GAELIC GAMES:WHAT MUST it feel like to stand in a huddle seconds before you face this Kilkenny team? Like being tied to the tracks as an express train screams toward you? Like pitching your tent as defence against a hurricane? Looking up and seeing an avalanche? Tightrope walking the Grand Canyon on a stormy day? Ambushed by a firing squad? Last words? Final thoughts?

Cork, as brave and as united a team to have graced modern hurling, came to Croke Park, yesterday with a hatful of motivations. This All-Ireland semi-final was to be their last stand, a final settling of accounts.

Kilkenny had stolen their future, filched their thunder. Kilkenny had exceeded even the expectations which Cork had once held for themselves. So, Mozart in the stripes. Salieri in the red.

To make things interesting, Kilkenny came to play without first choice centre back John Tennyson or first choice midfielder Michael Rice. By half-time they had lost second choice centre back Brian Hogan as well as their reigning king, Henry Shefflin. By half-time though it was all over. Kilkenny were in their fifth successive final, closing on the eighth All-Ireland of the Brian Cody era.

For 15 minutes after the throw -in Cork battled bravely. They survived the loss of two early points and held their concentration after the obligatory introductory shemozzle. You could hear the sound of rivets straining and walls cracking but they hung in there and after quarter of an hour the sides were tied on two points apiece. But by the 22nd minute the game was over. Finito.

Richie Power had put Kilkenny a point ahead. Then in an almost imperceptible shift in gear, Shefflin glided through imperiously and passed to Eddie Brennan, who drove home the 27th championship goal of his career.

Cork rallied briefly with a point from Cathal Naughton but a Shefflin free and then another goal, from Aidan Fogarty whipping on a breaking ball, closed the business.

By half-time eight different Kilkenny men had scored from play. Not one Cork forward had. Kilkenny led by 13 points and weren’t flattered by the margin.

They emerged after their cup of tea and scored another four without reply and then as smoothly as they had gone up the gears they came through them again. Cork will be haunted though by the memories of Kilkenny’s dominance and the style of it.

A disdainfully casual point from Eoin Larkin scored from 72 yards out on the left touchline must have hurt as much as the lusty cheers which followed it. The sight of Richie Power fielding a long free from his goalie PJ Ryan and swivelling for the most economical and brilliant of points? It foreshadowed the goal he would score eight minutes from time.

With every wonder stroke you could feel Cork’s resolve turn to a puddle and then watch them gather their guts again.

Martin Comerford arriving in as a sub and hitting a monstrous point with his first touch? Outrageous. Cork must have felt as if they couldn’t buy a break.

“It was a massive 15-man performance,” said Cork manager Denis Walsh afterwards, looking like a man who had prepared well for his oral Irish exam only to discover the examiners were speaking another language.

“Due credit. You can have all the preparation in the world but you have to do it between half three and five o’clock on a Sunday afternoon. Fair play to them, they were massive. Sensational. We would have no cribs. I couldn’t praise them highly enough. No point in cringing or second guessing. We weren’t at the races and we weren’t allowed to play. Full stop.”

Somebody mentioned afterwards that Cork had outscored Kilkenny in the second half. It was a curious piece of trivia, nothing more. Kilkenny had done all that needed doing. They were strolling. Smelling the roses.

By then Kilkenny were wondering about the condition of Shefflin who jarred his knee after a catch and Brian Hogan who shipped a heavy blow to the shoulder. Assuming he recovers, Shefflin will be looking to win his eighth All-Ireland medal on the field of play next month.

Never one to gush, Cody allowed his side had done well.

“It was a decent performance, all right. It was a huge game. An All-Ireland semi-final is a horrible day to lose a match because the year is gone if you lose and the prize is getting to the All-Ireland final.

“The first 10 or 15 minutes was very serious. We had chances maybe, they had a couple but the defending was very strong on both sides. By half-time we were in a very good position. It was decent. Very, very decent.”

And for those looking toward the end of the tunnel seeking light, Kilkenny’s minors beat All Ireland champions Galway by 19 points in the curtain-raiser.

For ever and ever. Amen.