Robbie Brennan was encouraged by how his Meath side finished off today's Allianz Football League Division 2 final against Cork at Croke Park.
While the Royals have become accustomed to the surrounds of the Jones' Road venue this spring, with their home ground at Navan undergoing renovations, their most recent visit there for a final was one to forget.
Last year, having beaten their fiercest rivals Dublin in championship for the first time in 15 years, they were favourites to beat neighbours Louth in the decider.
But it didn't go to plan, as the Wee County claimed a first provincial title in 68 years.
While the Royals did recover to make the All-Ireland semi-final, this was their first chance to drive home their 2026 improvements in a final.
And they did just that, with an eight-point burst in the second half helping them to see off the Rebels at a blustery GAA HQ.
"We're delighted to be in Croke Park, it's a phenomenal place," he said afterwards on RTÉ's Sunday Sport.
"I always say you can't be in here enough and today's another good day.
"We had a tough day here in the Leinster final last year but they're all learning moments and the difference in how we saw the game out there at the end was really encouraging."
Meath will be the sole Leinster representative in Division 1 in 2027, with Dublin, Louth and Wexford battling to join them from the second tier.
The Royals will begin their quest for a first provincial crown since 2010 in three weeks against the winners of Longford and Westmeath.
While Brennan wasn't going to be drawn on favourites tags for the Leinster Championship, he did point out the importance of enjoying days when silverware is picked up.
"We'll let the lads have a few days off," he continued.
"I'm delighted for the lads. There's a few of them there that have been belting away for years, the likes of Keogy (Donal Keogan) and Mento (Bryan Menton) - Cillian O'Sullivan's there on the bench as well.
"I'm absolutely delighted for them. You can hear them in there, they're hooping and hollering, and rightly so.
"They deserve it, a few pints, whatever they want to do and we'll be ready to rock then on Wednesday or Thursday of next week."
For Cork, it's a spring that ends with a return to the top flight for the first time in a decade.
The win today would have been the perfect way to finish the campaign, manager John Cleary said, but he was still full of pride in his side's display.
He pointed to the goals they left behind them in the first half as an area they need to improve on in the summer.
"First half, we probably had a couple of goal chances and didn't put them away," he began.
"We were well in the game. Meath had their purple patch halfway through the second half and we were playing catch-up after that.
"We came back there and we were pressing for a two-pointer or even two one-pointers there with two or three minutes to go.
"Unfortunately it wasn't our day but no complaints, our lads died with their boots on. It was big learning experience for us. We're happy, naturally enough, to get promotion in the league.
"We still came up here to try and win today. Any day you get (a chance at) silverware and you saw how Meath were delighted after the game going up to Hogan Stand for the cup. We wanted to do that today and, make no mistake about it, we're disappointed we didn't.
"Meath just about pipped us today so we'll just have to take it, brush ourselves down and go for the Championship again."
Watch Allianz League Sunday from 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.
