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The 42
6 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
An All-Ireland contest to savour after three poor deciders but interest must go beyond one day
A MOMENT TO honour Galway and Cork for delivering what the other finalists couldn't. After three poor contests, we were craving an All-Ireland final of high drama. Something to sign off on the inter-county season with a guttural yell. Sunday's offering of hard physical exchanges, red card controversy, and penalty tension was just the tonic. That's before we even mention Carrie Dolan's pressure free from near the sideline to win it, and the verbal sideswipes from both managers that followed the full-time whistle. Cork boss Ger Manley assuredly said there were 'no sour grapes' over the result before unleashing a tirade against referee Justin Heffernan over decisions against his team. Cathal Murray fumed at an article in the Irish Examiner which he claimed was 'f****** insulting' to his players ahead of the game. His spicy tone conjured up images of that famous clip from 'A Year 'Til Sunday' in which the late John O'Mahony holds up a newspaper during a team meeting with the 1998 Galway footballers. He bristles at an article accusing his players of being 'fancy dans' before looking up at them and saying: 'There's only one f****** answer for that.' Carrie Dolan lifting the O'Duffy Cup. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO Carrie Dolan did something similar in her acceptance speech, highlighting a pop at her manager claiming Galway had a 'fat chance of winning an All-Ireland with Murray in charge'. Ailish O'Reilly practically stood over Cork's corpse when she looked down the Sunday Game camera and sniped at the three-in-a-row talk that disrespected her team. Advertisement And should the two teams make it back to Croke Park next year, Cork have lots of motivational material to hang on their dressing room wall for the trilogy title fight. Galway and Cork gave us everything, and for that, we salute you. Our cups are truly full. But where to now for camogie, and indeed Ladies football, after their usual blast of annual All-Ireland final day coverage? Back into the vault until finals day 2026. We've been stuck in that phase for some time now as the rest of their respective seasons receive comparatively less attention. The games preceding the All-Ireland final are often reduced to wrap reports and short highlights packages on the night-time edition of the Sunday Game. It's not total disregard, but we're also not engaged with the trending storylines that develop throughout the season. As a consequence, media preparation for the All-Ireland finals tends to feel like cramming for an exam. It becomes retrospective coverage. We end up in a scenario where we try to cover everything we've missed to hastily create a narrative. Not that we should fall into the trap of comparing the coverage with the men's codes, but it is worth observing the difference in how we preview those finals. The constant drip-feed of context throughout the year allows us to go beneath the surface level information and consider different angles and storylines for the big days in the hurling and men's football. That all leads to more enlightened coverage. TG4 have the broadcast rights for Ladies football due to their longstanding sponsorship arrangement. And credit must go to the Irish language station for consistently showing live games throughout the season. But even while accounting for that brilliant effort, it still feels like we fixate on the All-Ireland finals. And to that point, the obsession with attendance numbers could be seen as a contributory factor to why coverage beyond All-Ireland finals has stalled. Reaching a certain figure for one triple-header of games is not the antidote when the attendance is so vastly different on other championship days. Ladies football set a crowd record of 56,114 in 2019, which was an impressive feat considering the torrential rain that fell during the clash of Dublin and Galway that day. The 2019 Ladies All-Ireland final drew a record crowd despite heavy rainfall. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO The intrusion of Covid in the years after certainly didn't help with building on that figure, but attendances have dropped since the Croke Park gates reopened. There was 45,326 at the 2023 final triple-header, and 30,340 turned out last year. There were more clicks through the turnstiles last weekend, as Dublin and Meath drew a crowd of 48,089 into Croke Park. The turnout for camogie finals is even lower. Just 28,795 were present for that Galway-Cork thriller on Sunday, a number which was well below the 40,000 target that was set by camogie association president Brian Molloy. Television dictates everything. Seeing the games live informs our opinions of the teams involved, the competitions and the sport on a broader note. Match reports and podcast segments can only do so much when we can't visualise what is being discussed. And while we have TG4 and GAA+ widening the selection and offering us more games to watch live than ever before, the Sunday Game remains the flagship programme. Despite the many complaints about the show, it sill provides the biggest platform for games. It's the reason why men's football and hurling are always in a scrap for free-to-air coverage. And in an already condensed season where everyone is fighting for broadcasting position, where does one make room for camogie and Ladies football? All-Ireland finals will always thrive as the men's competitions have already been concluded. That gives them the entire promotional