Waterford County Board Chairman Neil Moore says the county’s All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship victory can be the catalyst for future successes at all levels.

Hundreds attended today’s homecoming event in Walsh Park – as Waterford secured the Irish Press Cup for the fourth time in their history.

Speaking to WLR, Moore said that the work gone in behind the scenes has finally paid dividends.

“It’s what the county needs, it’s fantastic for the county – to see a white and blue out in the field there after the match just shows it all. There must have been close to 10,000 Waterford supporters there and the county just needs a boost. We were on our knees – you know the senior team just have not getting a break there the last two years trying to get over the line and get out of Munster. A win like tonight just means everything to everyone all over the county, especially the team and the management team here and everybody involved with development squads, secondary school hurling teams, juvenile coaches in their clubs, nights like tonight give everybody a lift.”

The Abbeyside/Ballinacourty clubman says days like these need to be seen with more regularity on Suirside.

“You know we just have to redouble our efforts now and not kind of get complacent and say “Oh brilliant, we won a minor title and everything is great” – the hard work starts again. We must make sure we get back out of Munster in minor, try and get back out of Munster in under-20, and give the senior management teams a basis to pick off of.”

Moore is full of praise for the revamp that has gone on at underage level – as he admits that results yielded previously weren’t up to standard. Waterford had lost of 20 of their 24 games at minor and under-20 levels across a three-year period before this year.

“There’s no doubt about it that maybe the eye was taken off the ball in underage the last couple of years but I know in fairness to Jason Ryan and the development squad working group there – they’re doing fantastic work behind the scenes, the development squads have been revamped completely. Obviously, we’d like a lot more success and definitely a night like tonight gives the shot in the arm for the whole county from the Cork border right down to the bridge where you go across into Kilkenny, it’s a real shot in the arm.”

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