Galway are celebrating a fifth-ever All-Ireland camogie senior title.
Cathal Murray's side edged out Cork by 1-14 to 1-13 at Croke Park yesterday.
Carrie Dolan converted a late free for the winners, with Cork playing the second half with 14 players following the dismissal of Hannah Looney shortly before half-time.
Carrie Dolan denied 14-player Cork an improbable comeback that had life breathed into it by Orlaith Cahalane’s 60th minute goal, pointing a free from tight to the Cusack Stand and almost 60m out in the second minute of injury time, to secure the O’Duffy Cup for Galway.
The skipper was ice in fire in a cauldron that felt unbearable just watching, not to mind in its midst. Who could be calm? How could you be calm?
Dolan has always been preternaturally mature. She has had great days from placed balls and the odd not so good, including in this environment.
But her teammates would not have wanted anyone else over the ball in the second minute of injury time. And as she struck the ball and you turned to look at Amy Lee, the Cork goalie never moved, only to look directly upwards. The aim was spot on, the strike true.
There was another minute and a half to play. Cork gave it everything. They won ball they had no right to. But Galway prevailed. And you couldn’t say they didn’t deserve it. Your heart went out to Cork, who fought as champions do. But they had left themselves just that bit too much to do.
On a scintillating day of action at Croke Park, with 28,795 people watching, Galway flourished in the chaos but it felt as if they created it.
A brilliantly taken goal in the 14th minute by Mairéad Dillon edged Galway in front after a frantic opening, where the teams had traded points to go three each before Saoirse McCarthy pointed a free to edge Cork ahead, momentarily.
The madness continued right to the end.
Galway were helped by the dismissal of Hannah Looney on a straight red card, just before half-time, with the midfielder adjudged to have struck Dolan in the face.
By then, Cork were struggling, with Ashling Thompson their greatest attacking threat.
Having the likes of Shauna Healy back in the fold after having a baby last year added significantly to the defensive effort this term. Siobhán Gardiner was outstanding on McCarthy in the first half.
Amy O’Connor struggled, having pulled her hamstring last week and Katrina Mackey’s lack of training with hip and shin splints didn’t help her either.
And yet the pair combined for a penalty award in the tenth minute, with Mackey sending a most sumptuous stick pass into O’Connor’s paw without the former All-Ireland final hat-trick scorer having to break stride.
She was unceremoniously dumped by Aoife Donohue but Mackey’s shot was brilliantly saved by Sarah Healy.
Donohue excelled, the smallest player on the pitch combining her pace and finishing with a trademark spikiness that comes with living life on the edge. It is what Cathal Murray brought to Galway, when he took over the reins in 2019.
They pushed hard up on Cork from the get-go, working like dervishes, and the Leesiders could never get their running game going.
It was 1-9 t 0-7 at the break and it was hard to see how even a side as good as Cork, with the calibre of characters they had, could come back.
And while they chipped away with points, for most of the game, it still felt that Galway were managing it well.
McCarthy came deeper and was phenomenal in the second half, hurling a remarkable amount of ball and firing over frees from everywhere. Emma Murphy grabbed her second point, Laura Hayes fired a monstrous score.
But Ailish O’Reilly and Donohue split the posts quick as a flash and you wondered if the surge Cork wanted had been ended.
You didn’t think much about it, as McCarthy launched two frees over the Galway bar from around 70m. One score game, but Cork hadn’t looked like creating a goal chance.
But then, right on the hour, a McCarthy long ball bounced once. Orlaith Cahalane grabbed and turned. The angle wasn’t promising but it wasn’t the time to pop a point. All duck or no dinner.
Cahalane drove with blinding power and speed. The net shook. So did Croke Park.
But there was four minutes of injury time. Minimum. Countless rucks. Tussles. Tackles. Justin Heffernan blew for that free. Carrie Dolan took her breaths, struck her sliotar.
And went to collect the O’Duffy Cup.
