaned against the metal bannister leading up to the Ard Comhairle and watched as Henry made his long and passionate speech.
The black helmet was discarded and Jackie was happy to take his place in the gang, and then he disappeared down the tunnel and tiredly, happily went about packing his gear bag. Another job done: another All-Ireland medal.
Tyrrell neither wanted nor expected garlands and yet he had responded flawlessly to one of the most dangerous assignments of yesterday's hurling showpiece. He kept Andrew O'Shaughnessy scoreless from play. And by neutralising the marvellous Kilmallock man, he took much of the sting out of the Limerick attack.
It was a day of lines for the victors. The half-forward line registered a stunning haul of 2-8 in the first half as well as landing a series of heavyweight blows on the Limerick defenders, young Séamus Hickey shipping the worst of those.
The full-forward line, so potent in the semi-final, struck just one score between them, Martin Comerford dropping deeper and deeper as the match went on. The midfield pair became more prominent as the game wore on, young James 'Cha' Fitzpatrick becoming more prominent in the absence of the gigantic figure of Henry and injured full back Noel Hickey.
And the full-back line just snuffed out the Limerick front line. There was no change, nothing from play, not even a consolation score at the death.
Kilkenny were relentless, and though Tommy Walsh was scintillating in open play, discarding his helmet from the beginning and playing with a ferocious intensity to match the mesmerising stick-work, Tyrrell was quietly and ceaselessly excellent. In the changing-room, he pulled on a black-and-amber polo shirt and nodded in acknowledgement it hadn't been a bad day's work.
"No, a terrific day. Watching Limerick this year, the full-forward line was doing a lot of scoring so we had to be on the top of our game against them. We played the game over in our minds and we were ready for them. I suppose we got the start they wanted when Henry and Eddie got the goals. So we had to drive it on from there.
"Individually, we didn't work on stopping them. Everyone in the country knows that Brian Begley is a big, strong man and brilliant in the air. Noel didn't give him a sniff really. And then Brian Hogan went on him. It wasn't a set plan. It was just you had to win your own patch and if we had enough of that on the day, we were confident we would win."
It was a bitch of a day to be a Limerick forward. Little quality ball got through to the front line and whatever possession was directed at O'Shaughnessy, Tyrrell was breathing down his neck, at one point striding forward with the ball and then, in the second half, diving across the face of the goal to deny his man the score that might have revived Limerick.
It came with 10 minutes left, when a soft drizzle had begun to fall and legs were tiring and minds wandering. Limerick were trailing by 1-13 to 2-16 but they had begun to play with more boldness and it was the one half chance that fell for O'Shaughnessy. Fatally, though, he had lost his hurley in tussling for space and reacted well to strike the ball with his right foot. But even as he made contact came the dark helmet and black-and-amber shadow of Tyrrell blocking his path.
"Don't remember much. The ball came in and it broke behind Brian Hogan and Andrew had lost his hurley and I knew he would have a mind to kick and I just jumped in front and it hit off me. There is an element of luck as well and that could have flown into the back of the net but lucky enough we cleared it."
Five minutes earlier, O'Shaughnessy had the rare privilege of sizing up the Kilkenny goal without Tyrrell's 6ft 2in frame in his way. With 55 minutes gone, Limerick had a free from 23 yards and it was no secret the Limerickman would shoot low. It was a vicious connection and he kept it well away from goalkeeper PJ Ryan.
"Everyone knew after Waterford that he was lining it up for the goal. He has a savage shot on the ball and we didn't know where it was going to go. Next thing I knew JJ had saved it and it was scuttering out over the sideline. It was a huge boost for us. Then the 65 went wide and there was a zip in our step after that."
Tyrrell may well have finished last night by grinning on television as he accepted the silverware for man of the match. Other rewards will probably follow but you get the impression the James Stephens man is not pushed about individual accolades. He is just happy to do his job in the corner - and to keep his place on a side where no jersey is guaranteed.
"It's ferocious, " he says of the competition. "In a lot of counties, if you don't play well in a match, you may not be playing the next day. In Kilkenny, if you don't go well in training, you may be gone. There are lads breathing down your neck left right and centre. It does not matter whether you are corner back or corner forward.
"If you hold the Kilkenny jersey and put the work in, you will keep it. If you are not pulling your weight, you will be on the sideline. That is Brian's motto and he is true to his word. There is nothing permanent. The team that plays the last match doesn't automatically start. That keeps everyone interested."
And so back to the Marble City they go. Tyrrell reckons they will tour the pubs for a few nights and then the local club will come calling.
"The show must go on," he grins. "That's the way the hurling goes."
