After the high of reaching an All-Ireland final in 2017, the year that followed was very much a fallow one for Waterford hurlers.
As the country lay in the grip of the ‘Beast from the East’, the Déise were facing into the prospect of relegation from the league’s top flight. That ultimately would be their fate.
Come the championship, the new round-robin format was in play. With no games at Walsh Park, a crippling injury list and a schedule that saw them play four weeks on the trot, Derek McGrath’s side struggled to get to the required pitch.
Their summer ended on 17 June and in time McGrath would also walk away.
"And now we have got Limerick in the final, a team in great physical shape, the best in the country"
Limerick ended 2018 as All-Ireland champions. Jamie Barron watched the final in Portugal and while he was there for some relaxation, the images from Croke Park where the Shannonsiders celebrated a long overdue success, only ignited the desire to get back on the big stage.
A new year dawned and Waterford, now under the guidance of Páraic Fanning, are in the Division 1 league final where the Liam MacCarthy holders are the opposition.
Speaking ahead of the Croke Park decider on Sunday, Barron reflected on that day of triumph for Limerick.
He told RTÉ Sport: "I was having a great time in Portugal and sat down to watch the final. Limerick, a bit like ourselves in that they’ve been waiting a fair while to win an All-Ireland.
"They went out and won it. Now, why can’t we can’t win it? Like Limerick, we also have had underage success.
"There and then I was keen to get going again. It made coming back to training a lot easier. We had a new voice in Páraic to listen to.
"And now we have got Limerick in the final, a team in great physical shape, the best in the country. Our goal is to match them on Sunday."
Beginning the year in Division 1B, Waterford had comfortable victories over Waterford, Carlow and Offaly , before losing narrowly to Dublin at Parnell Park. It was the debrief after that loss that really kick-started the Déise’s season, according to Barron.
"We were lackadaisical around the field," he said.
"We all sat down after the game, came up with reasons why we lost and how we would then improve going forward.
"Training needed to be upped. Maybe there was a hint of laziness creeping in.
"Look, they are easy things to brush up on and we got things going. Momentum is after following and we're in a league final on Sunday.
"That momentum would bring about wins over Galway and Clare, before the Tribesemen’s colours were again lowered in last weekend’s semi-final.
The Fourmilewater clubman also has one eye on championship, where he and his colleague will get to play at Walsh Park.
"On reflection it’s only now that I feel that not having played there last year was a disadvantage.
"We played games in Limerick and Semple Stadium. We like playing there.
"Once we finish with our clubs in April, we’ll be heading to Walsh Park for training. It’s a chance to get more familiar with the venue ahead of the Clare game (12 May).
"We want the place to be packed, to make it a fortress. It’s going to be one hell of a Munster championship."
Limerick v Waterford live blog on RTÉ.ie and the RTÉ News Now App from 1.30pm on Sunday. Live radio commentary on Sunday Sport, Radio 1, from 2pm. Highlights on Allianz League Sunday on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player from 9.30pm.
