09-08-2025
Expect a tight finish, but Cork can travel alone to new heights
A third Cork-Galway final in five years. The only pairing that guarantees a competitive final. The only pairing that guarantees Cork will not coast to three-in-a-row. The only pairing that brings the absolute best out of Galway.
This is the final camogie wanted, needed. Whatever about desperately one-sided League deciders or early summer non-events, whenever Cork and Galway pitch up at Croke Park together, they usually go to the wire together.
The 32 white flags raised 12 months ago was an All-Ireland camogie final first, re-emphasising how these two teams are continually raising the bar.
Galway drove the standard at the beginning of the decade. The relationship has since taken on a red hue. Whatever height Cork climb to, Galway are typically found on their heel. So was the case 12 months ago when the Leeside favourites had to find a late three-in-a-row, after going scoreless for 13 minutes, to take the title by that very margin.
Are Cork stronger than 12 months ago? Yes, but only marginally.
Cruciate victim Izzy O'Regan is a loss in defence. Against that, Meabh Cahalane didn't start last year's decider because of injury. Younger sister, Orlaith, is another year further on in her development and the damage she is capable of wreaking, although she'll have been disappointed with her scoreless semi-final contribution. There are others in Cork's middle third, including Ashling Thompson, that know an improvement on their Nowlan Park showing is demanded.
Katrina Mackey's return from injury and return to form has been perfectly timed. Her retention at corner-forward means Clodagh Finn will, for the second final in-a-row, be used for bench impact. Finn, though, is a completely different force returning to Croke Park. Her starting role across the group phase saw 4-7 racked up.
Cork are stronger than 12 months ago for the semi-final challenge presented by Waterford. Galway won't go plus-two in defence as the Déise did, but Cork, for the first time in 2025, had to problem solve. They also had an openness in defence that will have been since addressed.
Although Galway have back in their defence Shauna Healy and Emma Helebert, a pair of All-Ireland winners absent last year, they are overall weaker for the missing Áine Keane (cruciate), Niamh Hanniffy (traveling), and incomparable Niamh Kilkenny. Even their bench is a paler complexion of 12 months ago.
Where there is encouragement for again pushing and possibly outlasting the champions is their improved form coming in. The teams ranked three, four, and five - Waterford, Tipp, and Kilkenny - were bettered by six, seven, and eight points respectively.
From midfield up, you can count six potential matchwinners on the Cork side. For Galway, too much of the responsibility falls on Aoife Donohue, Niamh Mallon, and Ailish O'Reilly.
53 years on from Cork's most recent three-in-a-row, Ger Manley's side can travel alone to new heights.
Verdict: Cork
