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The 42
2 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.
Irish Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
'The Sunday Game' : All-Ireland Camogie Final referee decisions 'balanced out'
All-Ireland camogie final referee Justin Heffernan came in for some strong criticism from Cork manager Ger Manley after the game. But RTE's Sunday Game panel felt that the refereeing decisions balanced themselves out by the end of the the Croke Park decider. Manley was particularly incensed by Hannah Looney's red card, a push in the back of his goalie Amy Lee and a late decision he felt went against Cork in their bid for a three-in-a-row as Galway upset the odds. Introducing a section on the refereeing decisions in the match, Sunday Game host Jacqui Hurley said: 'In a lot of ways he (the referee) tried to let the game flow and that probably added to it, because there was some decisions that were a little contentious. 'Because of that that maybe it was allowed to fester and maybe it leads to the sending off as well.' Former Limerick camogie player Aoife Sheehan said: 'I think so and that's probably something when you are on the field and you might feel that you are getting a raw deal. "And the next thing you might give away a free and someone else does it - and you don't get anything. That can be really difficult.' On the red card incident, Sheehan continued: 'Hannah Looney got a little dig in the back from Carrie Dolan and makes her feelings known straight away afterwards. 'She gives her I don't know what you would call it, a kind of a punch into the side of the head. I suppose she saw red there for it. 'That was her frustration coming out in that incidence. She gave the referee a decision to make and he made it.' In the lead up to the red card a Cork player was pushed in the back but no free was given before Looney was dunted in the back. In the closing stages a number of high tackles by Cork players went unpunished with one on Galway's Aoife Donohue resulting in a Cork free for overcarrying. Sheehan continued: 'There was funny decisions on both sides. Ger Manley I know was a bit incensed afterwards. 'He was saying it but on the balance I think a lot of them (decisions) just evened out each other. 'That's the way we've been calling for camogie to be refereed for a long time. Look, let it go, let it flow, let the physicality get into it and I think both teams did get into it.' Waterford player Niamh Rockett was also on the Sunday Game panel. She said: 'I think the refereeing really balanced out at that stage. 'We were talking at half time and we were saying will the sideline officials have a word with the referee over some of the more borderline decisions. 'To be fair to the referee, I think he balanced it out on both sides. He let it play when it needed to be played. No-one wants to be looking at a game that's going into a free taking competition. 'A spread of scorers for Cork and a spread of scorers for Galway. It wasn't just relying on Amy O'Connor and Saoirse McCarthy from Cork and Carrie Dolan to shoot the lights out. 'There were great scores from play. There were penalties. It had all the drama with it and I suppose the referee, they can only see the game and make a decision in a split second. 'Although Ger Manley might feel aggrieved by it I do feel it balanced out in the very end of it.'
RTÉ News
4 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Cathal Murray hails incredible and resilient champions
Galway camogie manager Cathal Murray has hailed the work of his "incredible" squad as they spoiled Cork's three-in-a-row bid in Croke Park after a dramatic All-Ireland final yesterday. Speaking to RTÉ Sport after the game, the Sarsfields club man felt that the Tribeswomen got what they deserved in an incredible final performance. "The performance out there was absolutely outstanding and everyone died on their feet. There's huge resilience in this group." "When Orla Cahalane got the goal, brought it back to level, it was a massive point in the game, it looked like we were gone," he said post-game. Cork's history-chasing run was not lost on Galway, with both Murray and Ailish O'Reilly referencing it after the thrilling decider. "We were kind of wrote off all week. I don't think anyone had given us a chance, but we knew after last year, losing by three points, we knew if we performed, we always say it about Galway, if we perform, we're as good as any team", Murray said. Galway overcame the odds in one of the great finals in recent memory, and Murray was also quick to point out that coming up just short in recent years was also a massive driving factor. "We won two All-Irelands in 2019 and 2021 and then we had a barren period. We lost two semi-finals to the eventual All-Ireland champions in 2022 and 2023", he said. "Obviously last year was cutting. We got so much right, we performed so well but Cork were the better team. We can have no excuses. "We knew if we got back here that we would give it another go and to win three All-Irelands, and we've won three All-Irelands in seven years and that's really, really special." Following the first half dismissal of Hannah Looney, Cork responded strong in the second half, which Murray expected. "They're an absolutely savage team and they're unbelievable champions. As Carrie (Dolan) said, down to 14 players and still to come at us with whatever need to come at us in the second half." Galway produced a 70-minute performance, the type needed to dethrone a great champion like Cork. However, as Murray referenced, Galway came through a tricky path to the final and managed to get over the line, speaking to the mentality of the squad. "With this team, I know we lost the league final, but we weren't ready. We did not have our homework done and we knew that. "We turned it around and we wanted to be ready for the first championship game against Dublin. "When you beat Dublin, Derry, Waterford, Tipperary and Kilkenny to get to an All-Ireland final, you deserve to be there. "To beat Cork today, the champions that they are, it's just unbelievable. "This team is incredible and it's going to be we're going to celebrate it long and hard." FT: Galway 1-14 Cork 1-13 Carrie Dolan wins it for the Tribeswomen with a huge free in injury time Watch on @rte2 and @rteplayer #SundayGame — The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) August 10, 2025 The deciding score would come from Galway's inspirational captain Dolan. The Clarinbridge forward struck seven frees, the last of which to win the game coming deep in injury time to snatch victory for Cathal Murray's squad. The manager had full faith in the reliable ball striker to come up with the goods in the closing stages. "Carrie does that every day of the week", he said. "I think she missed one in the league final against Tipperary last year. That hit her hard, but she scored one against Tipperary in the All-Ireland semi-final last year. "That free, a pressure free and in the last minute of an All-Ireland, that's just unbelievable stuff. "She's captain for a reason. She's captain because she's a leader. Herself and everyone else out there were just absolutely exceptional."