shop window. The other games, however, are overshadowed by what's happening in the men's codes. The camogie All-Ireland semi-final double-header was televised on RTÉ, but since that was the same weekend as the men's football final, the camogie clashes were somewhat overlooked. Perhaps, in the case of Ladies football, the media rights could be expanded to include RTÉ with a view to exploring a slot in the Sunday Game coverage. It may be an ambitious suggestion to aim for, but could a provincial final double-header on television be possible? Considering that a merger of all four codes is coming in 2027, perhaps it's time for the governing bodies to meet and consider such opportunities. We need a sincere effort to help spread the coverage of Ladies football and camogie. Of course, that would take a lot of planning to avoid excluding a headline fixture from the Sunday Game billing. It's an almost impossible tightrope to walk. But some collaborative thinking could possibly identify a vacancy. And maybe it will only be achievable once in the championship to start with. But something needs to happen to move the dial. Growth can also be achieved on the back of social media clips showcasing great moments of skill and score-taking. Carla Rowe's back-heeled goal in the All-Ireland semi-final against Galway is one stunning example. She combined both to become a viral hit. Her audacious effort became a big talking point in the build-up to the final. Related Reads Galway win the big moments, Cork forwards shut down, referee criticism 'It's been a mad year' - Wedding and All-Ireland joy for Galway's Star of County Down 'All we heard all week was the three-in-a-row. We were there to take it off them' But we need more of that online traction to help build a fanbase. That's particularly true in the case of the Camogie Association since they have even less TV coverage to work with than Ladies football. They need to utilise their own channels to regularly publish highlights packages with good graphics to help sell the product. Interviews with players about their lives and passion for the sport the various challenges they face day-to-day with are important too. They allow us to see the human behind the jersey. But those stories are separate to the game they play. They're not props to bolster match coverage. In-game moments are the only currency that counts in that respect. There have been some suggestions that camogie and Ladies football championships should revert to the old schedule, meaning that All-Ireland finals would return to the Autumn dates. That could be a solution, although it also means going into direct competition with the men's club championships. That would lead to further dilution of the All-Ireland final crowds as most will pick their club game in that scenario. When you're trying to grow both sports, you must meet the public more than half way. Anything that could discourage spectators from attending the games is a dangerous gamble to take. The 2025 camogie final was one to remember. But we'll have to savour it long enough to sustain us through to July next year. Our cups could do with a refill.
RTÉ News
7 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Watch: Heroes' welcome for Camogie champions in Galway
The All-Ireland camogie champions arrived to a heroes' welcome in Clarinbridge, Co Galway. Following Sunday's All-Ireland camogie final, huge crowds gathered yesterday to welcome the team at Duggan Park in Ballinasloe at 6pm, where the players met fans and signed jerseys before the team moved on to Clarinbridge. Team captain Carrie Dolan, who thrust an arm into the sky in celebration in the 63rd minute on Sunday, well before the sliotar from her game-winning free split the posts at the Davin End of Croke Park, was welcomed back as a hero to her hometown of Ballinsaloe. The Galway camogie team have been in 22 All Ireland finals and they have lost 17. They won their fifth title on Sunday, depriving Cork of a historic three-in-a-row bid. "When you lose enough of them, you have to make the time for people when you win them," she said, after posing for pictures and signing jerseys and hurleys belonging to young fans. She added: "I can't wait to get back and see the people that gave a lot of time to me and who came up and supported us on Sunday." Earlier yesterday, the team bus stopped in Athlone where the players took the O'Duffy Cup west in a symbolic parade across the Shannon. "These finals are very hard to win. We haven't a huge amount of them won so any opportunity we get to bring that cup across the Shannon - it's a huge occasion for us," said Paul Kelly, chairperson of the Galway Camogie Board. The team also had a busy morning visiting children at Temple Street Hospital. In a well-established tradition, the players visited patients at the Dublin hospital where they received a warm welcome from the medical and nursing staff, children and their families. There was great excitement as the players were guided through the corridors to meet the children. Tracey Wall, the Head of Operations at Temple Street, said the traditional visit of the All Ireland champions on the Monday after the All Ireland finals was a massive treat and brought much joy to everyone in Temple Street. Watch: All-Ireland champions visit Temple Street The large group of Galway players were guided to various wards where they met and took photographs with patients and staff, and the visit clearly had an impact on the players as well. "It really puts things into perspective. We're so lucky to be able to go out and do what we do," said RTÉ Player of the Match Aoife Donohue. "It's a really special morning."
