By the end of Sunday's final, there was a sense of inevitability about Limerick and their fourth consecutive All-Ireland final.
We had spent much of this year discussing how wide open the hurling championship was, with quite a few team looking like they were capable of going on to lift the Liam MacCarthy. Much of that was down the reasonably slow start from John Kiely's men in the provincial round robin, with the gap between themselves and the rest of the country looking as though it had closed.
Once we got to the business end of the championship, it was clear that this was not the case.
Limerick took to Croke Park like ducks to water, producing two remarkable performances in the semi-final and final to win their fourth All-Ireland on spin.
Brendan Cummins says Limerick have Croke Park advantage
It was noticeable how much Limerick improved once we reached this year's All-Ireland series. Some of that was likely down to the work they put in between the provincial decider and the game against Galway, although the change in venue may also have played a role.
Speaking on the RTÉ GAA Podcast, former Tipperary star Brendan Cummins explained why he feels that Limerick possess a big advantage over other counties when it comes to playing in Croke Park.
I think the game in Croke Park is played slightly differently in Munster.
I think Clare have suffered in that. In Munster, it's blood and thunder and 'we'll all kill each other'. But the stickwork and athleticism that Limerick have will kill every team in Croke Park.
Or when they get them in Páirc Ui Chaoimh as we've seen in previous games. It's a racetrack down there...
They kept on running and running and running. And eventually, you can't track the runners. And that's what happened in the last five minutes of the first half. Kilkenny just couldn't keep their foot on them because Limerick are so powerful and so strong.
The big problem for Henry [Shefflin] and Derek Lyng and every other manager. They're looking at this and saying I'm not sure what else we could have done.
That is difficult to argue with.
It is clear that Limerick are still ahead of the other top counties in terms of their physicality, something that comes to the fore in Croke Park. As well as that, the extra space to operate at GAA HQ allows them to utilise their incredible ball skills to a greater degree.
With five All-Irelands won in the last six years, they are going to take some stopping once again in 2024.
SEE ALSO: In Pictures - Limerick Players Go Wild During Homecoming Celebrations
