Cork completed a unique camogie double at Croke Park yesterday.
The county's senior team collected the O'Duffy Cup, following a 1-16 to 16 points win over Galway.
And their Intermediate side also lifted All-Ireland honours following a 1-11 to 1-10 victory over Kilkenny.
In the Premier Junior decider, Tipperary edged out Laois by 12 points to 1-8.
Senior match report:
Cork 1-16
Kilkenny 0-16
Two in a row for Cork, a first for Ger Manley as manager, having stepped into the vacancy left by last year’s successful boss, Matthew Twomey.
The former Rebel hurler had been involved as a coach the previous two seasons and the transition was seamless. His satisfaction at overseeing this success after a hugely entertaining game was obvious but it became evident too, that he didn’t want it to end here.
“What a game. Six extra minutes and I’m going, ‘God!’” said Manley as he watched the celebrations unfold around him on the pitch.
They started well but Galway settled into the fray and it was the Tribeswomen that led at the break, 0-10 to 0-9, Aoife Donohue, Carrie Dolan and Aisling O’Reilly carrying the scoring load for Cathal Murray’s crew, while all of Cork’s six forwards were on the mark for Cork.
The champions streaked six clear by the 41st minute however, Katrina Mackey getting a goal that might have been chalked off on other days. The Douglas sharpshooter seemed to be fouled when attempting to strike to the net but failing to get the connection. The sliotar ambled over the line and a goal was awarded.
Mackey pulled a hamstring, having played really well at the end of her 16th straight championship campaign, but her replacement Sorcha McCartan would go on to make a pivotal contribution.
At six points ahead, it didn’t seem as if Cork would need that but Galway had heroes everywhere and Donohue brought her tally to four from play and Dolan to eight in total as they reeled the Leesiders in.
At level pegging, it was the westerners had the energy but McCartan reinvigorated her side once more with a tremendous point. Fellow sub Clodagh Finn followed up and then set up McCartan to confirm the verdict.
“We went up five or six, they came back but you could always see us getting those scores because we had the few subs to make a difference,” Manley continued.
“We’ve been on the wrong side of these results over the years. This is our fourth final in a row and we lost two we should have won. But these are a team of their generation.
“They’re so good. You’ve Laura Treacy, (Ashling) Thompson, the Mackeys (Katrina and Pamela), Amy O’Connor, Laura Hayes. Méabh Cahalane came on after a hamstring tendon injury that’s supposed to keep you out three months. We put a lot in, so did Galway but we were a small bit better I think.
“Mackey tore her hamstring and was a loss as she was going well. And when Galway came at us, we held our nerve. The losses builds that character. And we have a brilliant coach in Liam Cronin. He’s the best I’ve ever worked with.
“We felt we’ve left a few after us so to win two is a great. You have to battle. There’s nothing easy up here. Galway came up but we’re there and we’re going to push on again if we can.”
McCartan was buzzing too, unsurprisingly, still feeling no pain though she had rolled her ankle quite badly.
“I got 20 minutes and there was nothing going to get me off it,” said the Down native, who played alongside Galway forward, Niamh Mallon when the Mourne women won the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland intermediate title in 2021.
“I’ve never been as relaxed going into a game ever. Once you realise your role, you have to adapt, accept it and embrace it. There’s some girls that trained all year and not gotten any game time so I’m just privileged to get that game time and be able to contribute.
“Galway are one of the top teams in the country and they weren’t going to hand it to us. We’re just delighted to get over the line. The training the past few weeks has been so intense and they’ve taken a lot out of us but we knew we’d come good when it mattered.”
She wasn’t thinking about what was on the line when she drilled that sensational lead point in the 53rd minute.
“No, thankfully not, because if I was, I probably wouldn’t have taken the shot. When you’re playing Galway, you don’t get those chances often so when you get it, you’ve got to take it. Sometimes they don’t go over, sometimes they do and thankfully today, they did.”
Murray was magnanimous in defeat and focussed on the outstanding efforts of his players, who had gone in as underdogs having lost by 12 points to Cork in the group phase when both sides were already qualified.
“It’s hard to put into words,” said Murray. “Obviously, bitterly disappointed. Super proud of the girls. Since the game in Páirc Uí Chaoimh we’ve been completely written off. There’s been a lot of obituaries written about us. For the last six weeks we’ve done ourselves really proud.
“It’s a tough dressing room. But we put ourselves in a great position, just probably didn’t take our chances down the stretch. That’s going to haunt us for a while.
“But Cork are a super team, we always knew that. We knew we had to give an unbelievable performance – we probably did that for a lot of the game. Just didn’t finish it off.
“The best two teams for me get to the final and the best team wins it. And Cork are the best team this year. They deserve it.
“Croke Park is for winners. It’s a lovely place to be when you win but it’s a tough place to be when you lose. I’m super proud of the girls, as I always am. Some unbelievable performance but unfortunately we just didn’t get over the line.”
