Kieran Kingston admitted Cork's attempt at halting Limerick's back to back All-Ireland title bid was "like trying to stop the tide with a bucket".
The Rebels boss had the highest praise reserved for the Treaty men after watching his young side dismantled at Croke Park, with Limerick cantering home by a winning margin of 16 points.
"We haven't actually analysed it much yet," said Kingston.
"I suppose initially your first reaction is that it's all about Limerick, to be fair.
"I want to go on record and say it's huge, huge credit, huge congratulations to Limerick.
"I said at the press conference before the game that we were going up against a team that in my view were the best team I've seen since the great Kilkenny team.
"We know how good they are, they're unlucky not to have four All-Irelands in a row and we saw that out there today.
"Massive congratulations to Limerick. From our perspective it was like trying to stop the tide with a bucket - not a lot you could do no matter what you tried, whether you go short or go long.
"I think they were just at another level to Cork today. We've got to be honest and say that."
Kingston said that feeling in the losing dressing-room was one of obvious disappointment as he pointed out that 13 of his players were lining out in their first All-Ireland final.
"We came up on the back of a lot of talk around Cork hurling and the narrative around Cork hurling," said Kingston.
"The minors winning last night, Noel Furlong and his team doing it for the first time in 20 years, the 20s having won the last two, after 22 years of a break, which is great.
"To see us getting to the final was another bit of momentum I suppose, unexpectedly.
"But really it's until we start performing at this level that we can say, 'yeah, Cork hurling is in a good place'.
"It's great to have underage titles, many counties have had them before.
"But it's when we start winning at this level, when we can say, 'Yeah, Cork are back'."
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