A great crowd turned out for our brave hurlers despite the wet evening and the big defeat against the mighty Kilkenny team.
Kilkenny is seen as the team of the decade, or this millennium for sure. They were fantastic and did everything right on the day.
Waterford got a little nervous and did not play to their full potential. The experience will be invaluable and we expect them there again in a year or two.
New blood and experience will see them again at Croker and we will not have to wait another 45 years.
The hurlers gave us a wonderful summer for which we are truly grateful.
A wet home coming saw the numbers to greet the team reduced, but they got loads of cheers and it is the general view that manager Davy Fitzgerald should stay on, even though outfoxed by the master Brian Cody of Kilkenny. He will have learned as will the team from the experience.
Some may be getting on in terms of age, but the vast majority will be around for a few years to come and as the optimists say that with some young blood, added and an eventual change in Kilkenny’s fortunes, a further final appearance is on the cards.
The team have won 3 Munster Finals in the past decade and a league so we have had much success. We are all grateful for the brilliant summer of fun and hurling which brightened what was a damp one. Even the faltering economy took a back seat in conversation.
We look forward to many more happy days, Sunday may have been a day to forget after 4pm but we had many other good ones. Let us keep to the happy memories.
The players may have frozen a little on the day and were outclassed by a marvelous team, Kilkenny deserve congratulations in true sporting spirit.
But give the Deise lads a lift, let them have a rest and get back on track next year. They won much respect as did the manager, who had little time in 3 months to put together an All Ireland hurling championship winning team.
The county board also deserve credit for what has been achieved.
Well done to the fans for turning out in such great numbers in Croke Park.
It must have been 3 to one for Waterford on many parts of the ground as people scoured the country for tickets.
In the end we saw some given away outside the ground or offered at face value by genuine fans.
The Waterford crowd came in great colour and tried to lift the team before the game but the action on the field will have disappointed. As Davy himself said, no one died, it is just sport and let us get on with things till the next year.
We all enjoyed the spirit and camaraderie of the occasion and may the good memories linger.