SCORERS FOR CORK: K Mackey 1-2; S McCarthy (1f) A O’Connor (fs) 0-3 each; O Cahalane, S McCartan 0-2 each; C Healy, F Keating, A Thompson, C Finn 0-1 each
SCORERS FOR GALWAY: C Dolan 0-8(6fs); A Donohue 0-4; A O’Reilly 0-2; N Mallon, C Hickey 0-1 each
CORK: A Lee, I O’Regan, M Murphy, P Mackey, H Looney, L Treacy, L Hayes, A Thompson, A Healy, S McCarthy, F Keating, C Healy, A O’Connor, K Mackey, O Cahalane. Subs: S McCartan for Mackey inj (38), C O’Sullivan for C Healy (47), M Cahalane for Looney (51), C Finn for F Keating (53), E Murphy for O Cahalane (60+3)
GALWAY: S Healy, R Hanniffy, R Black, D Higgins, A Starr, A Keane, C Hickey, O Rabbitte, N Kilkenny, N Mallon, N McPeake, A Donohue, C Dolan, N Hanniffy, A O’Reilly. Subs: O McGrath for O’Reilly (49), N Niland for N Hanniffy (60+2), A Hesnan for Rabbitte (60+6)
REFEREE: Liz Dempsey (Kilkenny)
Intermediate match report
There’s diminutive and there’s Fiona Nelligan but the pint-sized Charleville forward showed composure to go with character to snatch an injury-time winner for Cork in the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland intermediate camogie final.
Nelligan says she stands at five foot but after yesterday’s heroics, she is now feeling ten foot tall.
Injury had struck at the very wrong time of the season for the pacy attacker but when the need was greatest, she answered the call of manager Donie Daly to secure a first championship victory at this level for the Leesiders since 2018.
It was a loose clearance that led to the sliotar landing in Nelligan’s paw. What, you wonder, was she thinking when it arrived?
“Oh God, just hit it over the bar! Just get it over the bar. That’s all I was thinking,” said Nelligan afterwards with a laugh.
And when she did that? What was she thinking then?
“Blow it up!” More laughs.
“It’s unreal, I can’t describe the feeling, it’s unreal. I’m only back from injury so I was delighted with any time on the pitch and to be able to make a difference.
“I broke a bone in my wrist and missed six or seven weeks. I was running by myself but I couldn’t do any hurling until three or four weeks. It’s worth it now.”
It was nip and tuck throughout, with Cork going in at half-time leading by 0-7 to 0-6.
Cliona Callaghan goaled, apparently to send the Rebels on their way but when Danielle Morrissey’s shot for point was mis-controlled to the net by Ciara Hurley, it was Kilkenny pushing for home, a couple of points clear.
But Cork defended magnificently and hit the last three points, Lauren Homan bringing them level before Nelligan’s dramatic denouement.
“The heart isn’t good after that,” admitted Daly. “It was phenomenal. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Kilkenny and Cork, All-Ireland final is going to be a one-point game always.
“We knew when we were a point up at half-time we’d a good chance. I thought we’d make a better fist of the wind. Kilkenny hit us hard but the changes we made and I’m saying this the whole time, when we bring on the likes of Eimear Duignan, Katie Walsh, Fiona Nelligan, Lucy Allen, they’re game changers.
“And when the likes of Avril Cashman had put in an awful shift and their legs were giving out, and the likes of Cliona Dooley, who were immense, it was the fresh legs that got us over the line in the end.”
He had a word for the defence too.
“It was the same the last day, Aoife Barrett got player of the match. And today, Emma Flanagan got it. Our team is built on solid defence. We don’t give away easy scores and that makes it easier for our forwards.”
Daly’s Kilkenny counterpart, Seamus Kelly expressed pride in his charges.
“It’s a very lonely place but I think in fairness to that group of players, they left everything out there. I don’t think I could have asked any more of them, they left everything out there. The way they wore the jersey. They kept doing and the girls that came in. It was one of those days and we were just at the wrong side of it.
“In the first half, we just didn’t execute some of our basics well and Cork capitalised and got a few scores. When we settled into it, we got a hold of the game. When we got the goal, it really spurred the thing on but in the last few minutes of the game it was so tight and it came down to fine margins.”
SCORERS FOR CORK: L Homan 0-6 (5f)s; C O’Callaghan 1-1; N O’Regan 0-2; C Dooley, F Nelligan 0-1 each
SCORERS FOR KILKENNY: D Morrissey 1-4 (0-3fs); C Doheny 0-3, R Dowling, C Comerford, H Scott 0-1 each
CORK: C Hurley; A Barrett, N O’Leary, E Flanagan, L Doyle, O McAllen, M Ring, L Buttimer, A Cashman, E Sheehan, L Homan, T McCarthy, C O’Callaghan, C Dooley, N O’Regan. Subs: L Allen for Buttimer (39) E Duignan for Sheehan (45), F Nelligan for O’Regan (52), E Curtin for Dooley (56), K Walsh for Cashman (60)
KILKENNY: C Murphy, N Leahy, R Whelan, J Cass, M Kennedy, S Treacy, H Scott, D Morrissey, L Ronan; C Comerford, R Dowling, A Cantwell, R Kelly, C Kennedy, C Doheny. Subs: K McCluskey for Cantwell (43), N Crowley for Kelly (50), C Langton for Dowling (55)
REFEREE: Brian Kearney (Kildare).
