"After this you walk away into the sunset"

LIAM GRIFFIN told his Wexford team before the match that this was their "last battle" and the players responded with a mammoth performance which brought the Liam McCarthy Cup back to Slaneyside for the first time since 1968. "I told them that this would be the last time they will all be together as players in the Wexford jersey and that they would be remembered for what they achieved.

"After this you walk away into the sunset. This will be your last hurray. This is how you'll be remembered."

He did not reject the idea that this assessment may not be accurate or that Wexford might well repeat the performance next year. "What I am pleased about most of all is that we have given the young people of Wexford something to be proud of. This is a day they will remember for the rest of their lives.

"My feeling now is that I have peace and contentment. We set out to win this and we have done it through hard work and application. My fellow selectors, Rory Kinsella and Seamus Barron have all been devoted to youth hurling for years and have come through the system. I believe that we have laid the foundation for the future of Wexford hurling.

"We were inspired by Clare last year. We thought that if they could do it there was no reason why we could not. I hope many other counties take heart from Clare and ourselves. Teams like Waterford for instance deserve to be back in the limelight and they can do it".

Griffin admits that, with all the preparation done and all the plans laid he had recourse finally to prayer. "I went to Lady's Island (a local holy place) a number of times. My mother went about 10 times and I'm sure she'll go tomorrow as well. I told the man above that we hadn't won since 1968 and that Limerick had won in 1973 and that it was only fair that it was our turn," he said.

He admitted feeling sad for Limerick. "I realise how important it was to them after being beaten in 1994. We knew that it was going to be hard but it was up to us to take control. I have no problem about Eamon Scallan being sent off. It may even have helped us to win the match.

"We knew that when we were down to 14 men that we had to work all the harder and it concentrated our minds all the more. We simply had to hold the head and not to panic. In games like these you have to make snap decisions and stick to them" he said.

Another factor that played a part was an emotional speech to the players by Sean Flood before the match. Flood was regarded as a vital cog in the Wexford wheel but had to pull out of the game because of injury. "He made a speech to the players and to be honest we were all in bits. He told the lads of his dreams of playing in an All Ireland final and how much it meant to him.

"To be quite honest we were all in bits. It was a very moving speech and Sean broke down. But it lifted the team spirit onto a new level and I know that it had a very profound affect on the other players. It meant a lot to them for Sean to be so brave about it and it inspired us all," he said.

We left nothing to chance. Everything was planned. I wanted them to relax and not to get too uptight. Play as if it was an under 14 county final, I told them," he added.

He refused to single out any players at first and then relented and paid a special tribute to George O'Connor. "He must be as old as Cuchullain but he played some match today. Cuchullain couldn't have done better. He was playing as well at the end as he was at the beginning. It was a mighty performance," he said.

O'Connor himself simply basked in the moment. Still in his match jersey and shorts he epitomised Wexford's joy and bore the appropriate Wexford slogan "Exemplar Hibernia" on his chest.

"I got a phone call on Friday evening from Liam Griffin. He asked me if I would like to play in an All Ireland final. I won't repeat what I said to him. What a stupid question.

"I still can't take it in. I honestly can't believe it yet. I remember going down on my knees when the final whistle went. I think I said a prayer but I simply don't know. I never thought that at my age (36) that I would play in a full All Ireland final and win. My job was to focus on Sean O'Neill and I think I did a reasonable job. I felt very fit and strong," he said.

Asked about the possibility of retirement at the top he smiled: "I'll retire when the time comes. I would not be playing today if it wasn't for Liam Griffin. He really encouraged me to stay on and I'm glad he did".

George's brother John was equally euphoric. "Vinegar Hill. Hill 16. What's the difference? That was some sight on Hill 16 today. We were aware that Limerick had left the parade but there was no way we were going to let our great supporters down. It was a proud moment for us to walk past Hill 16 with that great blaze of purple and gold," he says with a sigh of satisfaction.

His attitude is reflected by the Wexford county secretary, Mick Kinsella. "That was the first battle of the day won. When Limerick left the parade they left us on our own before our own supporters on The Hill. That was a great moment," he said, having been through what he described as the hardest week of his life.

"The ticket situation was horrendous. I never want to go through that again. Larry O'Gorman came to see me during the week and when was leaving he said `Mick! If it gets too much for you give me a ring and I'll talk to you'. It was a bad week all right but it was all worth it. I wouldn't change a thing," he said. He singled out Colm Kehoe as his personal Man of the Match but insisted that it was very much a team victory. "Liam Griffin did a wonderful job. He put passion and discipline and spirit into the team and that will spill over into the entire county. This will be a great inspiration for young hurlers in Wexford. It was simply marvellous".

Also basking in the joy was Martin Quigley, a former Wexford captain who experienced disappointments as a player in the 1976 and 77 finals. "It is really a great occasion for Wexford and for hurling as a game. It was a fantastic day. It won't really sink in until we get back home," he said.

Larry O'Gorman seemed reluctant to get into his street clothes. Leaning on his hurley, he told reporters that he had complimented President Robinson on her dress. "That's a lovely dress you're wearing, Mary," he said to her and even went so far as to suggest that they might meet at the victors' banquet. "She said she might see me there," he added.

He said that everything had been planned beforehand. "We were told to stand up straight. Not to wear our helmets when we were being introduced."

The team captain, Martin Storey, spoke of the pride in winning. "We produced a great effort when we were a man short. It was very harsh indeed for Eamonn (Scallan) to be sent off. If he deserved to go he wasn't the only one but we realised that we had a really tough challenge to meet and everybody put in that extra bit to compensate.

"I was only four years old when Wexford last won. I don't remember much about that. Liam (Griffin) told us to savour every moment. To make the most of the opportunity which might never come again. It was the greatest moment of my life to be up there in the Hogan Stand with the McCarthy Cup over my head. I haven't taken it all in fully yet," he admitted.