Come in, then. Here is Declan Ryan, a cartoonist's grin lighting up his features. The big fella had damn near forgotten the sound, the pandemonium of these days. It has, after all, been a while.

"There'll be a lot of happy people in Tipperary tonight," he is telling people.

"I suppose we were lucky in a lot of respects. Got the break of the ball and a few decisions went our way. I think the bit of luck we had all year stayed with us."

Over in the corner, Nicky English is elaborating on the same theme. Tipp's great folk hero, the terrace idol of yesteryear, brought to his management post the great quality of application.

"I think that in life, if you keep hopping your head off a stone wall, eventually you will get a break, and we worked very hard this year - but no harder than in other years.

"The difficulty now is how they will react and come back from this. But for this year, it has been fantastic, this team has played 17 games this year and we have not been beaten in any of them. It is the perfect season, the first time I can remember that in my time involved with Tipperary hurling. And it is a massive testament to the character of this team."

Nicky's joy is an understated thing. All year, he has rejected the notion of manager as guru. Nicky says he simply passes on the crucial lesson. Learn from the hurt. Learn from the beatings.

As Galway are. Alan Kerins eyes are raw from tears. The Clarinbridge man's quest for a double has come to a bewildering halt and he shakes his head.

"Dunno. Kevin Broderick's goal was disallowed and there were a few other decisions that were blown up. Joe Rabbitte caught a ball there in the second half and a free out was given. It was a mystery, to be honest. But still, Tipp hurled well, got the goals at the right time."

Consolations are offered. Galway's youth has been eternal now for the past decade and logic dictates they will be back.

"We are very young," sighs Kerins, "but still. Joe Rabbitte was young in 1993 and it took him this long to get here again. He is devastated, absolutely gutted, and I feel sorry for him. Feel sorry for everyone.

"I'm back training on Tuesday night now. It's hard, it would be a lot easier going out with a medal. But I'm lucky, at least I have a chance to try and win something anyhow. Have to wait until next year."

Tommy Dunne knows that feeling. For a time, it seemed Tipp had nothing but next year.

"Personally, this was just the realisation of a dream," he says. "There were times I thought we wouldn't do it, to be honest, but for some reason when Nicky took over, he personally gave me a lot of belief."

Nicky remembers Dunne's infant years, when he was in the twilight.

"He takes it so seriously, it's his life. And when he came in to Tipp, he was expected to carry ageing players like myself, Pat Fox. When Tipp didn't win, he got the blame when it should have been us. It was a hard baptism and Tommy has been magnificent for us."

Dunne has served the lean years, but all around him are a bunch of youngsters for whom the future seasons look gold-tinted. At 21, Philip Maher, the sternest full back in the country, can look forward to maybe another decade of hurling. Rarely will he be asked to do a more exacting job than here, when he was picked to tame the Galway prodigy, Cloonan.

"Well, I knew going out that I wasn't going to have a stormer, marking the best full forward in the country, Eugene Cloonan. I just tried to keep him quiet, stop him from scoring, not fouling him - and he still got a goal and few points. But I'm happy enough - I don't care, really, now that we are All-Ireland champions."

And there is no secret. It is all learning, says English.

"Our last couple of years - drawing a game we should have won, hammered in the replay, coming back to a Munster final, getting caught up in the hype, not really performing, being individual instead of being a team. Then, going into last year's quarter-final still on the crest of the wave, not absorbing that we had lost in Munster and being individual. Our only job is to make sure that these lessons are passed on. The big moments are between the lines."

This is his mantra, it is what he believes. Galway are a year or two back in English's framework. Shattered as they are, they are being tough on themselves.

"I don't know what happened with the goal," says Broderick. "I just broke and saw the crowd cheering. But, ah, the referee has a job to do. In fairness, we had the chances. Fair play to Tipp, they deserved it."

Liam Hodgins, Galway's captain, is standing in the middle of the room, a cut on his nose.

"In 1993, Galway had a good young team and they are all gone now. So when you get here, get to an All-Ireland final, you have to take it."