Railway Cup Comment: A crowd of nearly 6,000 turned up to watch an epic decider under the Parnell Park floodlights, when Leinster edged out Ulster after extra-time.

The ailing competition has been searching for ways to re-invent itself in recent seasons, moving abroad for the first time in 2004, when the final took place in Paris, and breaking new ground again at the weekend when it was played under lights.

And the crowds were back, a combined total of well over 12,000 supporters having attended the three M Donnelly Interprovincial football games this season.

"It was a great boost to the Railway Cup," said McEniff, a long-standing advocate of the interprovincial football series. "It's good for the competition going forward.

"A big effort is being made to revitalise it, and this was a good start. Hopefully we can build on it."

McEniff, bidding to lead his side to a third title on the trot and a 28th in all, conceded that Leinster had a decided edge when it came to battling qualities and will to win.

"Leinster had a greater hunger and desire to win the game, and we didn't match it. Early on we started well, but then we failed to dominate.

"We showed in flashes that we had the capacity to do it, but not throughout."

Dessie Dolan's 11 points proved the difference between the sides as Leinster collected their 27th title, drawing level with Ulster in the roll of honour with a 0-20 to 0-18 extra-time win.

McEniff believed, however, that injuries contributed to Ulster's failure.

"We had a few losses. We lost Stephen O'Neill, our centre-half forward before the game, we lost Kevin McCloy early in the game, and then we lost Conor Gormley. They were major blows.

"But I felt, by and large, that Leinster had that desire to win which we didn't match, and that was reflected as the game went along."