You couldn't blame Denise Gaule in her post-match interview. As her team-mates celebrated on the pitch, the full-forward was still trying to process what had just taken place.
Trailing at the break, Brian Dowling’s side forced their way back into the contest and the sides were deadlocked with just four minutes remaining in normal time.
Gaule had been peppering the scoreboard with frees and landed a monstrous point from play early in the second half, but with the game in the melting pot, the Windgap player threw caution to the wind and took on the Galway defence.
The three-time All Star was upended, with Sarah Dervan appearing to be the guilty party in grabbing the arm as referee Owen Elliott blew the whistle and awarded the penalty.
The forward dusted herself down and stuck the ball to Sarah Healy's right to give the Cats a three-point cushion with just two minutes remaining.
The champions could only muster one point in response and after three final defeats in a row, it was Kilkenny who moved into the winners' enclosure, with Gaule’s 1-06 accounting for more than half her team’s scores.
"It’s unreal. I thought I’d be crying, but it’s a bit surreal," she told RTÉ Sport.
"Probably a bit of relief too, just to get over the line in a close match."
The celebrations had an unusual feel to them in an empty stadium, but everything about the 2020 championship has had a unique feel.
Gaule made sure to get a quick word with her parents back home on Facetime. She also joined the team in picking out former manager Ann Downey in the press box, someone who has been through thick and thin with Kilkenny teams down through the years.
The victors' forward line looked dangerous on occasions in the opening 30 minutes, but getting decent delivery into the likes of Aoife Doyle, Mary O’Connell, Katie Nolan and Gaule was proving difficult.
They could have gone in ahead at the break had Doyle’s rocket stayed under the crossbar, but as far as Gaule was concerned, the crucial aspect was the chances were at least being created.
"We knew if we stuck with them until half-time, we could pull it back. We were on top when the ball came in in the first half, we probably didn’t get it in enough."
There were further goal opportunities after the break, but it was as if the Cats couldn’t break their luck in front of goals on the big day, the last three final defeats came without raising a green flag.
Gaule made her moment count. The outward cool appearance however belied the nerves inside.
On Thursday night in training she practiced penalties on goalkeeper Aoife Norris, but they didn’t exactly go to plan.
"I must have hit every one wide. I’d say Aoife Norris was nervy enough with me stepping up!"
There was also the memory of her penalty against Clare in the league earlier this year when the score was chalked off when she overstepped the 20 metre line.
"I was nearly back at the 45 I was so afraid to step over the line. I made sure I just picked my spot. Sometimes it doesn’t work out, sometimes it does."
It worked out for Gaule and Kilkenny.
