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RTÉ News
20 hours 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."
The Irish Sun
21 hours ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Cathal Murray's ‘unfinished business' mission complete as Galway land third All-Ireland crown under his reign
HIS decision to stay on after last year's heartbreak paid off in style as Galway toppled Cork to reclaim the O'Duffy Cup JOB DONE Cathal Murray's 'unfinished business' mission complete as Galway land third All-Ireland crown under his reign CATHAL MURRAY has been hailed for orchestrating his Galway tenure to a glorious crescendo in Sunday's All-Ireland senior camogie final. The hugely successful Tribe boss admitted the O'Duffy Cup triumph over Cork was the sweetest one yet as an unfinished symphony was completed. 2 Galway claimed yet another All-Ireland Camogie title after a win over rivals Cork on Sunday in Dublin 2 Galway manager Cathal Murray led the side to glory for a third time at GAA HQ On a day when the Rebels were chasing a three-in-a-row, three ended up being the magic number for Murray instead. The Sarsfields man led Galway to All-Ireland glory for the third time – no mean feat in a county that had only landed the holy grail twice before he took the reins in 2018. Murray revealed that he effectively called time on his tenure after losing last year's final to Cork, only to cite 'unfinished business' for his decision to remain at the helm. And forward Niamh Mallon reckons the gaffer deserves enormous credit for conducting the women in maroon to achieve another pitch-perfect performance at Croke Park. She said: 'I'm just delighted for the group and delighted for Cathal. They put a massive effort in. It's easy for people to have pops at management teams and the way they set teams up. 'But the time and effort that group has put into us has been massive since the turn of January. And they got their just rewards. I'm just delighted to be part of the group and very grateful." It took a controversial Katrina Mackey goal to decide the contest in Cork's favour when the teams clashed in the 2024 final. Nevertheless, Galway were depicted as rank outsiders to flip the script. Their determination to upset the odds was evident from the outset as Murray's side brought a level of energy and aggression that Cork failed to match throughout the first half. Mallon reflected: "It was fierce intense, to be honest. And we kind of knew that coming into the game. "If we were going to turn Cork over, it was going to be intensity that was going to take us there. We brought a massive intensity this time last year, we just didn't have the composure to see it out. Inside Sharlene Mawdsley's birthday celebrations as GAA star boyfriend treats her to athletics-themed cake 'I think the experience of last year really stood to us, particularly coming down the stretch. We managed the game a whole lot better than this time last year. We're just delighted to get over the line." Galway were full value for their five-point lead at the interval. Indeed, it resembled an unassailable deficit for Cork when coupled with the dismissal of Hannah Looney in first-half stoppage time. But that blow seemed to galvanise the defending champions, who raised their game considerably after the change of ends. Orlaith Cahalane's goal in the final minute of normal time brought Cork level and nudged Galway out of the ascendancy for the first time since the opening quarter. Still, the final say was had by the women from the west. Having been fouled by Kate Wall, Galway captain Carrie Dolan aced a free that sealed their one-point win. Mallon explained: "We really went after stopping their running game at source. If they get out, they're a fierce dangerous side. 'Trying to not let them build from the back and give them a platform, particularly in that middle third, that's where they got us last year. 'They hit 1-3 or 1-4 without reply by building solely from the back. We knew we couldn't let that happen if we were going to win and thankfully we managed the game better in that third quarter." Cork manager Ger Manley fumed at referee Justin Heffernan after the game, accusing the Wexford whistler of a 'shocking' performance. But Mallon felt Heffernan played his part in facilitating a refreshing level of physicality that significantly boosted the entertainment value of the showpiece. PLAYER'S PERSPECTIVE Asked if the game was as taxing as it looked, she said: "I think so. And I think the referee really played into that. He let the game go and it really contributed to a really good game. 'There were a few questionable decisions last year coming down the stretch on both sides. I think he did a great job to let the game flow. You got a spectacle out of it." After just two seasons with Galway, Mallon has already experienced both the agony and ecstasy of the biggest day in the camogie calendar. The former Down forward has been based in Galway since 2018 through her job as a sports scientist at Orreco. She finally made the decision to switch inter-county allegiances last year. Mallon, 30, admitted in the wake of the recent semi-final win over Tipperary that it was 'a huge challenge' to feel at home in her new surroundings. But having played a starring role in Sunday's triumph, the 2024 All-Star insisted: 'Cathal, the management team, the players – they were brilliant. "I spoke after the Tipp game that it was something in my own head. It was something I'd never experienced in a camogie dressing room in ten, 15 years and it was something I had to get over. 'I think the experience of coming into my first All-Ireland final was something I needed to work through. I think the experience of last year stood to me. Just very grateful to the group."
