Pat Ryan paid tribute to Limerick after his Cork side defeated them to advance to the All-Ireland senior hurling final.
Limerick were going for five All-Ireland titles in a row but were denied by a Brian Hayes inspired Cork who triumphed on a final scoreline of 1-28 to 0-29.
It sends them through to the All-Ireland final on July 21 where they'll take on Clare, in a repeat of the 2013 decider.
Brian Hayes was the goalscorer and the man-of-the-match but Cork had heroic performers all over with the pace of Shane Barrett, Alan Connolly and Darragh Fitzgibbon in particular causing trouble for Limerick throughout.
Cork led by seven points with twenty minutes to go but Limerick didn't go down without a fight, with late Adam English points setting up a frantic finale.
Léigh an scéal seo trí Ghaeilge ar Liathróidí.ie brúigh anseo.
But in the end Cork held on. Speaking on the BBC's coverage of the game, Ryan paid a tribute to Limerick for all they've achieved over the last number of years.
"We knew we were going to perform, but this is a fantastic Limerick team.
"We'll celebrate our victory, but what a team they've been for the last seven or eight years. Huge credit to them, they've been brilliant champions" said Ryan.
"They've raised the standards of hurling over the last couple of years," he added.
When asked if stopping Limerick's drive-for-five was a motivation, Ryan's response was telling.
"That was a dream Limerick were going for, we were chasing our own dream."
"We knew our fellas would bring it today and empty the tank.
"The Cork public spent a lot of money coming up here, and we gave them full value for it.
"Back to 2013 it is again," he concluded.
Patrick Horgan was playing in that 2013 decider and he's anticipating another special atmosphere in two weeks time.
"I don't think the (supporters) need much of a message," he said.
"The support we've gotten all year...I can only imagine what it's going to be like for the final."
6 July 2024; Brian Hayes of Cork celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship semi-final match between Kilkenny and Clare at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by John Sheridan/Sportsfile Photo by John Sheridan/Sportsfile
On the BBC's analysis of the game, former Kilkenny defender Paul Murphy hailed Cork manager Ryan for how he's got the team back on track after a rocky start that saw them lose their first two games of the year.
"You go back eight weeks, and people were putting question marks over him. He deserves a serious pat on the back."
"The atmosphere here was absolutely unbelievable. It was incredible," continued Murphy.
