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Irish Examiner
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Here are the three keys players who might shape the camogie final
Saoirse McCarthy (Cork) Outside of her four converted frees, left half-forward McCarthy had a whopping 22 possessions against Waterford. She struck three points from play, directly assisted two more, had the secondary assist for a Sorcha McCartan first-half point, and early involvement in another McCartan point in the second half. She was a puckout target for Amy Lee, she intercepted Waterford restarts sent short. In the second period, she began to drop deep to pick up and carry possession from behind her own '65. In the words of RTÉ co-commentator Aoife Sheehan, 'she's been everywhere'. Of Cork's 1-21, she had a hand in 0-11. Her three wides meant both figures could have been even more impressive. The Déise were far too loose in their detailing of the Courcey Rovers clubwoman. Galway won't be so naive in their tracking of the 25-year-old. They're also forewarned from getting this match-up wrong 12 months ago when handing the assignment to final debutant Olwen Rabbitte. Róisín Black's return to the Galway full-back line has reduced the requirement of her Oranmaree-Maree clubmate, Rachael Hanniffy, to go back there and carry out specialised marking jobs, and so she seems the perfect fit to try and curtail Cork's form forward. Travel sickness means Hanniffy is never found on the team bus heading to games. But with her confidence soaring after shutting down Tipp's form forward Grace O'Brien last time out, the stomach is surely there for such a sizable job. Aoife Donohue (Galway) Doesn't do bad finals against Cork. One of only two Galway players to score from play in the 2015 defeat to the Leesiders. Player of the match in the 2021 final. Galway's lead contender for that same gong last August. The westerners' top contributor from play in the '24 decider with 0-4. Assisted a fifth. Her opening touches in either half came way inside the Galway half when dispossessing Amy O'Connor and Aoife Healy respectively, evidence of the instruction by management to go wherever she pleased. Cork didn't follow her and paid handsomely for that decision. Does Ger Manley instruct Aoife Healy to go wherever her namesake travels tomorrow? The Aghada dual star certainly has the engine for such a taxing assignment. Donohue's abrasiveness and her authority in possession is so central to Galway's forward play that Cork have to prioritise keeping the sliotar out of her hand, irrespective of where on the field she is. Laura Treacy (Cork) She has no equal when it comes to her reading of the game. The 30-year-old's positioning is unrivaled and invaluable. A supremely confident and competent sweeper at the heart of the Cork rearguard. Galway won't stand on her toes tomorrow, but they have to ensure, through their decision-making and shot selection, that they bypass rather than bring her into the action. Hopeful, route one carry-on will only make her a triumph. Work the flanks and corners. In last year's final, she collected 10 Galway deliveries/miscued passes/point attempts that went short. After Galway attacks were turned over, hers was the first pass for two of Cork's three winning points in the closing stretch. If Galway go down the central channel, then they have to be clever and clinical with possession. Anything loose will be latched upon and relaunched by Laura.
Irish Independent
26-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Background in martial arts is aiding Saorise McCarthy's sharp rise for Cork ahead of last-four duel
Competing in Korean martial arts for 10 years where she earned her black belt has been 'hugely beneficial' for Cork camogie star Saoirse McCarthy, giving the 2023 and 2024 player of the year nominee an 'extra bit of strength and flexibility'.
Irish Examiner
26-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
In numbers: Cork's camogie dominance and the story of those attempting to stop them
Saoirse McCarthy has heard the question before. She's heard the question enough times to know what's being asked is far more of an issue for those outside the Cork dressing-room than inside it. Cork are in All-Ireland camogie semi-final action early on Saturday evening. They arrive in Nowlan Park carrying an average winning margin 23-points strong. The 0-21 to 1-9 victory over Clare in Round 4 is as close as any team came of them in their four outings en-route to the semis. 'That gets thrown around a lot, but we don't read into it,' replied Cork half-forward McCarthy when put to her that Cork are severely undertested ahead of facing Waterford. 'Our performances haven't dipped to where we would let them. We've gone out and tried our best every day, regardless of who we are playing, and that is the test for us. It is something other people worry about, but something we don't think about in camp.' The below numbers paint a further picture of Cork's dominance, as well as telling the story of those attempting to overthrow them. 0 - Goal conceded by Tipp since they were carved open in their championship opener on May 31. Cork came to the Ragg that Saturday and took the hosts for 3-21 and an 18-point thumping. Mairéad Eviston told the Examiner this week the result wasn't so much a setback as it was 'a rude awakening'. Wexford, Clare, Limerick, and Kilkenny failed to breach them for a green flag in the weeks since. 1 - Games lost by champions Cork in 2025. And that solitary defeat comes with an asterisk bigger than their All-Ireland final winning margin of two years ago. In their final outing of the League round-robin, and with progression to the Division 1 decider already secured, an under-strength Cork lost at home to Galway by 0-19 to 0-13. Ten wins from 11 outings will have to suffice. 