Irish Times
11-08-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Galway camogie win: ‘There was never a doubt ... we were always going to win,' says team captain Carrie Dolan
Thousands of fans turned out at two Co Galway venues on Monday evening to welcome home the winners of this year's All-Ireland camogie title. The squad and management group, a day after pipping Cork at Croke Park by a point to capture the county's fifth senior title, were greeted by a huge crowd when they stopped at Duggan Park GAA ground in Ballinasloe in the east of the county. There was another huge turnout later in Clarinbridge, the home village of captain Carrie Dolan, as the O'Duffy Cup was welcomed to Galway for the third time in seven years. The sunshine added to the feel good factor as the squad made its way across the county. READ MORE Dolan, who landed the winning point deep into stoppage time to deny Cork a third title in a row, said the group was thrilled to return with the cup, which she was always confident they would win. Carrie Dolan meets supporters who turned out in Duggan Park to welcome home the county team. Photograph: Inpho 'It was a very special day for my family and my club,' she said. 'There was never a doubt in my mind, we were always going to win. I said it to the girls on Saturday night that we had the work done and now let's go and take what's ours.' The squad, some of whom visited Temple Street Children's Hospital before leaving Dublin, stopped in Athlone and walked across the bridge over the Shannon with the O'Duffy Cup. Eight–year–old Abigail Egan and Galway players at Temple Street Hospital with the O'Duffy Cup. Photograph: Andres Poveda The first stop in Co Galway was at Duggan Park at 5.30pm and after being greeted by a maroon and white-clad crowd on the pitch, the squad went for a meal before departing for Clarinbridge, where people had travelled from all over for what promised to be a long night of celebrations. Three members of the squad have created their own piece of GAA history, joining the late Mattie McDonagh as the only Connacht player to win four All-Ireland senior intercounty medals. McDonagh was on the Galway team which won the All-Ireland senior football title in 1956 and was on the team which completed a three-in-a-row from 1964-1966. He has been joined in the records books by Aoife Donohue, Annmarie Starr and Ailish O'Reilly, members of the victorious Galway squads of 2013, 2019, 2021 and now 2025. Galway's Annmarie Starr celebrates with Róisín Black. Photograph: Inpho Sunday's victory was also a special day for two former Galway hurlers who battled for years but never got to taste All-Ireland glory. Joe Rabbitte and Pádraig Kelly were selected as all stars during their careers but never brought home the Liam McCarthy Cup. However, they got to celebrate on Sunday as each of them had two daughters on the squad – Olwen and Sabina Rabbitte and Caoimhe and Rachel Kelly – who were central to Galway's success during the year. Camogie Association president Brian Molloy, himself a native of Galway, said Sunday was a wonderful promotion for the sport, and he hailed Dolan for the way she clinched the win. 'The senior final could have gone either way and for Carrie Dolan to stand over that last free, and if any fella took that in a hurling game, people would be talking about it for years to come,' he said. Camogie Association president Brian Molloy alongside Galway's Aoife Donohue with her Player of the Match Award. Photograph: Inpho 'She's out on the line and knowing she has to score it to win the game. And she scores it, calm as you like, and then pops up the stairs and gives one of the best speeches I've heard in a long, long time.' Galway County Council chairman Cllr David Collins said the camogie squad had brought great honour and enjoyment to the county. 'What we witnessed in Croke Park was nothing short of remarkable,' he said. 'This Galway team have shown incredible resilience and fight, bouncing back from the heartbreak of last year's final and overcoming Cork in the most dramatic fashion ... I know every parish and community in Galway will be celebrating this historic win.'
