Eat, sleep, Camogie, repeat.
Here we go again 12 months on in the Camogie calendar, looking forward to an All-Ireland Senior Final where Cork, who have annexed all before them face into a Galway side who have shown glimpses of what they are about this year. Galway have yet to put in the “phenomenal” full 60 minutes one would think will be required to overthrow the champions.
Sound familiar?
What has changed?
Well, both semi-finals were far more competitive affairs this year.
Cork were comprehensive victors at that stage last year, brushing aside the Dublin challenge at their ease by 4-17 to 0-9. This only further enhanced their overwhelming favourites’ tags and possibly did them no favours in the build-up to the final.
This year, however, they were made to work hard for a final place. Waterford asked some serious questions of them at stages in the first half in Nowlan Park two weeks ago and, to their credit, Cork produced the answers when they were needed and found a way. Going on to record a 10-point victory, hitting that magic 21 points, a figure they have hit every day this championship. That’s 6-25 versus Limerick, 3-21 versus Tipperary, 0-21 versus Clare and 5-21 versus Wexford.
Galway, on the other hand, had a more comfortable victory over Tipperary in the semi-final than last year. How much of this was down to an improved Galway performance or a weakened Tipperary challenge compared to 12 months ago, time may tell.
The exception in that second semi-final was a five-minute spell before half time when Galway sloppily conceded five frees, four of which were converted for points, and an uncharacteristic Sarah Healy mistake gifting Karen Kennedy a goal that allowed Tipperary linger in the game for longer than they probably should.
Ultimately, both Cork and Galway came through with areas to improve on – as per the textbook post-semi-final manager interview.
These sides last met on Sunday April 13th in the League Final. In truth, Galway failed to raise a canter and Cork scorched to that magic 21 points again to record an emphatic 11-point victory.
When assessing that, or any, encounter, I always think it necessary to put it in context whose need was greater. Cork needed to win that League Final, only three members of that panel hold league medals, Ger Manley had made no secret of the fact that they viewed the League as a target this year and set out to win it. For Galway, the year is more about the long game. With no provincial championship, they need to get the most they can from the panel during the league, whether that means winning it or not, and then recalibrate for a run at the Championship.
Fast forward to July 12 when the counties’ Under 23 sides, also managed by Ger Manley and Cathal Murray, met in the inaugural U23 final. Cork overwhelming favourites, unbeaten all year, came up against a well-drilled, tactically astute Galway side, who shut down the Cork sweeper, nullified the most dangerous Cork forwards, and went on to record a famous victory. Was the Galway need greater?
Cork are going for that elusive three in a row which has evaded the county, camogie-wise since the 1970s – a headache I’m sure their male counterparts would gladly endure as they face the prospect of a very different three in a row next year.
The threepeat is difficult to do. Great teams across all codes have failed over the years and Cork themselves have fallen at that hurdle four times in recent memory – ’07, 10, ’16 and ’19, when Wexford, twice, Kilkenny and Galway denied them their place in the history books.
Cathal Murray is in his eighth year at the helm in Galway, his record stands at 2-2 in All-Ireland Finals. In true Galway style, they have shown what they are capable of, at stages, in the Championship. The second half performance against Kilkenny in the Group game in Nowlan Park was excellent, as was the closing stages of the table-topping decider versus Waterford in Kenny Park.
However, Galway have always shown too that when they get to a final that you can throw the form book out the window.
You can analyse Cork’s bench, the higher scoring forwards, the spread of scorers, the mean Galway defence, the individuals, the match-ups and everything else that goes with a final, but come 5.15pm on Sunday August 10th one team’s need will be the greatest and they will be taking home the O’Duffy Cup for the third time in a row or the first time since 2021.
