A Cork-Galway final for the third time in five years. This is a pairing that always promises a tight contest. It’s the only fixture that ensures Cork won’t have an easy path to a three-in-a-row. It’s also the only one that consistently draws the best performance from Galway.
This is the final that camogie has been craving. Unlike some one-sided League deciders or forgettable summer matches, a Cork-Galway clash at Croke Park almost always goes down to the wire.
The 32 scores racked up in last year’s All-Ireland camogie final was unprecedented, highlighting the continually increasing standard set by these two teams.
Galway set the benchmark early in the decade. Since then, the rivalry has intensified. No matter how high Cork climb, Galway are always close behind. Last year, Cork needed a late burst of three consecutive points, after a 13-minute scoreless spell, to secure the title by that narrow margin.
Are Cork a stronger team than they were a year ago? Yes, albeit only marginally.
The loss of Izzy O’Regan to a cruciate injury weakens their defense. However, Meabh Cahalane wasn’t a starter in last year’s final due to injury. Additionally, her younger sister, Orlaith, has matured further and is capable of causing significant damage, although she will be hoping for a better performance than her scoreless semi-final. Several others in Cork’s midfield, including Ashling Thompson, need to elevate their performance from the Nowlan Park game.
Katrina Mackey’s timely return from injury and form is a huge boost. Her presence at corner-forward means Clodagh Finn will be deployed as an impact substitute, just as she was in the previous final. Finn, however, enters Croke Park as a significantly different player this time. Her starting role during the group stage resulted in a tally of 4-7.
Cork’s experience in overcoming the semi-final challenge posed by Waterford makes them stronger. Unlike Waterford who played a plus-two defensively, Galway won’t. Furthermore, Cork will have addressed the defensive vulnerabilities exposed during the semi-final, which were previously unseen in 2025.
Although Galway welcome back Shauna Healy and Emma Helebert to their defense – both All-Ireland winners who were absent last year – the team is weaker overall due to the absence of Áine Keane (cruciate), Niamh Hanniffy (traveling), and the irreplaceable Niamh Kilkenny. Their bench also lacks the depth it had last year.
However, Galway can draw encouragement from their improved form leading up to this final. They convincingly defeated teams ranked three, four, and five – Waterford, Tipperary, and Kilkenny – by six, seven, and eight points respectively.
Cork boasts six potential match-winners from midfield upwards. For Galway, too much reliance rests on the shoulders of Aoife Donohue, Niamh Mallon, and Ailish O’Reilly.
53 years after Cork last achieved a three-in-a-row, Ger Manley’s team has the opportunity to create a new legacy.
Cork
