WHAT influence the dramatic defeat in the All Ireland hurling final in 1994 would have on Limerick's performance in this year's final was a crucial question in the game so much so that Wexford's manager, Liam Griffin contacted a footballing counterpart before the game in order to get a feeling for how the latter's team had reacted to a Croke Park defeat.

Limerick's experience in 94 was a traumatic one, as Offaly scored 2-5 in the last five minutes. Griffin deduced that Sunday's opposition would be jumpy and planned that Wexford should appear as calm and relaxed as possible.

Limerick's trainer Dave Mahedy knew that the final would be `double or quits' for Limerick. "We had hoped to use it to try and atone for 94. We ended up having to take on 96 as well. If we had won 94 would have been wiped out."

Limerick maintain that their breakaway from the pre match parade was prompted by habit - they had never marched full circuits during the Munster championship - and that the edginess at the presentation to President Robinson was just nerves.

Up in the stand, Eamonn Grimes, who captained the last Limerick side to win an All Ireland, was concerned.

"I was totally disappointed. They were too hyper. The protocol left a lot to be desired and showed they weren't focused properly. I felt we would be so nervous that Wexford would get on top, but at the start we - the backs in particular - seemed to be holding sway."

Although Limerick started well and led 0-5 to 0-1 after quarter of an hour, a significant problem had developed. Mahedy isolates it as the first of a series of influences that culminated in defeat, the first relating to centre forward Gary Kirby's injury in the first minute.

"He's our free taker and went on to put over two frees and missed none it was very strange in a match of that intensity to only get two frees. We knew he was in trouble and keeping him on was a gamble, but if you win, those things are great moves.

Widely regarded as a watershed in retrospect, the fracas and subsequent sending off of Wexford's Eamonn Scallan, in the 34th minute, looked at the time to be a great opportunity for Limerick.

"We had the extra man and people will say, `you fuckin' eejits, why didn't you make use of him?' We were dragged all over the place. Steve (McDonagh) had been playing great and suddenly there's nobody out there. My first reaction was good, we have an extra man' but we would have preferred 15 a side. After the sending off, our plan went out the window.

"Up to half time I thought we were OK. The fight didn't help and at half time we said we'd have to be very careful because the next time one of us does something dodgy, he's off. And we were already on a few bookings. The referee didn't do us any favours but then, that's only me moaning, only my opinion.

"Croke Park is a small pitch. Midfield gets by passed more there than in any other big ground. We should have used the extra man at puck outs, got him to go short, get possession and push forward. Some said `why not put him in the full forward line?' It's all ifs and huts. Win and you're right, lose and you're wrong."

Grimes agrees and details the failure to make the most of the spare man by keeping him back and hitting short puck outs.

"Joe Quaid had a marvellous game but there were 11 puck outs in the second half and not one was placed with the exception of a ball to Ciaran Carey, who had a point from it."

Another trend was worrying Grimes. "After the guy got put off, we went a point behind but I was thinking, it were ever going to win it (the All Ireland), this is the time. But I started getting uneasy because Barry Foley was the only forward getting first to the ball. None of the full forwards got out to a ball ahead of their men.

"At one stage, Joe McKenna (celebrated Limerick full forward and another medallist from 73) he was sitting in front of me turned around and looked at me and we both said, `we're in trouble'. By the end, I was quite surprised Wexford were so near to us. We were two (points) down and looking for a goal. We were never going to get a goal against Wexford."

Having started the second half in cautiously optimistic humour, Mahedy began to grow uneasy as the match progressed. In addition to the other problems, the well worked switch of Ciaran Carey and Mike Houlihan was encountering structural problems.

"I felt we had problems when we didn't get the first score in the second half. We tried to bring Ciaran (Carey) up by changing Dave Clarke to marking and leaving Ciaran free. The sending off meant we couldn't do our usual switch because there was no room for Mike (Houlihan) to go back. And Ciaran normally gets free of his man anyway when it's 15 on 15, but suddenly everyone was watching him.

"I gave Steve (McDonagh) some water and he said `we've lost our shape, Dave'. I knew we had but we were trying to vary it. Right up to the final whistle, I felt we were there, within a score. When you analyse the game, we lost because we only scored four points in the second half."

The poor impact of the Limerick attack was partly due to Kirby's broken finger and also to the tight grip of the Wexford fullback line. With the exception of Barry Foley, whose four point tally was the attack's only bright spot, the forwards played poorly.

"There was always a question mark over our forwards," says Mahedy. "At times they've done it and at other times they haven't.

The backs conceded 1-13 and before the match, we'd have settled for that."

Eamonn Grimes is equally sceptical about the attack, but beforehand had felt that the team had diluted its reliance on Kirby's formidable scoring powers.

"One forward, TJ Ryan, scored in the second half - in 36 minutes of hurling," he says. `You can't do that in an All Ireland final. The attack was a topic of conversation at home ever since the first match. After Tipperary (in the Munster final replay), it looked like we were putting too much of an onus on Gary Kirby and that the other forwards could take on the mantle and take a bit more responsibility."

With Wexford celebrating. Limerick retired to their team dinner on Sunday evening. Their sufferings weren't yet complete. GAA president Jack Boothman made a point of attending the losing team's dinner, but remarks he made about Limerick's lack of passion caused upset.

"He questioned our commitment," says Mahedy. "He said we didn't hurl with commitment or passion. At stages he got booed - but that was mostly on the ticket issue. He takes the decision to make a big speech at the losers' function because everyone wants to go to the winners'. But the reason should be to pick them up, not to tell them they were useless.

"Our hearts were in our boots. I thought be would say, `you've given us a great season. Thanks from the GAA.' All our games were on live and they were good TV. The whole thing hurt us.

Does Mahedy believes that all the memorable performances of the summer, the outrageous comebacks against Clare and Tipperary, will mean nothing to the team after losing the All Ireland final?

"Unfortunately. We built ourselves up to bury the ghosts of 94. You can say we contributed to the championship, people can write nice things about us and we can win, say, six All Stars but we can't see it. All we can see is failure."