Irish Independent
11-08-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Gallant Cork senior camogie team praised for providing inspiration for the next generation
Captain fantastic Carrie Dolan emerged the hero for Galway as her late free secured victory on a final scoreline of 1-14 to 1-13 following a thrilling final. The Rebelettes played with 14 for just over half the game following Hannah Looney's straight red card and almost snatched victory following a brave comeback in the closing stages, but they agonisingly missed out securing three-in-a-row. In the aftermath of the game, warm tributes were paid to the Cork camogie team following their spirited performance last Sunday. Taoiseach Micheál Martin congratulated Galway for winning the title for the fifth time in their history. 'Congratulations to Galway on a thrilling victory in a most exciting All-Ireland final against a spirited and gallant Cork team.' Sinn Féin TD for Cork South Central Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire paid tribute to the Cork camogie team for fighting right to the end. 'Heartbreak for the Cork camogie team, but they really showed why they have been such fantastic champions. They fought right to the end and nearly pulled it off. 'Thank you to the players and all involved in Cork camogie for all the fantastic memories in the last few years and providing inspiration to the next generation,' he added. His party colleague Thomas Gould TD for Cork North Central said the Cork senior camogie team did themselves, their families and Cork proud. 'They never gave up and battled to the final whistle. Only an injury time free was the difference in a game where the Rebels never got any break. Thanks for a great year. Heads up agus Corcaigh Abú.'
The 42
11-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The 42
Galway's Aoife Donohue lands All-Ireland camogie final player of the match award
GALWAY'S AOIFE DONOHUE has been named the RTÉ Glen Dimplex Player of the Match for the 2025 All-Ireland senior camogie final. The Tribe lifted the O'Duffy Cup for the first time since 2021 yesterday, also ending Cork's three in a row hopes, as a thrilling, dramatic decider finished 1-14 to 1-13 at Croke Park. Donohoe starred for Galway, capping an all-action display with two points from play. Advertisement While captain and free-taking hero Carrie Dolan and Cork's Saoirse McCarthy were among others in the conversation, the winner was announced on The Sunday Game on RTÉ, as Marty Morrissey attended the Galway team banquet at the Bonnington Hotel. 'I don't think it's gonna sink in for a few days,' Donohue said of the All-Ireland success. 'It's just unreal. Aoife Donohue is named RTÉ Glen Dimplex Player of the Match for the 2025 All-Ireland senior camogie final #Camogie — The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) August 10, 2025 'Obviously there was huge disappointment after last year (final defeat to Cork), but at the end of the day, it's an All-Ireland final. You want to win it. It was probably there, a little bit of hurt from last year, but look, it was 2025. Everyone dreams about winning All-Irelands, so we didn't need any extra motivation either. 'There was disappointment there from last year but we put everything into it this year and thankfully, we came out on the right side today.' Reflecting on her fourth All-Ireland win alongside Ailish O'Reilly and Ann Marie Starr, Donohue added: 'We're playing with Galway for a long time. Yeah, it's unreal. This one is probably one of the sweetest yet.' Dolan and manager Cathal Dolan also spoke to Morrissey at the team banquet, stressing how they were 'written off' and 'always the underdog, never backed by anyone' as they chased the county's fifth All-Ireland title. 'Always the underdog, never backed by anyone. But we've leaders and captains throughout our group' Galway captain Carrie Dolan and manager Cathal Murray talk to @MartyMofficial from the winners' banquet in Dublin's Bonnington Hotel — The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) August 10, 2025 *****
