Kilkenny 1-16 Cork 1-13: Kilkenny captain Jackie Tyrell got his hands on the Liam McCarthy cup this afternoon after a monumental team performance shattered Cork's hopes of three-in-a-row.
Brian Cody's side were simply devastating in Croke Park, setting about their business with a ferocious hunger that left the defending champions shell-shocked.
Cork were starved of possession throughout as Kilkenny, with James 'Cha' Fitzpatrick outstanding in the middle of the park, dominated throughout.
Not even a late Ben O'Connor goal could knock the Cat's out of their stride as they got their hands on a 29th All-Ireland title.
Kilkenny laid down a marker early in the contest, Henry Shefflin knocking over two early frees as the challengers opened an early 0-3 to 0-1 lead before Cork, with Niall McCarthy at the heart of everything in attack in the opening quarter, fought back to level matters.
John Allen's side, harried and harrassed throughout by the Kilkenny defence, were forced to fight tooth and nail for field position but when they were able to work scoring positions, chances were dispatched clinically.
With Joe Deane, forced to live off scraps in open play, still able to keep the scoreboard ticking over from frees Cork were always in touch but as the half wore on, Kilkenny's high tempo approach was paying dividends.
Shefflin and Martin Comerford were causing all sorts of problems to the Cork defence and on 27 minutes, Kilkenny edged ahead through an Aidan Fogarty goal. Diarmuid O'Sullivan wavered under the long ball, slapping it to the Emeralds man who shrugged off the full-back's despairing challenge before finding the net.
Having taken a 1-8 to 0-8 lead into the interval, Kilkenny were not about to rest on their laurels at the start of the second-half.
Early scores were exchanged before Kilkenny's work rate began to put daylight between the sides. Shefflin, who finished with eight points, was again instrumental but he was ably supported from all quarters while the defence continued to squeeze the life out of the Cork attack.
O'Connor's goal, with just four minutes left to play, set up a fitting finale but Kilkenny remained calm as Cork poured forward and were not to be denied a thoroughly deserved victory.