'Beautiful' win gives Na Fianna day to remember

Na Fianna midfielder Brian Ryan said he would forever remember his side becoming the champions of Ireland and proving their worth after a dominant All-Ireland Club Senior Hurling Championship final after a 2-23 to 0-20 victory over Sarsfields at Croke Park.

It's been a steady rise for the north Dublin club this decade, competing in a first county final four years ago and winning it two years later.

Defeat in the Leinster decider last year by a single point left plenty of scars but also gave inspiration for this campaign.

For Ryan, it led to the type of performance years in the making.

He told RTÉ Sport: "I feel like nobody really respected us even though we won Dublin and got to a Leinster final. We wanted to prove we are the best.

"Our coaches were saying if we're at our best we can beat any team in the country. At 90% we can lose to anybody but today was the peak performance we were aiming for all year. We ascended the mountain that we were trying to ascend all year. We got to the top, it's beautiful."

Limerick-born Ryan brushed aside any talk of rising to a prominent role in the county set-up.

Having failed to do that during such a spell of success, he is savouring this victory even more.

"I am an adopted son. It's a bit different for me because I didn't play for Limerick in those finals.

"I went to college with a lot of lads so it wasn't like I was coming into a completely new team. I was very good friends with a lot of lads. In fairness it is a credit to them and the club. It's like a country club in the middle of the city.

"It's like a family. I think it's showing now with the celebrations now. It's the best day of my life and it's probably the best day of a lot of the lads' lives here in the club. It's unbelievable.

"I'll