John Kiely doesn't lower himself to using the F-word. That’s four, as in 'four All-Ireland titles in a row’.
In a fortnight, Limerick could become only the third team in the history of hurling to complete the feat.
"That’s been there since the day we left here last year. That was always going to be there as a question: could it be done or will it be done?" mused the manager after his side’s 2-24 to 1-18 victory over Galway in Saturday's semi-final.
"I’ve often said it to the lads, they don’t need any further success to demonstrate to them or me or anybody else that they are a great team.
"That is something that obviously is a point of focus. But you can’t concentrate on the finishing line. You have to concentrate on the piece of work in front of you. And we’ve done that very successfully right throughout the season.
"All we’re worried about is, can we win the next match? We’ve enough to worry about to be honest, besides that. When you’re losing the likes of Sean Finn, Declan Hannon, Cian (Lynch) has had injuries – we’ve had a lot to contend with. We’ve had a barrage of really strong challenges coming at us in the Munster championship.
"We haven’t had time to look very far down the road at all, only take it week to week, session to session and be the best we can in those moments. Not wish it away on ourselves either."
Despite the eventual nine-point winning margin, not an overly flattering one, Limerick looked in trouble early on. After 26 minutes, they trailed Galway by six points. Diarmaid Byrnes got one back but they were fortunate not to immediately concede a second goal.
"Obviously yeah, you're going to be concerned at that stage," Kiely admitted. "We were playing second fiddle at that point. Galway were setting the terms of the game if you like. They were very strong on their own puckout in particular, but they were getting to breaking ball as well. I think we hit a few poor wides during that phase as well. That would have kept us maybe a little bit closer."
But Limerick then showed why they are champions, taking advantage of Galway apparently trying to sit on their lead and landing six of the last seven scores of the half.
"We managed to close in on their puckout a little bit, we managed to get a few more possessions into our players in the middle third. Cian (Lynch), David Reidy, Darragh O’Donovan, Gearoid (Hegarty), Tom Morrissey, they came into it at that stage. Our half-back line became very solid and stopped the ball going in behind them and we closed out the first half very strong.
"I think we didn't realise it at the time, but I think the game was in a pattern at that, we were in ascendancy and we stayed there for the rest of the game."
The Green Machine ground their opponents into the dust in the second half. It was a clear sign that they are refreshed and back to their best after a draining Munster campaign that again ended with the Mick Mackey Cup but one in which they also flirted with elimination.
"We had a lot of tight games this year coming home down the stretch," said Kiely. "I think probably we gave ourselves opportunities to finish games like we did today during the year, but we didn't do it and we allowed the opposition come back into the games in those last seven, eight, nine minutes. So that for me was one of the most pleasing things, that we just kept driving on today when we got to that position.
"I think the last three weeks have been good to us. We've had a chance to take a break. We've had a chance to get a bit of work done. And for me, our performance is another step up from where we were coming out of the back of the Munster championship. So that's encouraging."
Less encouraging for Kilkenny or Clare perhaps.
The loss of Declan Hannon to a knee injury meant changes had to made to the half-back line on Saturday.
Naming Gearóid Hegarty at '7' turned out to be a smokescreen, with Will O’Donoghue moving to centre-back and Cian Lynch coming in at midfield instead.
"Gearóid doesn't play six well!" joked Kiely. "We had to solve that riddle and I'd be very happy with the way William slotted in there and the work that he got through, a really great leader and took on the mantle of leadership in that position from Declan.
"William has played six for his club on numerous occasions. So that was a really good natural fit for us there and one that we're happy with."
What are the captain’s chances of making the final?
"He has got every chance. We just have to wait and see how he is able to cope with the bit of work during the next week to 10 days. We'll give him every opportunity to state his claim."
For Henry Shefflin and Galway, it was a desperately deflating day, having felt they were in a position to improve on last year’s three-point defeat to the champions.
It certainly looked that way when they built that early lead but you could see the belief drain away after Gillane’s second goal in the 46th minute, despite that only putting four points between the sides.
"We are very disappointed heading back down the road," admitted Shefflin.
"I spoke during the week and said we were in a better place this year to really attack this game and go at it. The body of work we had done all year set us up nicely for that.
"We brought a lot of fight to it last year and that fight went out of it during the second half, which is very disappointing and very disappointing for our supporters who travelled in great numbers.
"I have to give full credit to Limerick, even the way they did it today compared to last year, I just thought they were fully deserving winners. For us, that’s the disappointing part, because when you get to this level that’s where it matters, those man-on-man battles and they just won far too many of those today."
Shefflin felt his team had needed to be further ahead than the minimum at the interval, and though he suggest Seán Linnane had been fouled in the build-up to Limerick's second goal he also felt Galway showed "panicked a bit" in conceding it.
"We spoke beforehand about playing the game on our terms. We went like that for the first 22-23 minutes. Thereafter they wrestled it back. Our puckouts were working very well but they started to get their terms. Going in at half-time one point up felt like it wasn’t enough for us.
"We knew that Limerick are a strong quarter-three team. I was hoping we could keep it tight and bring it down the home straight like it was last year, I felt we would really have a chance then, but they got better and better as the game went on. In that middle third, our half-back, midfield and half-forward lines they just started to dominate and we couldn’t get any foothold at all in the game.
"Once they got the second goal it really felt like there was only going to be one winner, which is very disappointing for us because that is where that test of character which we have spoken about all year really comes into it, but we didn’t have that today.
"They just kicked on from there. They were very, very impressive. We tired and some of our players didn’t play to the level… they will be disappointed themselves and as a collective you will have to be disappointed."
"It's all about results, that’s what I came to Galway to do, to get results"
Shefflin feels Galway's play did improve in his second season in charge but ultimately, the wait for a Leinster title went on, albeit unfortunately, and the gap to Limerick grew wider.
"Right at this moment in time it feels like this year wasn't good but when you reflect in it I think we had more patches of good play," he said. "It’s just – and I hate using the word – the inconsistency of that was hurting us.
"There was definitely better play during the year but it’s all about results, that’s what I came to Galway to do, to get results. We haven’t got any for the second year so it’s very disappointing."
It was a day when the big screen in Croke Park broke convention by not censoring replays. Remarkably, riots were not provoked by allowing paying spectators the same perspective TV viewers have, and it was a reminder of the intense punishment players take over the course of 70 minutes.
The Kilkenny native was on the last team to win four All-Ireland titles in a row, Brian Cody’s great outfit of 2006-09, and said the desire Limerick showed to get back to another final was "so impressive".
"It’s a testament to the management team and the players involved. They have the best players in the country and that hunger and desire is there, that’s the reason why they are still going.
"That consistency and hunger to keep going to the well is very impressive. It’s two weeks now until the final, which probably suits them again, they are just in prime position to attack that as well."
Watch the All-Ireland Hurling Championship semi-final between Clare and Kilkenny live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player from 2.15pm, follow a live blog on RTÉ.ie/Sport or listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1
Watch highlights on The Sunday Game, RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, 9.30pm