Premier Junior match report
Tipperary 0-12
Laois 1-8
The spectre of a second consecutive Glen Dimplex All-Ireland premier junior camogie final defeat loomed large for Tipperary yesterday as half-time approached with Laois 1-5 to 0-1 in front, having had by far the better of the opening 27 minutes of action.
Susie Delaney’s goal was the key score as the Midlanders dominated the opening exchanges, but three Jenny Grace frees before half-time shifted the game’s momentum, and according to team captain, Sinéad Meagher, they weren’t going to be denied from then on.
“From the word go, Laois came at us and we found ourselves in a bit of a hole at half-time” Meagher said.
“But we kept the heads, we know exactly what we have in our team, we know the strength and the heart as well, and the subs that got us over the line in the finish.
“We stood up, we showed our character, like we showed in the Armagh game in the semi-final, and again today.
“We’ve beaten Laois by a point, and that’s all it takes to win a game. I’m absolutely delighted for myself, and for this man beside me Bill Mullaney, who all year has given us so much, and I’m so happy he has this now as well.”
The breeze did blow at Tipperary’s backs in the second half and there was no doubt that Laois expended a lot of energy in building up their lead, while Mullaney’s decision to introduce Lily and Anna Fahie late on bore fruit in the form of their combination for the equaliser, hit by the latter after being set up by the former, who was then fouled for Grace to slot the winner deep in injury time.
“At half-time we said we needed to up the work rate, to commit to our principles of play and to go out and produce. We could die on our feet or we could go home at half-time, one or the other, and I’m delighted that they came out flying,” was Mullaney’s summary.
“But that’s within these players. They just came out and worked hard, as you would expect in an All-Ireland final. It could have been a lot worse at half-time, but luckily, we got a foothold in the last five or six minutes. I thought in the end we deserved it; we were on top and going forward, we could have another one or two.
“A couple of adjustments in terms of subs had a huge impact, and a couple of adjustments around the field as well. But really it comes down to how the girls started believing in themselves, committing to the game, and committing to the process, that’s what turned the tide.”
Laois looked like they might have snatched victory with a heroic solo score from Delaney out on the Cusack Stand sideline, but Tipperary held firm, those dramatic concluding scores.
“I’m devastated” was the simple, but painfully honest summary of Laois joint manager Pat Collier.
“For me, tomorrow’s another day and life will go on. But it’s for the players, the 31 girls that have put Laois camogie back on the map, that’s what my heart goes out for. We knew that if we got our game plan right that we’d give Tipp a rattle and we did that.
“In the second half to be fair to Tipp, they clawed their way back, they got a few vital scores. I thought a decision or two could have went our way maybe, but that’s always the way when you lose I suppose.
“I’d die for these girls, I love every one of them with my heart. I told them there in the dressing room that I would do anything for any of them while there were under the care of me and Rob (Jones). It’s just heartbreaking for them.
“We’ve one girl who stayed home from Dubai, she’s flying out at ten tonight, she starts work in the morning at nine. The same as them all, 100% is all she gave us this year.”
But sometimes, destiny has other plans.
“Over the past few years my mam passed away and the one thing she really wanted me to do was to climb the steps of the Hogan Stand,” said Meagher.
“Once I was named captain, I was under no illusions that I wanted to make that happen and climb those steps. I’m so happy I’ve that done now.”
SCORERS FOR TIPPERARY: J Grace 0-9(8fs); E O’Dwyer 0-2; A Fahie 0-1
SCORERS FOR LAOIS: A Collier 0-4(1f); S Delaney 1-1; G Delaney, A O’Dea, E Hassett 0-1 each
TIPPERARY: L Leenane, L Ryan, C Ryan, M Connolly, O O’Brien, S Pembroke, G Fox, A Quinlisk, C Brennan, JA Quirke, S Meagher, G Moloney, E Flanagan, L Shinners, J Grace. Subs: E O’Dwyer for Quirke (26); A Fahie for Moloney (52), L Fahie for Flanagan (58)
LAOIS: A Lowry, L Finlay, L Daly, F Scully, A Finlay, C Tynan, S Creagh, L C Fennell, J Bergin, A O’Dea, G Delaney, A Walsh, E Hassett, A Collier, S Delaney. Subs: LM Maher for O’Dea (ht); R Deegan for Fennell (44); A Hyland for Daly (49); A Coss for Walsh (60+3)
REFEREE: Karol Collins (Galway)
