There is an old saying that sport can be wonderfully uplifting one week and brutally unforgiving the next. Galway hurling experienced both ends of that spectrum in the space of a fortnight.
For all the optimism, belief and excitement that surrounded Sunday's final, the reality proved painfully different. It is easy to understand why so many of us allowed ourselves to believe. Galway had dismantled Cork in one of the finest performances the county has produced in years and confidence had been steadily building throughout the championship.
But this Limerick team operates on an altogether different level when the stakes are at their highest and any loose talk of a supposed demise proved foolhardy in the extreme.
John Kiely's men did not simply win a sixth Liam MacCarthy Cup in nine seasons; they reminded everyone why they remain the benchmark in modern hurling. When the game demanded composure, ruthlessness and their trademark aggression, they found another gear that Galway simply couldn’t match.
The frightening aspect is that this greatness is built around players who will one day be discussed among the finest ever to grace their respective positions. Nickie Quaid, Kyle Hayes, Cian Lynch, Gearóid Hegarty and Aaron Gillane all belong in that conversation. Surround them with a cast of multiple All-Stars and emerging talent and the scale of Galway's challenge becomes obvious.
Watching Limerick at their best is a privilege – though it made me squirm at times with discomfort on Sunday. Their understanding of one another and complete trust in a meticulously refined gameplan is extraordinary. When they hit top gear, they remain virtually impossible to contain.
The numbers tell their own story. They outscored Galway 1-23 to 0-8 from play, registered 40 shots from play to Galway's 23, made 98 tackles compared to Galway's 65 and, perhaps most tellingly, generated 60 per cent of their scores from turnovers. That is elite hurling in every sense of the word.
Perspective required
Yet while the final score will inevitably dominate the immediate conversation, it should not become the only measure of this Galway team's season. A campaign that saw them climb from the depths of last summer's disappointment to the steps of an All-Ireland final deserves to be remembered for far more than one difficult afternoon against one of the greatest teams the game has ever seen.
Twelve months ago, the county was searching for direction after a sobering championship exit. Today, despite the disappointment of falling at the final hurdle, Galway has restored belief in the maroon and white jersey and shown it once again belongs among the country's elite.
The result will hurt. It should hurt. And it will hurt supporters who travelled to Croke Park with belief that this team could bring Liam MacCarthy back across the Shannon. Opportunities to contest an All-Ireland final are simply too precious for anything else. Ask the likes of Pádraic Mannion, Cathal Mannion, Conor Cooney, Conor Whelan or Dáithí Burke, who know better than most how difficult the road back can be.
For those in the middle of their inter-county careers - Darren Morrissey, Ronan Glennon, Darach Fahy and Tom Monaghan among them - Sunday's defeat will serve as a stark reminder that reaching an All-Ireland final is one thing; winning one is something entirely different. It is easy to assume another opportunity will come along, but inter-county hurling has a habit of shattering those assumptions.
Lessons for tomorrow
If nothing else, Micheál Donoghue and his players got an up-close look at the standards required to overcome a team of Limerick's calibre. There is no room for sloppiness, indecision or poor decision-making on the field. Galway may also need to be a little braver tactically and step it up another level in terms of physicality.
Clare showed in the semi-final that Limerick can be asked different questions when an opponent is willing to vary their approach. Sunday seemed too one dimensional and predictable despite how successful it had been up to now.
All that remains now from the inter-county hurling season is the All-Stars. Jason Rabbitte looks certain to collect his first award and should also be crowned Young Hurler of the Year. Tom Monaghan and Cillian Trayers are probably Galway's strongest contenders alongside him. Ronan Glennon's sending off may ultimately cost him after a stellar campaign, while Cathal Mannion's quieter final will likely count against him in a team that will understandably be dominated by Limerick.
Rightly or wrongly, Sunday's defeat will colour perceptions of Galway's season for a while. In time, though, this campaign should be remembered not simply for the disappointment of the final. Before 2017, there were plenty of bumps along the road too. It is now up to this group of players to ensure Sunday's disappointment becomes another stepping stone rather than a stumbling block.
