Cork boss Jimmy Barry-Murphy was nothing if not proud of his players after another titanic struggle with the Clare men after the two teams scored 106 points between the drawn final and the replay.
“I thanked the players for their efforts for the year. They have been fantastic for me and the management team and have done the county proud for the whole year,” Barry-Murphy said.
“There is no disgrace in being beaten by Clare who are a superb team. I said to the players that we’ll take our beating like men and move on and try to get back here if we can.
“I’ve got to acknowledge Clare, a superb team. They deserved their victory over both days and I can’t help but give great praise to them for the way they played and the kind of hurling they played was fantastic I thought.”
Barry Murphy did concede that the five Clare goals proved the undoing of his side in an epic encounter.
“Our lads did us proud, we were eight points down and got back to level it. Over the two days, when you’re playing catch up both days, you eventually don’t get away with that and they got some great scores when they needed them so great credit to them,” Barry-Murphy said.
“When you’re chasing a game as much as we were, one slip at that stage and it caves in on you and that is what happened.
“The last goal rounded off from Clare’s point of view, our lads fought to the last second and there is nothing more we could have asked for them. They were absolutely brilliant and I’m very, very proud of them. They are a credit to themselves.”
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