Galway boss Cathal Murray eyes Cork revenge as injury-hit side battle back to All-Ireland final

The Irish Sun

20 hours ago

Galway boss Murray out for Cork revenge as injury-hit side fight to All-Ireland final
GALWAY boss Cathal Murray knew his team had to take it on the chin and move on after the darkest of winters.
The Tribeswomen lost last year's All-Ireland final to Cork 1-16 to 0-16 in a game laced with regret.
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Galway manager Cathal Murray and his side are out for revenge in this weekend's All-Ireland final
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Niamh McPeake is one of a number of Galway stars set to miss the final vs Cork
All square in the 54th minute, Galway failed to score for the rest of the match as Clodagh Finn and Sorcha McCartan's double dragged the Rebels to back-to-back crowns.
Months of ifs and buts haunted Murray and his squad, but once 2025 rolled around they were left with a clear choice — keep hurting or park it and fight.
A year on, here they are again, ready to face Cork at Croke Park once more in tomorrow's showpiece.
Murray told SunSport: 'It was gutting and heartbreaking to be honest with you.
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"Last year was probably harder than any other year because we
performed so well and I think we got a lot right as well from the management.
'We probably had opportunities at the finish to maybe get a draw, maybe to carry the day on, and it just didn't happen for us.
'When you perform at such a high level it is really, really gutting and it took us a long time to get over it, but I think maybe that hurt is what's driving us on this year.
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'It never really leaves you. I suppose a lot of teams get to that stage, lose the game and then they're crying about it for a long time.
'We have a chance now 12 months on to try and put things right. We get another crack at it and a lot of teams that lose finals never get back there.
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'So I suppose it's just about us now performing and looking at our own game and seeing what we can do better.'
Some extra stings came after that defeat as midfielders Niamh Hanniffy and Niamh Kilkenny were then unavailable for 2025.
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Added to that, Áine Keane and Niamh McPeake both suffered torn ACL injuries and suddenly Murray was down four starters from last year's final.
But others have stood up to the mark. Rachel Hanniffy made the switch to the middle alongside captain Carrie Dolan, who lined out at corner-forward last year.
Shauna Healy has returned to bolster their defence after giving birth to her first child in 2024, while Maireád Dillon and Caoimhe Kelly have come in from the fringes to light up the full-forward line.
Suddenly, Murray's squad was in rude health once more, and he beams at that part of the journey back to the final.
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He said: 'I suppose what's pleased me most is the way the different players have stepped up.
'We obviously lost the final last year but put in a great performance. Unfortunately we weren't good enough to win on the day.
'I suppose missing four unbelievably important players . . . Niamh Kilkenny unfortunately wasn't available and Niamh Hanniffy went travelling.
'Áine Keane and Niamh McPeake did their cruciates, which were huge blows, and Róisín Black wasn't really available up to the semi-final.
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'I suppose a lot of new players have stepped up that were probably on the periphery of the team last year, they have come and put in massive performances and, as a group, we've improved.
'When you're missing players like those who started in the final last year, other players do have to step up and I think that's what's pleased me most — that and, I suppose, the performances in the group.
'When you beat Derry, Dublin, Kilkenny, Waterford and Tipperary along the way, you definitely deserve to be in the final and our performances have steadily improved.
"They've shown huge resilience, but huge ability as well.'
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THIRD TIME
The Sarsfields clubman delivered All-Ireland glory to Galway in 2019 and 2021 and will go all-out to land his third crown as boss tomorrow.
But Murray has plenty on his hands in his eighth season at the helm. He has two young kids with his wife Aisling and he would never be able to do the job he loves so much without the never-ending support at home.
He said: 'It's hard to juggle, I have a very young family as well. I have a daughter who's only nine months old and our other little girl is two-and-a-half.
'I owe a lot to my wife Aisling. It's tough at times when you have such a young family, you're going on a Monday and Wednesday and she's left to put the two children to bed. That's not easy.
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'You're trying to put in as much time as you can when you're not at the camogie. I owe her a huge amount, only for she's taking up the slack at home I wouldn't be able to do this job.
'When you're there, you want to give it as much as you can.
"We've got a huge response from the players and a huge response from the group over the last number of years and we want to be getting to All-Irelands, that's where we want to be.
'I absolutely love doing it, it takes up a lot of time but it's the best thing I've ever been involved in.'