GAELIC GAMES:That's all, folks. Even epics have endings and yesterday at the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick, driven by a desire which at times was ferocious enough to be frightening, finally slew Tipperary and rode off after many years of wandering to the high chaparral. A Munster final awaits. If the final reels of this blockbuster lacked the quality of what went before, well at least the drama was still there.

Time now for everyone to move on? Well not just yet. On their home turf a huge portion of the 30,608 attendance danced and sang long after the final whistle yesterday. In some counties All-Irelands have been greeted with less fervour.

Limerick winning their first Munster championship game in six years was a significant event in itself. The manner in which they did it has, however, annexed the imagination of their long-suffering public.

As for Tipperary? Old Oscar, who could hurl off both sides, noted that a person can survive anything except death and live down anything except a good reputation. Hmmm.

Hurling's system of resurrection through the back door means yesterday's demise of Tipperary is just a temporary setback. And Babs Keating's? His reputation as a golden well for sparkling quotes and a wand-wielding magician of a coach may well have been lived down too. Babs was silent after this game, and one wondered did he still want or need the stresses which come with managing Tipp.

Tipperary, not quite deservedly, stole the initiative with a goal in extra time yesterday and underlined their good fortune with an Eoin Kelly free almost immediately after.

Limerick were faced with yet another hill to climb. Tipp just had to finish the ascent, plant the flag and enjoy the view. Yet again they got caught.

If there was a difference between these teams after 250 minutes of hurling it wasn't one which could be expressed in terms of hurling. If anything Tipperary enjoy a natural advantage in terms of access to skilled practitioners. The difference was hunger; Limerick were ravenous for success. Not winning seemed unthinkable to them.

Tipperary, who gave up leads in the series as if there was an amnesty on them, never seemed to need it as much as Limerick did.

"Mighty," said Richie Bennis, Limerick's manager. "Mighty for the supporters and mighty for the team. I never thought that the game was gone for us, not even when they scored the goal in extra time. The way things were going, anything was possible."

Bennis spoke of the last six months and the effort involved in bringing Limerick to this height and then reflected that the next two weeks will be devoted to bringing everyone down to terra firma again. One hopes the descent from altitude will involve no compromise of the will which drove Limerick through this series.

What makes the forthcoming Munster final so attractive is the desperate need in Limerick and Waterford to win. Both will survive death and live to play in the quarter-finals but their sense of honour screams for a win.

Limerick's half-forward line, staffed in two of the three positions by the Moran brothers from Ahane, was the most visible difference between the sides yesterday and the purest reflection of Limerick's passion. Ollie Moran has hauled Limerick through two drawn games, and if yesterday his overall contribution was overshadowed by Niall's five points, the torture the pair of them inflicted on Tipperary was instrumental in deciding the outcome of this series.

Yesterday Niall scored Limerick's last point in normal time before Tipperary came back to drag the game to extra time again. Ollie scored Limerick's first point when extra time began.

Tipperary slugged them with a goal and a point before Limerick found themselves again. They had pushed back to a point ahead when Tipperary enjoyed a short period of residence in the Limerick half.

All precedent and Eoin Kelly suggested they would equalise and force a fourth game. Instead Niall Moran came bursting out of defence, hurtling through a thicket of Tipperary players to clear the ball.

We moved into injury time. Still a point dividing them. Bang, bang. Two scores. Ollie Moran, then Niall. All over. Back to the saloon.

Tipperary head off into destiny's waiting room, or the qualifying series, as it is known. They face Offaly next weekend. Limerick, without a Munster title since 1996 and without an All-Ireland since 1973, might not end either famine this summer but they have come a long way already. Mighty, as Richie Bennis said. Mighty.