"The amount of silly mistakes we made today was incredible. You see it so often, you're well ahead and you take your foot off the gas a little bit, you want a break. I've spoken about it before, 'put the boot in when you get the chance', but maybe we're just not there yet."

The Nire manager Benji Whelan lamented one that got away.

"I've been proud of them this year on other occasions but to do what they did today, against an exceptionally good Nire side, when they were on the ropes in the first half, just shows what character and courage they have."

In the opposite corner, Stephen Stack hailed the character of his Austin Stacks players.

"We know how to come back. There is hurt in our team. As Mickey Moran always talks about, it's about hard work and honesty and it came through for us in the end. Every player earned their place. It's the best day of my life."

Slaughtneil's Gerald Bradley outlined what their Ulster success meant to him.

"Slaughtneil took their chances. We could maybe look back to the Jason McAnulla incident when he was going through and he got a push in the back and I think everyone in the ground saw it bar the referee. Maybe we could feel aggrieved at that."

Their failure to get a scoreable free rankled with Joe McMahon and Omagh St Enda's.

"We're better when our backs are to the wall. I said to the lads at half-time that I'd prefer to be down one or two, not too much, but that's the way we play football, we're better coming from behind."

Ardfert's gameplan worked a treat, according to joint-coach Pat O'Driscoll, as they came from behind to claim the Munster Club IFC spoils at the expense of Valley Rovers.

"I didn't actually think he would go for it. Fair play to him because they are big shoes to fill after Jim - three Ulsters, an All-Ireland and getting to another final. That was a massive achievement after where we were in 2010 but Rory had a part to play in that.:"

Paddy McBrearty is confident that his Kilcar club manager Rory Gallagher can fill Jim McGuinness' boots.

"Famous last words, but that's where I am at the moment. I don't think so. Imagine what Cillian O'Connor and Aidan O'Shea would say to me if I managed someone else. I'd never hear the end of it!"

James Horan won't be stepping back into inter-county management anytime soon.

"I can't look back and say that I won anything with Down. Beaten in a few Ulster finals, beaten in an All-Ireland final. It's been a long 20 years since Down won the All-Ireland in 1994, and we haven't been successful since that."

Looking back on his 15 year inter-county career, Benny Coulter regretted the fact that has has no medals to show for his efforts.

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