"We were playing the most successful team that has ever played the game and the most successful manager who has managed in any sport, as far as I'm concerned, be it hurling or football. That's just a tribute to where Kilkenny have taken their game over the last 12 years. So I wouldn't beat myself up too much or any of these previous Tipperary teams. We're certainly not happy about it but you just have to keep believing and keep doing the right things and that's testament to what we saw out there today - that we did."

Michael Ryan's and Tipperary's perseverance paid off in spectacular fashion.

"The better team won today. There are no excuses, there is no 'if only this had happened' or 'if only that had happened'. There was nothing in it at half-time essentially, the first half was just to-ing and fro-ing I suppose - two points in it at half-time. We got a good start to the second half, we got a goal, but we didn't drive it on after that. When they got their goal they did drive it on. They were very, very good."

A magnanimous Brian Cody took his hat off to the Premier County.

"Everyone wanted another chance, redemption, you know to fulfil aspirations that we would have from each other. Like we see the work that goes in every year and, like my God, we're not going to let ourselves down, we're not going to throw it away, we're not going to give up on something that's our dream. No way, not for anybody."

The pain of past defeats spurred Seamus Callanan and his team-mates on.

"Everyone doubted us at the start of the year. We proved our doubters wrong. We're champions of f*****g Ireland."

An elated John 'Bubbles' O'Dwyer dropped the 'F-bomb' live on television.

"I had a vision of my name going down beside the senior roll of honour and now it's going to be there. To have your name down with Bobby, Jimmy and Sean, legends around our way, I'm just glad my name is there. That's one side of things, from a personal point of view."

Brendan Maher joined an illustrious group of Tipperary players who have lifted the Liam MacCarthy silverware.

"It was unbelievable heartbreak last year because people said 'you did superbly well bringing an average team to an All-Ireland final' - last year's team wasn't average. But they made themselves average by wanting to play everything. And that's why the two buses here at minor grade left down the N7 with no silverware - they were burnt out from everything."

Tipperary minor manager Liam Cahill's hard line stance on dual players came in for criticism during the course of the year but he answered that in the best possible manner yesterday.

 "Sometimes you have to put your hands up and say you were beaten by a better team. They're an excellent side, they have hurlers you know will go on and play senior hurling with Tipp."

Limerick boss Pat Donnelly had no complaints following his side's seven point defeat.

"My job is just to steer, get them fit and make sure they're hungry for it. Briege Corkery's points in the second half were formidable."

It has been business as usual for the Cork ladies so far in 2016 under new manager Ephie Fitzgerald.

 

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