SCORERS FOR GALWAY: C Dolan 0-7(fs); A O’Reilly 0-3; M Dillon 1-0; A Donohue 0-2; N Mallon, C Kelly 0-1
SCORERS FOR CORK: S McCarthy 0-4(fs); A Thompson, A O’Connor (2fs, 1 45) 0-3 each; O Cahalane 1-0; E Murphy 0-2; L Hayes 0-1
GALWAY: Sarah Healy; Shauna Healy, R Black, R Hanniffy, S Gardiner, C Hickey, D Higgins, A Starr, O Rabbitte, N Mallon, A O’Reilly, A Donohue, M Dillon, C Dolan, C Kelly. Subs: S Rabbitte for Kelly (41); J Hughes for O Rabbitte (53); E Helebert for Hickey (60); A Hesnan for Dillon (60+1)
CORK: A Lee, P Mackey, L Coppinger, M Cahalane, A Healy, L Treacy, L Hayes, H Looney, A Thompson, E Murphy, A O’Connor, S McCarthy, K Mackey, S McCartan, O Cahalane. Subs: C Finn for K Mackey (37); O Mullins for McCartan (41); C Healy for O’Connor (49); M Murphy for Healy (57); K Wall for E Murphy (51)
Cathal Murray considered his future this time last year in a losing dressing room.
With two young children and a wife who has supported him as he set about effecting a complete turnaround in culture and an application of steel to the Galway camogie team since he took over the reins after the 2018 League, but this time, he was doing so from the winner's circle.
He came back because little things grated with him about the game, the year, a feeling that they never truly got going.
And they were down Niamh Kilkemny, Niamh Hanniffy, Niamh McPeake and Áine Keane this term, they got new mum Shauna Healy back as well as Emma Helebert, and the youngsters had a bit more experience.
"We were three points off it in 2023, we were three points off it last year," Murray mused. "The small little percentages. We just made them up today and we’re delighted."
Feeling completely written off remains a potential fuel, even in this era of sports science and professionalism.
"Sure we were given no chance at all. I know the League (final), we were poor in the League final, there’s no doubt about that. But we probably got to the league final because other teams probably didn’t do their job. We were never really going at full pelt, we won two or three of our games by just a point or two.
"It was disappointing, but they took it on the chin as a team. They’ve just been exceptional, since we played Tipperary back in a challenge match in early June, we’ve just been exceptional since. Thank God we pulled it off today, it could have gone either way – Cork are unbelievable champions, they’re an incredible team. To come within a puck of a ball to winning three in a row, it’s hard on them today but I’ve huge respect for them. I’ve huge respect for the management.
"To be down to 14 players just before half time, and give the performance they gave in the second half. Their selector said it to me there, we played unbelievable. We had to play unbelievable. It’s a mark of how good they are. We’re just delighted for ourselves, as I said, that third All-Ireland – it’s just, I don’t know does it copper fasten how good we’ve been. Three All-Irelands in seven years is massive."
Ger Manley was clearly bitterly disappointed and unhappy with referee Justin Heffernan.
His players told him the final free was dubious at best and he had to be convinced about the sending off of Hannah Looney in injury time at the end of the first half that left Cork with such a mountain to climb, trailing as they were by 1-9 to 0-7 and the second half to come.
He had no doubt, however, about a push by Caoimhe Kelly on Amy Lee, that left Kelly with an easy point in the first half.
A lot happened between then and the end, but in a one-point game, it was always going to grate with the vanquished.
“In a tight game like that, small things win matches" Manley began.
"Anyone who saw the push on Amy Lee, we'd nearly need to be looking for VAR if that was in a soccer match, it would have been cancelled.
“We have honest players, and she didn't dive. She was blatantly pushed. Is it sour grapes? I suppose there's a small bit of it there. We're all disappointed when we lose. I look at every reason.
“Look, Galway deserved it," he was anxious to add. "I'm not taking away from them. They had huge hunger, huge everything. I was so proud of our girls because the second half was unbelievable. I thought we were the better team in the second half. Small things win matches. Just very disappointed.”
Sarah Healy's tenth minute save from Katrina Mackey's penalty was a huge moment in the game.
Mairéad Dillon goaled four minutes after a pass from the irrepressible Aoife Donohue.
Orlaith Cahalane looked to have secured a replay with a goal right on the hour but there was time for captain, Carrie Dillon to snatch the winner from tight to the Cusack Park sideline and around 55m out.
"Some way to win it," Murray agreed. Obviously when you’re on the back foot which you were for a lot of the second half to be honest with you. When they levelled it with the goal, it was a massive point in the game that puck-out, and that resilience to win it. But we’ve shown that resilience all year to be honest with you."
