John Kiely and his panel might have been celebrating a six-in-a-row of Munster titles but the Limerick manager said it still felt like their first triumph.
The reigning All-Ireland champions got the better of rivals Clare by a 1-26 to 1-20 scoreline at Semple Stadium on Sunday to extend their long streak of success and add 2024 to the provincial successes of 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Speaking to RTÉ Sport after the game, Kiely was delighted by the way his charges handled the occasion.
"Really tough game, delighted we came out the right side of it. It might have been our sixth but it felt like our first," he said.
'Our first-half performance against the breeze was exceptional... we always found a way to get those extra couple of scores'
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John Kiely reflects on another Munster crown for Limerick
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The Limerick boss heaped praise on Clare and, in a year where their late-stage exploits have been making a difference, Kiely felt the key phase in Thurles was how they came through the first half.
"Another chapter I suppose really and we knew coming today was going to be a chapter," he said.
"We both had come through the campaign in Munster in good form and we were teed up for this really and I think our first-half performance against the breeze was exceptional.
"We controlled it for good spells and even though we conceded that goal just before half time and it was a tough pill to swallow and it was poor from us but, if anything, it just sharpened the axe a small bit for us at half time and I think we got a good start to the second half which was really important.
"Clare came back at us which you'd only expect them to do, ball came off the post for a goal chance. We were never out of sight but at the same time we always found a way to get those extra couple of scores and everybody worked really, really hard so very pleased with the win. It means a huge amount to the group and closes that chapter now and we move onto the next."
Limerick's Player of the Match was Gearoid Hegarty, getting their goal in a personal haul of 1-02, and while well aware of the significance of making it a six-in-a-row provincially, he said that was not at the forefront of his thoughts coming into the game.
"The Munster Championship is just so difficult, it's incredible to even think we've done six-in-a-row but to be honest with you, I don't really care about the six-in-a-row, I just wanted to win the 2024 Munster Championship because it just puts us in a great position again going forward this year," he said.
'I couldn't care less what's happened since 2018'
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Player of the match Gearoid Hegarty says Limerick are fully focused on 2024 #RTEGAA
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"I know the last couple of years have been unbelievable. It's probably something that we'll look back on in time to say, 'How the hell did we do that?'
"But right now I'm just so happy that were in an All-Ireland semi-final."
Hegarty suggested that along with the infusion of emerging players, the key to Limerick's enduring consistency was not spending time looking back too often into the rearview mirror towards past achievements.
"I couldn't care less what's happened since 2018. It's just how good can we be this year and I think we've improved again and I think we've improved every game," he said.
"Yeah, we had a setback down in Cork but I think every single game, week on week, we've been improving and improving and improving and we improved again today and that's what it takes.
"Okay, we won by six points in the end but it didn't feel like a six-point win really at times because it was so close out there."
