6 days ago
Meabh Cahalane hoping three in-a-row chasing Cork can return silverware to Leeside
Meabh Cahalane hopes
Cork
can lift the spirits of the county by bringing
All-Ireland
silverware back to Leeside on Sunday.
The eldest daughter in the famed Cahalane clan of Castlehaven, she was in Croke Park last month for the All-Ireland senior hurling final, in which her oldest brother, Damien, featured. Another brother, Jack, was part of the extended Cork panel.
The manner of the defeat to Tipperary has led to a lengthy postmortem in Cork, but Sunday provides an opportunity for the county's camogie team to claim a third consecutive All-Ireland senior title.
Meabh and Orlaith Cahalane will both play in the Croke Park decider against
Galway
, but their sister Gráinne has missed the year through injury.
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'You're guaranteed nothing in sport and unfortunately they [Cork hurlers] probably didn't perform to their potential that day, and they'll know that more than anyone else,' says Cahalane.
'I suppose the worst feeling coming away from Croke Park, and we've had it ourselves, is regret. Hopefully that group can stick together now, because you probably learn a lot more when you lose.
'Hopefully the lads can use that as a target to go forward, to hopefully get back to Croke Park next year and right those wrongs.'
Cork's Meabh Cahalane at Croke Park ahead of Sunday's All-Ireland senior camogie final. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho
The 29-year-old has experienced the pain of defeat on All-Ireland final day twice – to Galway in 2021 and Kilkenny in 2022. But the team channelled those losses to fire them to O'Duffy Cup glory over Waterford in 2023.
They successfully defended their title in 2024 and now hope to become the first Cork side since the early 70s to claim three in-a-row. Standing in their way will be a Galway outfit hell-bent on revenge after losing last year's final by a goal.
Meabh was handed the Cork captaincy this season, exactly 30 years on from her dad, Niall, captaining the county's senior footballers. Another of Meabh's brothers, Conor, was part of the Cork senior football team this year – a side managed by their uncle, John Cleary.
Five of the seven Cahalane children are still living at home, while Meabh resides in Cork City.
'It's very easy for them [parents] to relate to us and they offer us huge support, we're so lucky to have that. They're the main reason that we're lining out for Cork in Croke Park the next day,' she adds.
Sunday will be the third time Cork and Galway have met this season – Galway won the last round of Division 1A regulation games 0-19 to 0-13 in March, but in the league final two weeks later Cork ran out 0-21 to 0-10 victors.
That defeat to Galway in March remains the only loss suffered by Cork in any competition this year, and while Ger Manley's side had already booked their place in the league final by that stage, the display prompted some soul-searching within the dressingroom.
Meabh Cahalane lifts the trophy after Cork's win over Galway in the Division 1A league final at Semple Stadiun in April. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho
'While there's nothing at stake, you don't prepare for a performance to be under par, and for us that day that performance was definitely well under par,' remembers Cahalane.
'We definitely had an honest conversation with each other as players. Nobody was happy with that performance, so when we met Galway in the league final we just knew that we wanted to put in a Cork performance, and one that might put us in a position to be within grasp of winning a league title.
'We were happy enough coming away from Thurles that day after the league final but we knew we'd meet Galway again later on in the season.'
Meabh has four All-Ireland senior titles to her credit – the first coming in 2015 in what was her debut season – and she's now just one win away from captaining Cork to glory.
'I suppose your perspective changes the older you get. Like every other team, you go back training in January with one thing in mind, you are aiming towards an All-Ireland final and an All-Ireland medal,' she says.
'I suppose when that final whistle goes, the only description that I can give of that feeling is that all the hard work that you've put in all year has now paid off, and as a group that's what you feel collectively. It's those battles that you've had in training, those tough running sessions, the nights where it was raining and you didn't want to go out training.
'But I think when you get over the line and that final whistle goes, it's just relief that it has all been made worth it.'
