Chloe Watkins said Ireland will return home "extremely proud" of how they represented their country after a phenomenal journey at the Hockey World Cup ended in defeat to the Netherlands in Sunday's final.
The Dutch were strongly fancied to claim the title and won the tournament for the eighth time - a measure of their strength on the global stage.
Ireland in contrast defied all expectations in their run to the decider. They stunned the USA, twice beat India and then turned over Spain before running out of gas at the final hurdle, with the Netherlands winning 6-0.
Graham Shaw's inspirational team will return home as heroes, and Watkins said they'll take endless positives from how they fared.
"It's funny when you're disappointed to get a silver World Cup medal but the Dutch were another class today - they're by far the best in the world for a reason and they deserved the victory," she told RTÉ Sport.
"We're extremely proud of how far we've come, we're extremely proud of what we've done and how we've represented our country. We're going accept our silver medals with smiles on our faces."
Watkins admitted that a hectic schedule took its toll on Irish legs.
The Green Army had two epic games against India on Thursday and then the Spaniards two days later, with both clashes going to nerve-shredding penalty shootouts. In the end, those exertions told.
‘I’d take it all again just to have today’ – An emotional Shirley McKay reflects on Ireland’s World Cup Final defeat #GreenArmy #HWC2018 pic.twitter.com/YY1p1MZrao
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 5, 2018
"The quarter-final on Thursday went to a shootout, and it was a huge high. Then we had one day to reset for the semi-final and that went to a shootout.
"It has been quite a quick turnaround, it's been quite hot over here as well. We did our best. We fought to the end and we are delighted with how we went."
Long-serving Shirley McKay said that while the scoreline was a negative, it was an incredible experience for all concerned.
"We’re obviously disappointed with the scoreline," she told RTÉ Sport. "The Dutch are a top side. We are so proud to be this far. We have hopefully made everyone proud at home.
"It’s hard to put into words. It’s been a long time coming and this has really been a team effort."
Asked whether the heartbreak of losing a World Cup final was worth it, she replied: "I’d take it all again just to have today."