2 - Minutes remaining in the regulation 60 when Tipp moved two clear of Galway at the end of last year's All-Ireland semi-final. They would fail to hold on. An Aoife Donohue point either side of Carrie Dolan frees edged the Tribeswomen first across the line. The counties' latest last-four collision throws in at 3pm. 3 - Current Tipperary panelists who played in all six of the county's All-Ireland semi-final defeats over the past seven years. They are Julieanne Bourke, Eimear Loughman, and Karen Kennedy. 4 - Goals banged in by Clodagh Finn this summer. The Fr O'Neill's forward was a pivotal contributor off the bench in the closing stages of last year's All-Ireland final. Her status has been upgraded to first team regular in 2025, a promotion she's vindicated with 4-7 in the championship. As if there weren't already enough assassins in the Cork front six. 5 - Goals banged by Cork when last they ran into Waterford in the All-Ireland series. That was the chronically one-sided 2023 final. Five points was the difference between the sides in their one championship meeting since, that the 2024 Munster final. Can Waterford keep today as close? 8 - Season count of Galway's Cathal Murray, the longest serving manager of the four on duty today. Came in towards the end of the 2018 League following player unhappiness with the previous management. Has delivered three Leagues and two All-Irelands. Most recent O'Duffy Cup triumph dates back to 2021. 12 - Of the 22 games in this year's championship, a dozen have finished with the end margin in double-digits. There's a severe imbalance. An eight-team championship would be a much better fit than the current 10-team model - for all involved. 15 - Date in April when Carrigtwohill native Michael Boland was appointed interim Waterford boss. The need for an interim Déise manager was created by Jerry Wallace's shock mid-season departure a fortnight earlier. 24 - The respective scoring totals of Cork's Amy O'Connor and Waterford's Beth Carton, who sit joint-top of the from-play scoring chart. O'Connor has 5-9 to her name, Carton's more out-the-field role reflected in her 2-18 tally. 57 - Percentage of Galway's championship total supplied by Carrie Dolan and Niamh Mallon. From 5-74, Dolan (0-36) and Mallon (0-15) are responsible for well over half that figure. While Dolan's superb form in the captaincy role has been a standout feature of their campaign to date, the dependency on the pair is a concern. Case in point is the League final defeat to Cork where Galway managed just 0-4 from play and 0-10 overall. 1972 - Cork's camogie class of 53 years ago were the last from the county to achieve an All-Ireland three-in-a-row. The current crop are driven to match that feat after the three-in-a-row attempts of 2016 and '19 fell short. 2006 - Tipp's last successful negotiation of the semi-final stage. The two-point win over Kilkenny at today's venue secured an eighth consecutive final appearance. Their eight subsequent ventures to the championship's last-four stage have all been unhappy ones. 7,257 - The record semi-final crowd from two summers ago. Such is the attractiveness of Saturday's double-header, and the strong possibility of an improved Tipp following off the back of the hurlers' exploits, that figure could be under threat. Record attendances is a constantly repeated goal of new president Brian Molloy, chief among them being 50,000 pouring through the Croke Park turnstiles for the 2026 All-Ireland final.
RTÉ News
23-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
'We have a target on our back' - Cork primed for Déise battle in semi-finals
It's been a distracting and ultimately disappointing week for Cork GAA following the All-Ireland final defeat to Tipperary on Sunday. But neither the hurlers' second-half implosion to gift Tipp the title, nor talk or a potential three-in-a-row for the reigning camogie champions is going to let Saoirse McCarthy lose focus ahead of Saturday's vital semi-final against Waterford. A Nowlan Park double-header sees the champions take on the Déise in the later game, which follows the meeting of Galway and Tipperary in the other semi-final. Cork come into the game off the back of a flawless group phase, where they finished top of the table in the five-team round-robin, while they also proved victorious in the league earlier in the year. They have contested the last four All-Ireland finals, winning both the 2023 and 2024 deciders, and are just one game away from making it back to Croke Park. "You can't be preparing for something that you're not in yet, so definitely won't be looking past Waterford this weekend," said McCarthy, speaking to RTÉ Sport ahead of the weekend fixture. "Semi-finals are there to be won and obviously we want to do that, but it's one game at a time." Saturday's opponents finished second in their respective group behind Galway in what was a competitive collective, as Waterford got the better of Dublin and Kilkenny, before overcoming a tough Clare unit in the quarter-finals. And McCarthy is expecting a tough battle against their neighbours, with the reward of a place in the final adding to the expected intensity. "It's going to be some challenge," said McCarthy. "They're a great side and I think they're having a great year, so we definitely won't be looking past them. "We know Waterford very well. We've played them multiple times most years. "They're a brilliant side, they're very pacey and they like to run the ball. They have the likes of Beth Carton, Lorraine Bray, and Niamh Rockett is flying