In times gone by, a war torn hero was lying on his deathbed. Both legs had been amputated and he didn’t have long left. A doctor enquired if he was suffering much pain and this was his response “Forget the wounds and the injuries, the greatest pain I have ever had to bear is the pain of defeat”

In life there are times when difficulties present themselves and allow themselves to overpower all reason. Sport is meant to be a pastime but for many reasons it grips people and obsession sets in. When difficulties and disappointment are combined with obsession, it’s best described as a harrowing experience, and some, rightly or wrongly, would regard it as far greater than real life tragedy. When you do not see it coming, it’s the worst of all. Nobody could have predicted a twenty four point defeat.

Today’s game turned on three early gift-wrapped goals. Tipperary people would have feared of their own ability to withstand stubborn resistance in the Limerick defence. It didn’t happen like that. The last fifteen minutes were a turkey shoot. It was humiliating to watch Lar Corbett tap a ball into an empty net at the very end. That single moment is a moment in Limerick hurling history that will never be forgotten, the sight of an unmarked player finishing to an empty net. It’s something that will not lie well in the minds of the Limerick players and supporters for a long long time. My heart goes out to the Limerick players, none of whom set out to lose in this manner, but our future as a hurling county depends on how they are prepared to respond to the permanent image of that goal that’s ingrained in their minds.

We have a safe pair of hands in Justin McCarthy and now more than ever before we need to believe and have total faith in our manager. We have conceded ground in terms of hurling to teams in recent years, but have compensated in terms of fire and brimstone. Waterford have responded well to a similar defeat last year, Cork responded well to a similar defeat in 1996. It will be a long winter to chew and mull over the 16th of August 2009, a day where neither Tipperary were as good as they looked, nor Limerick were as bad as they looked.

But, boy, did we ship a hiding. Upon departing Croke Park today, it was difficult not to turn around and survey the great old stadium with a tear in the eye wondering when the next reason to visit might arrive and what might await us when we get there.

There are very important days ahead. Supporters have a role to play also, by not abandoning the team. We are all in this together. Limerick hurling is about more than the players and the management, it’s about the clubs and supporters too.

Collectively, we have a long road ahead.