Galway edge out Cork in lively All-Ireland camogie final

Extra.ie​

2 days ago

Galway have claimed their first All-Ireland camogie title since 2021 after a fiery encounter with Cork at Croke Park.
The Rebels were trying to make it three-in-a-row but a red card and a missed penalty meant the glory was Galway's to take home.
Only one point separated the sides in the end, with Carrie Dolan firing over a fantastic free in the dying minutes to seal the deal. Galway claimed the All-Ireland title. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Cork showed immense strength to fight back after being reduced to 14 players following Hannah Looney's dismissal right at the end of the first half.
Galway held a five-point lead at half-time, a margin they fully deserved after displaying relentless hunger and aggression from the throw-in.
Cork had an early chance to take control, but Katriona Mackey's penalty was saved by Sarah Healy eight minutes in, following a foul on Amy O'Connor. Cork players were left devastated. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
The sides were evenly matched early on, level three times, but Mairead Dillon's goal after 14 minutes gave Galway their first lead. That moment shifted the momentum decisively.
Riding a wave of confidence, Galway outscored Cork 0-6 to 0-3 heading into the break, with their ferocious tackling in the middle third disrupting Cork's attempts to carry the sliotar forward.
Aoife O'Donoghue opened the scoring, setting the tone, and while Cork responded through Hannah Looney, Emma Murphy, and an Amy O'Connor 45, Galway were more efficient. Carrie Dolan and O'Donoghue kept the scoreboard ticking over with accuracy and intent. It was a fiery clash. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Cork briefly led through a Saoirse McCarthy free, but a midfield error proved costly as O'Donoghue pounced on a turnover to set up Dillon's clinical goal.
Galway continued to build, with Dolan slotting two frees, Ailish O'Reilly contributing twice from open play, and Caoimhe Kelly adding another. Cork stayed in touch through points from Aishling Thompson (twice) and an O'Connor free.
But disaster struck just before the break when Looney received a red card in first-half injury time, leaving Ger Manley's side a player down and a mountain to climb.
To their credit, Cork responded with grit and urgency. Murphy scored from play and O'Connor added a free to cut the deficit within eight minutes of the restart.
However, Galway used their numerical advantage well, exploiting space. Niamh Mallon and Dolan (free) hit back to maintain the margin. With only one Cork starting forward scoring from play, the bench was called upon to inject energy, and the tide began to turn.
Thompson, McCarthy, Laura Treacy, and Laura Hayes led the Cork resurgence, forcing turnovers and raising their intensity across the field—effort that had been lacking earlier.
McCarthy and Hayes reduced the gap to three, but O'Reilly and Dolan pushed it back out to five again.
Still, Cork refused to lie down.
McCarthy nailed two difficult frees, and then Thompson produced a sublime pass to the hard-running Orlaith Cahalane, who found a rare pocket of space and buried the sliotar at the near post. Suddenly, it was a one-point game heading into four minutes of stoppage time.
Momentum was firmly with Cork as Galway struggled to convert possession into scores, but with time slipping away, Galway won a free near the sideline.
From a tight angle, Dolan struck it sweetly between the posts.
Cork pressed once more, desperately seeking an equaliser to force a replay. They had a strong shout for a free when Clodagh Finn was brought down, but it was waved away.
Galway cleared their lines and corralled Cork into the corner under the Hogan Stand as the final whistle blew, securing a dramatic win on a day when Cork's hearts were left broken.