Galway captain David Burke continues to radiate contentment a fortnight after the county ended their 29-year All-Ireland drought.
It's been a busy, giddy couple of weeks. It wasn't until Monday last that he was gifted with an evening devoid of either MacCarthy Cup brandishing engagements or the more humdrum matter of club training.
Galway's famously competitive club championship is already in full swing and Burke's club, St. Thomas's, the reigning county champions, secured a vital two-point win over Sarsfields at the weekend.
On Tuesday afternoon, he was back in Croke Park to speak to the media at the launch of PwC's sponsorship of the All-Stars.
The hectic schedule notwithstanding, Burke has made a conscious decision to enjoy the mantle of captaincy.
"I think Jackie Tyrrell said in his book, he didn't enjoy being captain after the game, he missed a lot but I just said I'd take it all in if I could, sit back and enjoy it and I have definitely.
"There's a smile on my face going into work every morning so it's great."
Burke's widely admired victory speech - in which he paid tribute to the late Niall Donoghue and the work done by charity Pieta House - was written, with the help of his mother, three days after the semi-final win against Tipperary.
"I wrote it three days after the Tipp game. I got help from my mother. Sure I had one done for the Leinster final and the League final. I just put everything together and added in a few more bits. Just bullet points really and gave it to the kitman Tex and one to my mother as well on the day.
"That was it, I didn't see it again until three weeks before the game. It kind of took the pressure off me because you'd always be thinking, you'd leave this lad out or that lad out and going back to the speech and putting something in again. It was great just to get your mind off it and focus on the game.
"We've worked closely with The Charity Chariot, with Pieta House this year and they've gone to every game. In fairness, we have to give them a shout out.
"Obviously, I would have been good old friends with Niall, growing up he'd be the same age as me. We played together at U14, U16, minor.
"It was just an ideal opportunity to get 30 seconds in there and mention it. Obviously, Kilbeacanty club, I'd have close connections there. My godmother would have owned the pub up there. They're a great club and it was just great to bring the cup back there."
Burke also referenced the late Tony Keady from the steps of the Hogan Stand. A few days later in Athenry, Keady's All-Ireland winning teammates from the late '80s played the heroes of 2017 in a charity game, the proceeds of which went to the Keady family.
It was the first time Burke had met many of the 1980s All-Ireland winning team.
"It was great bit of craic. It was the first time I was talking to some of those lads from the 1987/88 team. There was nearly a sense of relief and pressure off their shoulders, from talking to them after the game. It was a good old evening.
"It was only a bit of banter and lads hitting a bit of ball around. Gerry Mc (McInerney) made a few bursts up the field. He was on Gearoid, his son. It gave the crowd and supporters a chance to come down.
"We had arranged an open evening after the Tipp game and with the passing of Tony, we had to cancel it.
"I was on Eanna Ryan for a while. Hopper McGrath was going around and Joe Cooney. They were just congratulating you. Thanking us for coming down and playing the game with them."
Conor Hayes, the last All-Ireland winning captain with Galway prior to Burke, said he'd die a happy man now the mantle had been passed on.
"I'd say he isn't the only one in Galway that will die a happy man! You meet so many people that are just delighted. It's just hard to put into words. It's life-changing really if you're to go on and win an All-Ireland."
Like Joe Canning, Burke was inevitably asked about the latest chapter in Mayo's All-Ireland final agony on Sunday, the Galway hurlers having been recently installed as the go-to experts in reaching the summit after years of heartbreak.
"I was watching the game in Kinvara on Sunday and you'd be just willing them to win. But you just knew that Dublin were so good in the last ten minutes.
"They've (Mayo) obviously been in more (final heartbreaks) than us. Jesus, if I was them, I don't know what I'd do to be honest.
"I suppose last year when we lost to Tipp, how were we going to get back to next year and all you want to do is get back to the summer again and Championship hurling.
"It's just the thought of all the training again. You enjoy it alright but you just want to get back to where you can have the most significance in the Championship.
"It doesn't be long going around in fairness. By the time they play club championship, they're nearly back in pre-season already and looking forward so I think look they just have to keep with it.
"Dublin have done three-in-a-row, I don't know what's going to happen, they could get better but if Mayo stick with it, it might be their time next year or the year after."