this year. "We're under no illusions. They're going to come out of the traps. We know we have a target on our back and they're going to want to hunt us down. "I think they're going to bring a lot of physicality and pace to the game. "Hopefully, now we can stand up to that. "Obviously, they're going to be sharp after playing the quarter-final and we haven't had a game in four weeks, so that will be something we'll have to manage as well. "They're having a great year and Mike (Boland) has done a really good job with them as well. I think we're just excited to go out and play and see what they're going to produce too." Cork have been idle for four weeks since winning the group and claiming an automatic place in the last-four, while Waterford have only had three weeks to fill since their quarter-final win over Clare. But McCarthy said that the intensity and quality of training combined with the ever-increasing competition for places has kept the team sharp ahead of Saturday's trip to the Kilkenny venue. She said: "I think it is a bit long, but obviously you have to play off the quarter-finals in that time as well and still give the other teams a chance to have a break. "It's understandable at the same time. I think we managed it well. We were the same last year. "We know what we need to do now as well to prepare ourselves correctly. "The competition within our own squad is immense for places. The standard of training has been really good and hopefully we'll be ready now for Saturday." And while McCarthy can look forward to remaining competitive and eyeing further glory this summer, she admitted the ache of watching her male counterparts losing out at Croker Park last Sunday. "We were all behind the hurlers and I'm gutted for them," she said. "They had a great year, and they don't become a bad team overnight, so hopefully they can lift themselves up and be proud of what they achieved this year. "We're just trying to finish out our year now on a high and do our job."
The Irish Sun
23-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Resolution of skorts saga allows camogie action on the pitch to take centre stage as Clare vs Wexford among best games
THURSDAY'S resounding Special Congress vote has thankfully put an end to the skorts controversy that had rumbled on for weeks. With that 2 Saoirse McCarthy of Cork is tackled by Clare Hehir of Clare during last month's Munster Championship semi-final 2 Dublin captain Aisling Maher has been one of the most prominent voices in the movement that yesterday culminated in players being given the freedom to wear either shorts or skorts GLEN DIMPLEX ALL-IRELAND SENIOR CHAMPIONSIP GROUP 1 Clare v Wexford, Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosog, 2pm Referee: Andy Larkin (Cork) (Live on Camogie Association YouTube) There is no time for these teams to feel their way into the championship as in a group that includes Cork, Tipperary and Limerick, this looks like being a crucial fixture with regard to determining one of the three qualification berths to the knockout stages. Read More On GAA There has rarely been much between the teams and in the league, a couple of goals gave the Banner a one-point victory in Enniscorthy. That got them to the Division 1B final which they lost to Antrim, after a very competitive hour. Wexford actually scored more and conceded less than Clare through the group stages of the league. They also reached the Leinster final last weekend, where Kilkenny were too strong, and must put that to bed quickly. This is an impossible game to call. Most read in GAA Hurling Cork v Limerick, Páirc Uí Rinn, 4pm Referee: Joe Mullins (Clare) Limerick GAA fans troll RTE pundit Donal Og Cusack after win over Cork Limerick have shown improved form this year, achieving mid-table status in the second tier of the league with wins over Westmeath and Down. They were unable to overcome Wexford and Clare, who they will renew rivalries with in the coming weeks. Cork, as Division 1A champions and the team now attempting to secure a championship three-in-a-row, are camogie's standard bearers. Anything other than a home victory would be a huge surprise. GLEN DIMPLEX ALL-IRELAND SENIOR CHAMPIONSIP GROUP 2 Derry v Kilkenny, Owenbeg, 2pm Referee: Brian Kearney (Kildare) Derry secured their senior status quite comfortably 12 months ago and that will be their target once again in 2025. They will need to defend better than in the Division 2 league final, when they conceded four goals and could have shipped more. They were missing half last year's team, however, and some of those will return against the Cats. Starting at home is a boost against a Kilkenny side making gradual improvements under new manager Tommy Shefflin. The Stripeywomen were easy winners of the Leinster final last weekend against Wexford and will be hotly fancied to make the long trek back home with the three points tucked under their belts. Galway v Dublin, Kenny Park, 4pm Referee: Liz Dempsey (Kilkenny) This is an intriguing affair as Dublin have consistently pushed Galway to the wire in recent seasons. There was six points between them in Kilbeacanty last March but after starting with a draw against Tipperary, the Dubs failed to secure another positive result and were relegated from Division 1A of the League. Galway beat Cork in the final group game to book their place in the decider but never showed up, with the Rebels exacting swift and severe retribution with the silverware on the line. The lack of provincial games for the westerners has often led to a slow championship start for the Tribeswomen so Dublin will look to rattle them early but last year's All-Ireland finalists will be favoured to prevail.
