No matter what, this is how it generally ends. Few managers get out with All-Ireland accolades ringing in their ears. The highs of All-Ireland success mirror the lows of the day when you lose for the last time.

After eight years as Jimmy Barry-Murphy's lieutenant, Tom Cashman took command of the Cork senior hurlers last autumn. One championship match later and it's over.

Cashman spoke quietly but emphatically about his departure.

"I've given nine years to it and our term's up. Jimmy had a year to run and he didn't go so I took it over. As far as I'm concerned now, I've given everything that I can give. I'm unsuccessful today, disappointed today, but I'll go back to my club now and work underage for a few years. I've given it everything."

Disillusioned by last year's shock defeat to Offaly, Barry-Murphy decided to go a year before his term was finished. Cashman served out that year and yesterday fell prey to an even bigger sensation - defeat by a Limerick side they had beaten comfortably 12 months ago.

"We didn't perform in the first half but we weathered the storm," said Cashman. "We'd a great quarter of an hour in the second half, Sully's inspirational point, Alan Browne got a goal. We went a point up and should have gone from there but we didn't. We had four wides. They went back up and got two points.

"Limerick played the better hurling out there. Mark Foley had a storming game. The guys who came in from the under-21 success have blended well with the older players, like Stephen McDonagh and Mark Foley. "Last year they were still in it with 15 minutes to go so we definitely didn't take them for granted."

In the victorious dressingroom, the above mentioned Mark Foley thinks about a match Limerick dominated in the first half, lost control of for most of the second, but which they recovered in the dying minutes.

"We knew that Cork were well on top in the second half like we were in the first. But you're going to get five or 10 minutes of possession and it's what you do with that which determines how you're going to do. "I think we showed a lot of character in that we conceded a lot of scores at the start of the second half and Cork were back to two points after 10 minutes.

"At that stage it looked like Cork would run away with it because they had the breeze. But at the end of the day, the wind doesn't mean anything, it's what you do with it that counts. "With the wides we had in the first half we knew it was going to be an uphill struggle. But we forgot about it and went out as if it was the start of the match again."

What made the difference between this year's success and the crushing defeat of 12 months ago?

"We had a lot of debutants last year. There's no substitute for championship experience and we got it last year."

Quote unquote: What they said

"I've given nine years to it and our term's up. Jimmy had a year to run and he didn't go so I took it over. As far as I'm concerned now, I've given everything that I can give." -

Tom Cashman

"We knew that Cork were well on top in the second half like we were in the first. But you're going to get five or 10 minutes of possession and it's what you do with that which determines how you're going to do. I think we showed a lot of character."

- Limerick wing back Mark Foley