All-Ireland senior camogie final: Galway 1-14 Cork 1-13
Carrie Dolan’s monster free in injury-time earned Galway revenge over Cork as they edged a quite extraordinary All-Ireland senior camogie final to win the O’Duffy Cup for only the fifth time.
Galway, beaten by Cork in last year’s decider, appeared to have stumbled just metres from the finish line at Croke Park on Sunday after seeing their five-point half-time lead wiped out in the final minute of normal time when the Leesiders drilled home a goal to draw level.
However, the Tribeswomen simply refused to accept the momentum of the day had switched irretrievably in Cork’s favour. Instead, Galway pushed forward and Dolan won a 62nd-minute free out near the Cusack Stand sideline, midway between the 45 and 65-metre lines.
It would be a difficult free in any circumstances, but with the entire season on the line, the posts must have seemed tiny to the Clarinbridge player as she stood over the ball. As soon as she struck the free though, Dolan raised her fist defiantly and punched the sky. She knew. The Galway captain had just wrestled the momentum back for her team. The O’Duffy Cup would be going west for the first time since 2021.
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Galway held out for the two further minutes of added time against a Cork side which had been reduced to 14 players late in the first half when Hannah Looney lashed out at Dolan.
Cork also missed a penalty in the opening period with Katrina Mackey’s effort saved by Galway goalkeeper Sarah Healy in front of 28,795 at Croke Park.
Of all the four All-Ireland senior finals across the codes this year – football, hurling and camogie – this was the most gripping of the quartet. It had everything.
For Cork though, they left Croke Park empty-handed in two of those four finals – this defeat coming on the back of their hurlers losing to Tipperary. Cork should take huge pride in how they emptied themselves in the second half on Sunday, but this was a game Galway deserved to win.
They set the tempo from the very outset, hunting in packs and showing a ravenous hunger bordering on mania. Galway brought a ferocious intensity to their play and arrived to the stadium with a busload of that immeasurable and invaluable commodity – desire.
With both teams going full-blooded, it created one of the most physical All-Ireland finals in memory, with big hits and no shortage of players jawing at each other either. It’s fair to say there is little love lost between the two sides.
Cork, who won last year’s All-Ireland final by three points, were trying to become the first team from Leeside to win three-in-a-row since the early 1970s.
But Galway started the contest like a team hell-bent on placing themselves front and centre as the story of the afternoon. Dervla Higgins was superb coming out of defence while Aoife Donohue opened the scoring – an early marker for the sensational display she was about to deliver.
Both teams had their respective number six operating as a sweeper – Ciara Hickey for Galway and Laura Treacy for Cork.
It was 0-2 apiece in the 10th minute when a goal-bound Amy O’Connor was fouled by Donohue. Penalty. Mackey didn’t get a clean connection with her strike but Healy still did well to get over to her left post to push the ball out for a 45.
That miss was compounded four minutes later when Donohue found Mairead Dillon with a nice pass and she smacked the ball low beyond Amy Lee in the Cork goal, 1-3 to 0-4.
Ashling Thompson hit two wonderful points soon after but Galway remained in the ascendancy and a pair of scores by Ailish O’Reilly helped them to a five-point advantage approaching the break, 1-9 to 0-7.
And though there were no further scores before the short whistle, one of the most significant incidents of the match occurred in the second minute of first-half injury-time.
With the ball out for a sideline, Dolan dunted Looney in the back. The Cork midfielder spun around and lashed out at her Galway counterpart, who fell to the ground. It sparked a brief skirmish but when the dust settled, Looney was shown a straight red card.
Cork, to their credit, refused to accept their fate and the 14 players took the fight to Galway after the break. Galway defended stoically though and with Donohue orchestrating matters further out the field, they were able to hold Cork at arm’s length – until the very last minute.
Saoirse McCarthy’s accuracy from placed balls had left just three points between the sides in the closing stages but the goal Cork were always likely to need didn’t look like coming.
But just seconds after Hickey, Galway’s sweeper, had been called ashore, Thompson spotted the vulnerability and arrowed a long free down the field to Cahalane. The Cork forward won possession, turned and immediately rifled the ball beyond Healy, 1-13 apiece. As the ball hit the back of the net, the clock showed 59 minutes 59 seconds.
In that moment, everything could have crumbled for Galway. But instead they showed real character and resolve. None more so than Dolan as she stood over that 62nd-minute free under the shadow of the Cusack Stand.
Moments later she was standing on the steps of the Hogan Stand raising the O’Duffy Cup. Galway had stepped back out of the shadows. All-Ireland champions.
GALWAY: Sarah Healy; Shauna Healy, Róisín Black, Rachael Hanniffy; Siobhan Gardiner, Ciara Hickey, Dervla Higgins; Annmarie Starr, Olwen Rabbitte; Niamh Mallon (0-1), Ailish O’Reilly (0-3), Aoife Donohue (0-2); Mairead Dillon (1-0), Carrie Dolan (0-7f), Caoimhe Kelly (0-1).
Subs: Sabina Rabbitte for Kelly (41 mins); Jennifer Hughes for O Rabbitte (53); Emma Helebert for Hickey (59); Ally Hesnan for Dillon (61).
CORK: Amy Lee; Pamela Mackey, Libby Coppinger, Meabh Cahalane; Aoife Healy, Laura Hayes (0-1); Hannah Looney (0-1), Ashling Thompson (0-2); Emma Murphy (0-2), Amy O’Connor (0-3, 2f, 1′45), Saoirse McCarthy (0-4f); Katrina Mackey, Orlaith Cahalane (1-0), Sorcha McCartan.
Subs: Clodagh Finn for Mackey (36 mins); Orlaith Mullins for McCartan (41); Cliona Healy for O’Connor (49); Meabh Murphy for A Healy (57); Kate Wall for Murphy (59).
Referee: Justin Heffernan (Wexford).
