JJ Delaney had paid tribute to Tipperary following their victory in the All-Ireland SHC final on Sunday.
Delaney could not hide his disappointment after Kilkenny failed in their attempt to claim the elusive five-in-a-row, but he was quick to acknowledge Tipperary's achievement at headquarters.
"Straight after the game I was gutted. There's so much work put into it and for months you're planning, taking training sessions and going to games. Then bang, and it's all over for the year, and the dream is gone," the half-back said.
"But credit to Tipperary. They played some wonderful hurling. It was the goals that proved the difference in the end. We didn't push on when we got level in the second half, but credit must also be given to Tipperary for not allowing us to get a grip.
"They hunted in groups, made life difficult for us."
He added: "Tipperary played with a great appetite and cohesion to their play but it does not make it any easier to take this defeat. We knew we had to play top-notch stuff to achieve that historic victory but, on the day, it was just not good enough."
Despite the loss, Delaney insists that nothing can be taken away from the Cats, who stood on the brink of history on Sunday.
"It was the end of a great run, but this Kilkenny team is still a great one - even in defeat," he went on. "It's a sad place to be, in the losers' dressing room, but we've had less of those days than most players.
"Credit to the players they fought to the end, but we were beaten by a better team on the day. It's as simple as that."