Waterford come good

HURLING: Waterford are Munster champions. That is the baldly-stated outcome of yesterday's final that brought the whole season alive before 40,000 at Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday. In his victory speech Fergal Hartley reeled off the names of those who had helped the county to the mountain top but had not themselves reached the promised land.

Former coach Gerald McCarthy, former players Billy O'Sullivan, Sean Cullinane and Stephen Frampton. And the list went on. Thirty-nine years of acknowledgements in one short speech.

It was a brilliant triumph, full of coruscating hurling and a tactical coup for one of the game's great coaches. Justin McCarthy, by way of Antrim, Clare and Cork, is well travelled but this must rank as one of his great achievements.

"We were quietly confident coming up and players were focused on what they had to do. There was going to be no one half, two halves. We were going to put it together today. It was our pride at stake.

"I asked Tom Cheasty, Frankie Walsh and Larry Guinan (members of the previous winning team in 1963) to come along last Thursday night to say a few words to us in Waterford. That was the link and I asked the lads then that they be the new heroes and I think the response was there today.

"We came here about 10 days ago to Páirc Uí Chaoimh and hurled for a few hours and to be very honest I was excited coming off the field when I saw them hurling. I knew they could play hurling here."

As if in anticipation of the great events the Munster Council had decided to honour the extraordinary day that was unfolding by staging their own rather different half-time show. A group of scantily clad women made their way to a temporary stage on the pitch.

As they clattered away at a dance routine, one of the dancers braved the unseasonally cool weather to fling off more clothes in the middle of somewhat familiar choreography. A kind of Shiverdance.

The last word from Justin McCarthy. Asked if he was worried about the tornadoes of publicity that would sweep through the county ahead of next month's All-Ireland semi-final he expressed little concern.

"Let the hype be there. If they can't experience it now ... sure that's what they're inter-county hurlers for."