"Today was about today. It was important, particularly after last year. I won't go behind the curtain on that - but we really felt that we just didn't perform last year. I know Roscommon were very good but a nine-point defeat isn't where this team are at. So it was important here to show who we are."

Galway boss Kevin Walsh cut a delighted figure after his team avenged last year's Connacht final defeat against Roscommon yesterday.

"We've reached a Munster final, that's it in a nutshell. But that performance today wouldn't do. The last 10 minutes were very good, but our decision-making was poor at times. The build-up to the game was quite difficult. Waterford were out of it, would they turn up? Were they going to play younger fellas and subs? Derek (McGrath) and Dan (Shanahan) deserve great credit for that, but the bottom line is that it's five o'clock now and we're in a Munster final."

John Meyler was citing improvement in the immediate aftermath of Cork's late win over Waterford at Semple Stadium.

"For me, he stands up there will all the great Waterford sportspeople. For his pure humility and warrior-like qualities, but for his guile and cunning as well. And you know, he could go again!"

Derek McGrath with some high praise for Michael 'Brick' Walsh after his record-breaking 74th championship appearance in a Waterford jersey.

"We're upset, we're disappointed because it's going to hurt. We'll be feeling forever this was one…I don't want to disrespect Galway and say we left it behind but this was certainly one where we had a great chance to retain our title."

Sunday's Connacht SFC final was one Roscommon may have left behind them and Kevin McStay knows it as well as anyone.

"It is hard. There are learnings there for everybody but we won't have time to look at those - maybe later on in the winter. Playing that level of sport so intensely over a short period of time, you really would need to be professional. That's the bottom line.

Playing for a third week in-a-row certainly took its toll on Limerick in Ennis yesterday, according to John Kiely.

"It's not about medals. It's about performing. I'd say the boys wouldn't even know where their 2013 All-Ireland medal is. It probably didn't mean an awful lot then at 19, 20 years of age. I think what they would have loved today is the home crowd coming on to the pitch at the end of the game and the satisfaction that they actually performed to their capability. That's what they'll take from it."

Clare joint-manager Donal Moloney was clearly delighted with his team's display against Limerick.

"It's a real rush of blood to the head from Tom Condon because he doesn't know what's going on. I don't think he went to hit him in that particular spot but that is a lethal dig of the hurl to a place that can do serious damage. You'd expect more from Tom Condon. Tonight he'll be mad with himself."

Kilkenny legend Eddie Brennan on the incident which led to Tom Condon's sending off for Limerick against Clare at Cusack Park yesterday.

"I think that will be rescinded; I'll be shocked if it's not."

Anthony Daly cannot see a suspension for his fellow Clare man David Reidy standing after yesterday's controversial sending off by referee James Owens.

"The best thing was that half-time came. We got settled down and took a deep breath and said that, 'look we'd go at this this at our pace'. Which is what Galway have done through the league and through the past year. It stood to us in the second-half."

'Man of the Match' Shane Walsh was key in helping Galway get to grips with Roscommon in the second-half of Sunday's Connacht SFC final.

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