A week ago, despite a couple of really good saves, O'Donnell ended up implicated in the late goal that won Westmeath the Division Two title. Now he's still quivering at the enormity of what's happened. This time he again delivered the saves, including a match-altering one in the first-half from Brendan Jer O'Sullivan.

"It's super. I can't even explain how it feels after the way things went last week. He got through and I spread myself out and blocked the kick. We learned from last week and all our matches. We took our points and didn't start going for goals. We were very different to last week, did everything right and didn't give away any soft goals."

Life also comes around for veteran centre fielder John Quane. As an energetic youngster in the early 1990s he was on a team that came agonisingly close to Kerry in successive years.

"It means everything to me to finally beat Cork or Kerry," he says. "After those games I thought my chance was gone and I wouldn't see that happening. But there's been a lot of work put in by this team and it's paid off.

"Five points was a good lead at half-time but Cork are good at carrying the ball so you'd never relax. We've been hit before like that. It would have been a disaster if we'd lost because we've talked about this game for months. At training during the week we were saying that this year's targets were promotion and the Cork game.

"We've very good footballers all over the pitch, pace out wide and forwards who can pick off the scores. It's a young team with a lot of potential and it's fulfilling it now. We won all over the field. Everyone won their individual battles."

In the circumstances you couldn't say that visiting the Limerick players' quarters was the worst part of Cork manager Larry Tompkins's afternoon. But although he had grim business in the other dressing-room his words were gracious.

"We knew you would be a major challenge but we thought we were ready for you. We weren't and I really hope you go on and win Munster. We would get great satisfaction if you go on and beat Kerry. We'll be going into the qualifiers and who knows we might meet again this year."