Waterford County Chairman Pat Flynn looked as shellshocked and numb as anyone else of a white and blue persuasion outside the team dressing room in Croke Park on Sunday evening.

“It’s hard for everyone involved,” said Flynn, attempting to come to terms with the heaviest final reversal in 65 years.

“But it’s particularly hard for Davy Fitz, Peter and Maurice and the players, for all the commitment and the effort they’ve put in. They didn’t deserve to end the year that way.”

Of the hurlers he said this: “They’re still a great team. They’ve still given us fantastic joy. And it’s hard too for all the supporters who had travelled in their thousands, waiting for this day to come. I feel sorry for them all. It’s not easy for anyone in Waterford.

“The team has given so much enjoyment for the past 10 years; there’s been some great days, some fantastic days and I hope the people will remember that.

“The players and the management are hurting today; it’s hurting for the people who travelled in their thousands too.”

Yet time heals the deepest of wounds and the Chairman needed little reminding of this.

“I’m sure when we sit back and look at it; we’ll know that we’ve had a great year this year,” he said. “We’ve got to remember that we’ve got to an All-Ireland final.”

He also found time to salute the All-Ireland champions? “I don’t think anyone would have stayed with Kilkenny today – they were just absolutely awesome,” said Flynn.

“They’re a powerful team, worthy All-Ireland champions, worthy to win three-in-a-row and worthy to lead the roll of honour.”

And what about retaining the services of Davy Fitzgerald and his management team into 2009?

“It’s not a question we’re looking at at the moment,” Flynn continued. “We’ll be talking to Davy hopefully in the next few days. We’ll leave today go and we’ll come back to that in due course.”