Two days later it's less raw, but the disappointment will still take to dissipate fully for Limerick centre-back Seamus Hickey.
On Sunday, he and his team-mates were pipped to a place in the All Ireland hurling final by a Kilkenny side who found goals at the right moments.
As the moments stretch into days, Hickey told Off The Ball what is hurting Limerick the most as they sift through the debris of defeat after a match that they were tipped to do well in.
"The reason it hurts so much for each and every one of us is because we saw the finish line and we had our noses in front and we had momentum. We were rocking...and then we were rocked," said Hickey, citing the goals as crucial.
He also revealed the depth of hurt within the Limerick dressing room after the defeat.
"It's as bad a dressing room as I've been in. It wasn't feeling sorry for yourself, it was just seeing the opportunity floating past you on a stream of water. It was tough to take."
But Hickey, who was Man of the Match, also paid tribute to the opposition, saying that "there is a reason why Kilkenny are the group they are."
He also felt that Limerick lost composure in the worsening conditions at Croke Park and spoke about the need to match the physicality of Kilkenny.
But he came out of the game "knowing they can beat anyone" and that the challenge now is to bridge the small margins.
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