On what it means to make an All-Ireland final
It will take a while to sink in but we will be brought back down to earth fairly lively as we have a round of club matches next weekend but it was a huge performance from the lads.
Jesus, Dublin made it very hard even when they went down to 14 men, the ferocity and the speed of the game was frightening.
It’s a great thought being in the All-Ireland final.
On the speed of the game
It was nip and tuck and then they got the goal just before half time and that was a small bit of a downer but, the way the lads responded with points, shows we didn’t panic at all.
It would have been huge if we had gone in at half time having conceded a goal and two or three points on the run. But we actually went in a point up at half time which just shows the character of the lads which has been built up this year.
The experience definitely helped of being in Croke Park before but a lot of guys didn’t play last year. You can’t put your finger on [why we won], you have the sending off, you have Hoggies goal, everything, but it’s just about getting on the right side of the victory.
On his free-taking
It’s another part of the job the lads have thrust on me and I’m very lucky as I miss-hit one in the first half and it dropped to the edge of the square.
The way they went over in the second half was a great help but, when you have got a free taker like Pa Horgan coming out on the other side, well, I’d prefer to see him coming out as we have a good balance between us.
The next day though they mightn’t go over but when we have Horgan there taking frees, well, we have fierce faith in him.
On making the final after all this time
It’s great. I thought I’d never get there. The elation we had there in the dressing room versus the misery we had in the Munster final dressing room is obviously far different. We will put the head down and hopefully get a better experience in the final.
Clare and Limerick are two fantastic sides. Clare beat us three times this year and Limerick beat us in the Munster final, deservedly so, so look we’ll just get our own house in order and hopefully finish the right side of that as well.
On Jimmy Barry Murphy
Jimmy is Jimmy.
He is one of the greatest GAA players of all time and not just hurling. When you look at the selection committee people speaking about us not being experienced and then you look at the selection committee and each one of them have All-Irelands or numerous All-Irelands, then the belief they give us is frightening.
We spoke about long range frees and another management team mightn’t let me come out and take them, they always express the trust they have in us and every time they open their mouths, whichever one it is, you stand back in awe as any fella who has been there and done it as much as the lads have, has to have something to say that’s worth listening to.