Irish Times
a day ago
- 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
a day ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Jubilant crowd welcomes Galway camogie heroes – ‘The heart they show is just unbelievable'
Well over 1,000 Galway supporters gathered on the pitch to greet their heroes, who celebrated with the O'Duffy Cup and posed with fans under the Galway evening sunshine. All 39 members of the squad were given a raucous reception from the sea of maroon as they entered the main stage, with signs and flags scattered across the homecoming crowd heightening the festival-like atmosphere. Among those who gathered at Duggan Park were Kai, Lucy, Chloe, Siofra, Mia, Saoirse, Ruairi, who had attended the match in Croke Park with their families and even managed to luckily touch the trophy as it was presented to the players in the Hogan Stand. They added: 'There were more Cork fans but even though there were less people there was more loudness from Galway.' The group were in Ballinasloe to support the team even further as they proudly showed their hand painted sign reading 'Congrats girls, we are so proud!' 'We made [our sign] 15 minutes before we came, the paint just dried,' Mia said. And the young fans are already looking forward to next year as when asked to give the winners a message, they said: 'You got this next year, you're gonna make it and win as well.' Niamh, Ruairi, Rod, Aoife, Niamh, Eanna and Aoibhinn were also at Duggan Park to support the Galway team who, they said, are their local heroes and role models. Rod said: 'We just want to support our local heroes, especially two local girls, Ciara Hickey and Katie Anna Porter. We just want to show our support to the girls and say well done. 'And it's great for the children here to see great heroes and role models to look up to, they might emulate them in the years to come.' Niamh proudly added: 'They did absolutely brilliant yesterday, they brought it to Cork in the first half in particular. They stuck with it in the second half, and then we just got it over the line. So fair play to them, they gave it everything they had to give.' The squad was represented by players from all corners of the county, with each player's name being greeted by a wave of cheers from the crowd. The last player to be presented was Galway captain Carrie Dolan, who received a rapturous cheer from the crowd when her named was announced, having scored seven points in the final. Addressing the spectators, she said it was an 'absolute honour' to captain the side and praised her teammates for their dedication and ability to recover from last year's All-Ireland final defeat to Cork. 'We have two mothers in the team; we have girls that are 18 years of age and the heart they show is just unbelievable. Twelve months ago, we lost the All-Ireland in Croke Park and sometimes you don't get those days back. Only the good teams come back and yesterday we came back. 'I want to thank you all for coming out and supporting this team. I've never seen [such] a crowd to get behind the Galway camogie team since I started playing. We've lost three of the last four finals we've been in, and you stayed coming up that road. I can't tell you how important you were yesterday in that victory. 'To all the young boys and girls down there, yesterday our dream came true and, in the future, that could be your dream too. Never give up on your dream if you want to be a Galway camogie or hurling player.' Last to address the crowd was Galway manager Cathal Murray, who spoke proudly of the group and praised the side for the hard work that ultimately sealed their first O'Duffy Cup since 2021. 'One of my earliest memories as young child is coming to Ballinasloe to see the '87 and '88 teams, and I think it put a love of hurling in me. I hope there's lots of young girls out there that look up to these girls and that they inspire you and I hope you go on and represent your county in Croke Park. 'We're here because of the team here on my left-hand side. I'm unbelievably honoured to have such an unbelievable group of players representing Galway. I think the performances that put up over the last number of years have been exceptional but yesterday topped it all off. 'For me as manager, I'm just unbelievably honoured and privileged to be involved with such a special group of players.'
RTÉ News
a day ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Humbling experience for Galway camogie squad at Temple Street Children's Hospital
It's a Monday tradition for the All-Ireland winners and a "special morning" for the Galway camogie squad as they visited the Children's University Hospital in Temple Street. The O'Duffy Cup was there too, all after the Connacht side edged out holders Cork in Sunday's senior decider at Croke Park. There was great excitement among patients and staff as the players were guided through the corridors to meet the children. "It's very special, watching the All-Irelands down through the years, you get to see other teams do it," said Galway defender Dervla Higgins to RTÉ News. "Yesterday we thought the game was the most important thing ever but it humbles you coming here today, you see that there are bigger things in life." For Aoife Donohue, player of the match in this year's final, keeping up the well-established tradition was foremost for the squad. "All the girls wanted to come here," she said. "We are so lucky to go out and do what we are able to but coming here is so special; it really puts things into perspective. It's just a special morning." Ahead of taking the O'Duffy Cup across the Shannon, the victorious Galway senior camogie squad visited the Children's Hospital in Temple Street @GalwayCamogie96 @OfficialCamogie @MartyMofficial #rtenews #rtesport — RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) August 11, 2025 Another one of the Galway stalwarts, Róisín Black, also emphasised the importance of meeting the patients and their families in Temple Street. "There's a good gang of us here this morning and we all wanted to come. We met children from all over Ireland and seeing the smiles on their faces has added a bit more happiness to their day. "We met children from Galway as well, in their Galway jerseys, so to brighten up their day is lovely. When we go out on the pitch, if we win or lose that determines our happiness for that day. Seeing the smiles on the faces of the children when we bring in the cup, well that puts everything in perspective." After leaving Dublin, the new All-Ireland champions will first stop off in Athlone stop in Athlone, where the players and the O'Duffy Cup will make that symbolic walk across the Shannon. The team will then head to Ballinasloe and the celebrations will continue at the home club of captain Carrie Dolan in Clarinbridge.
