DJ Carey's kids were tugging the giant Bob O'Keeffe Cup along the corridor, hauling it towards the Kilkenny dressing-room for the sixth year in a row, writes Tom Humphries.

DJ was dandering along, keeping an eye on the cubs and dispensing wisdom to the media. In the broad square dressing-room there was no cheering. Six Leinsters in a row for Kilkenny. Just takin' care of business.

They talked the good talk of course, with kind words and thoughts for Wexford who played for 35 minutes and did enough to fool themselves they will be contenders. The sides were level at half-time and Kilkenny won the second half by 11 points. Everything should be seen in that context.

"It was heavy going," said DJ. "We went into the match fully prepared, we knew how good Wexford were, they are an excellent team. They got a couple of goals which could have brought them back in but each time we tagged on a couple of points."

Just like that. In truth Wexford's first goal had so many fumbles in the lead-up it looked as if Kilkenny had stopped defending.

"It's not as simple as it looks," said DJ when asked about the extra gear which Kilkenny seemed to have, "15 against 15, even though it may look that way it was tough going. The game was only over when Henry Shefflin put the ball in the back of the net. For our second goal."

So six on the trot. A record. Achieved against a background of domestic controversy but in an environment of general mediocrity around Leinster. Little wonder Kilkenny were muted.

"We have another semi-final coming up. We'll enjoy what we achieved today. Our backs were to the wall today with Charlie (Carter) and Brian McEvoy going away and long-term injury to Andy Comerford. Plus Richard Mullaly and Brian Dowling are out with ankle injuries. People had the impression that the spirit wasn't good. That wasn't the case. Our backs were to the wall. You can't afford to lose the players we have lost."

So seeing as DJ is talking about it, what about the Charlie Carter business. When Eddie Brennan misses a few chances in the first half you could hear whispers about Charlie everywhere.

"From day one I felt Charlie was captain," said DJ. "It's an honour for my club to be represented but from day one it was Charlie and I'd prefer if it was him going up today. I get enough publicity. It's a wonderful honour. I'd have loved if the club had won it this year and it would have reverted back to me."

If you were a Wexford person and sitting in the stands and you wanted to gauge Kilkenny's mood you got an indication seven minutes into the half when Kilkenny had a free about 105 yards from the Wexford posts. Seán Dowling barged DJ Carey out of the way, did the bends, lifts, strikes routine and landed it. Time then for Wexford folk to be thinking about the traffic.

Dowling is a symbol of Kilkenny's extraordinary strength in depth. Twenty-five-years old and starting a Leinster final for the first time, he was gathering his fourth Leinster senior medal. And adding it to a collection that includes All-Irelands at schools and under-21 levels. Not surprising Richie Mullally was scarcely missed in the half-back line. "Ah well," he says, "we said we'd go for it. JJ (Delaney) and Peter (Barry) caught ball after ball. They were brilliant."

Indeed such was the dominance of the Kilkenny half-back line that Wexford scarcely caught their own poc outs all day. Dowling has the beal bocht patter down though.

"Their half-back line and midfield were brilliant. There was balls going over our heads. We got some in the second half. We had the luck, it went our way. The first half was close and we just said we'd dig deep. If the goals came, they came." And that free? Ever scored a longer one: "Nope, never hit a longer free before and never scored in Croke Park before."

Don't they make them with nerves anymore in Kilkenny?

Down the corridor, Wexford manager John Conran was reflective. Could have. Should have. Would have. Any manager's companions in defeat.

"At half-time when we were eight points each I felt we were going to come but straight after half-time they got a great goal that put us down. We got a fortuitous goal that seemed to get us back into the game but fair play to Kilkenny. They've great character and kept coming back at us and we found it hard to deal with. We felt all along that if we could hold them until half-time we'd take them in the second half. It just goes to show you what this Kilkenny team is made of."

And what looked like a half-decent performance by Wexford was diminished the more it was analysed.

"I thought our half-forward line let their half backs clear too many balls. Our centrefield went out of it in the second half. Then with all the ball coming in their forwards had to start moving and it had to start happening for them and it did."

And off he went, to fret about next Saturday's qualifiers. If he looked back at all he'd have noticed Kilkenny were already small figures in the other side of the great canyon that separates them from the rest of Leinster.