After the atmospherics of a record crowd and the sort of sunny afternoon for which hurling is made, it was requiem time in the Wexford dressing-room. The team has contributed great memories to hurling in the 1990s; big crowds, the best match seen at Croke Park in the decade. But all things must end.

"There's been a lot more good times than bad times over the last five years," said Rory Kinsella as he faced the media inquisition one last time. "We prepared very well but it just didn't happen on the day."

After five years of involvement with his county's hurlers, two as one of Liam Griffin's selectors and three as manager in his own right, Kinsella is stepping down. The years encompassed two Leinster titles and one All-Ireland.

Martin Storey, captain in that memorable summer three years ago, paid his own tribute. "I'll tell you about Rory Kinsella. He missed one night's training in five years. That's what he's given out of his personal life to Wexford hurling."

In the aftermath of a sound beating by All-Ireland champions Offaly, the Wexford step was a little heavier. Twelve months ago, fired by the bicentennial of the 1798 rising, they came to Croke Park in adversity and lost to the same opposition, but only through a last-minute goal in what even Offaly admitted was hardly a just conclusion.

Surely nothing could be more heart-breaking? Kinsella himself had been reduced to tears afterwards. "This year was more frustrating," he said. "We didn't perform and there was no argument, we were beaten by a better team."

And then, the manager's instinct to sift through the debris to find the reason for it all, why the house fell in despite the foundations laid through winter and spring training. "We haven't conceded three goals in a long time. We were nervous on the ball, our first touch wasn't good."

Storey was also faced with polite questions about his future. "Martin Storey?" he replied quizzically. "Who knows? After that performance he'll have to have a long chat with himself."

Larry O'Gorman, like Storey, has been around for long enough to remember losing dressingrooms which had a more routine air. "You spend five nights a week carrying cement blocks and tyres at training. You get nothing out of it, and then you have to go home and listen to all the bad talk for next couple of days.

"We've given a good few days out to supporters over the last few years. Most of them would agree with that, but there's always a couple. People have to realise that we don't have a right to win All-Irelands."

Offaly go on to play Kilkenny in next month's Leinster final.

Kilkenny had an overwhelming victory against hapless Laois, scoring 6-21 in the process. Ken O'Shea scored three goals for the Leinster champions, but Laois's Niall Rigney probably did most to catch the eye.

The Railway Cup wing back was redeployed at centre forward and scored 1-9 of his teams' 1-14 total, giving an immense performance on a devastated team.

Elsewhere the trend was the same: shock results seemed to have worked their way out of the system last week. In Munster, Kerry's footballers recorded a big win over Clare in Killarney, 3-17 to 0-12, with captain John Crowley scoring two goals and Dara O Cinneide getting the third.

In Ulster, Antrim will have to wait at least 18 years for a championship win after losing to Down in Newry yesterday. The margin may have been respectable, 0-14 to 1-5, but the result was the same as it's ever been since 1982.

Finally, Derry made no mistake the second time around with a thumping 2-14 to 0-5 win over Cavan in the counties' replay at Breffni Park.