'Full of conviction'
Limerick manager John Kiely felt the ruthless performance by his side in the All-Ireland Hurling Championship final against Galway was "full of conviction" and inspired by the hurt of the last two seasons.
The Treaty men claimed the Liam MacCarthy Cup for the sixth time in nine campaigns in a match that failed to catch fire, mostly because of the dominant display by Kiely's side.
Speaking in the immediate aftermath of a 1-29 to 1-18 success, the Limerick boss put all the credit on his panel for regaining their crown.
He said: "I'm just thrilled for them. The last two years were very, very difficult to take. We just died in terms of energy when it mattered most (those years) and it really hurt us.
"I suppose that was always going to happen, but to come back for this year, everybody really had to dig very deep. Everybody.
"And they did, right throughout the year. They never left a night go without giving all of their energy on the pitch.
"Everything that Paul (Kinnerk) put in front of them, everything that Adrian (O’Sullivan) put in front of them, everything that Caroline (Currid) put in front of them, they bought into every piece.
"And you don't get days like today without going to the well as deep as they've gone to it.
"I'm just really thrilled and so proud for them. They deserve this moment."
Galway could not get a grip in the game, with scoring opportunities from play very limited, particularly in the first half where they registered just two white flags from open play.
It allowed Limerick to eventually pull away when they found their shooting boots.
Assessing the 70 minutes and how it unfolded, Kiely said his team: "They just took control. They really went about their business, it was full of conviction.
"They knew exactly what they had to do. In fairness to Galway, they bring an incredible challenge athletically around the field, the use of the ball, the numbers where they put them around the field.
"They've got Jason (Rabbitte) inside, and he's a tremendous young man. They have a serious side. And like we knew coming in after the back of their last two performances, it was going to be a huge challenge. So I’m just really proud."