The 42
4 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
'All we heard all week was the three-in-a-row. We were there to take it off them'
GALWAY FORWARD AILISH O'Reilly says the pre-match discussion around Cork's All-Ireland three-in-a-row bid was a motivating factor in their victory today. O'Reilly hit three points as the Tribeswomen denied the Rebelettes the elusive three-peat which their county has not achieved since their four-in-a-row in the 1970s. In what was a frantic finish in Croke Park, Orlaith Cahalane scored an equalising goal for Cork before Carrie Dolan scored her seventh free of the day to see Galway crowned as champions. 'This is sweet,' O'Reilly told the Sunday Game after their 1-14 to 1-13 victory. 'When they got the goal, and to respond the way Carrie did shows a lot about this team after we were written off so much. 'All we heard all week was the three-in-a-row. We were there to take it off them. And I think we proved a lot of people wrong. 'It suited us down to the ground, all the talk was about Cork. It felt like we were just going to show up and they were going to hand them the trophy. We were so riled up.' Advertisement Galway manager Cathal Murray — who has now managed the Tribeswomen to three senior All-Ireland titles — echoed her sentiments when he spoke to the media after the game, saying: 'We were given no chance at all.' Galway full-forward Ailish O'Reilly speaks to Valerie as the Tribeswomen celebrate their All-Ireland triumph Watch on @rte2 and @rteplayer #SundayGame — The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) August 10, 2025 Galway have a history of being the county that prevents Cork from earning that record having derailed them in 2010 and 2019 at the All-Ireland semi-final stage. However, Murray insists that the three-in-a-row aspect was never the focus, and that they were driven by the hurt of last year when they were on the other side of an All-Ireland final result at the hands of Cork. 'It's not that we wanted to stop the three-in-a-row. We wanted to win this for us. 'That heartbreak that was there last year, we had to put that to bed. We knew we were good enough, it was a matter of delivering in the big moments, and thank God we did.' Murray said he considered stepping down last year after that defeat. He was first appointed as Galway boss in 2018, going on to deliver All-Ireland successes in 2019 and 2021. But last year's loss to Cork was a 'gutting' result according to the Sarsfields man, prompting him to contemplate his future with the team. He relented from following through with that decision, before leading Galway back to the All-Ireland final where they overturned last year's result today. 'Maybe unfinished business,' Murray responded when asked about why he decided to reconsider. 'When we look back on it, as management, we felt we got an awful lot right. The players, they just performed unbelievable, and there's always just that regret that it just wasn't the right time to walk away.' 'Obviously, we're proved right now.' Doubts resurfaced after Galway suffered a 0-21 0-10 beating at the hands of Cork in the Division 1A final, signalling back-to-back losses in major deciders. 'Management-wise, we were terrible in the league final. We were shocking. And we weren't much better on the field either. 'But, you know, it wasn't a typical Galway performance, to be honest with you, and in fairness, for us, I think the best thing we did is we drew a line through it. We didn't even look back on it.' When asked what his thoughts are for the 2026 season, Murray said that 'it's a bit too early' to make any firm decisions about his status as manager. But he did stress that he has a young family at home which he will factor into his thinking before making any commitments. 'I know this is the biggest, best job I'll ever have, simple as that. I'll never have a job like this again, where I'm dealing with these sort of girls, week in, week out, year in, year out. They're an absolutely incredible bunch. 'But it is hard on the family as well, and as I said, I owe a huge amount to my wife.' Related Reads 'It's not sour grapes, I just thought the referee had a very poor match' Galway crush Cork's All-Ireland three-in-a-row hopes to claim senior camogie crown Murray said he didn't see the incident that led to Hannah Looney's red card and declined to offer a comment about Ger Manley's criticism of the decision. He added that it was a physical contest and commended camogie referees for allowing the game to flow in comparison with previous years. But he feels that improvements could still be applied to the officiating standards in the sport. 'The referees have been really good over the last number of years for facilitating that, I think there was probably three different things in the game where people got a free for someone standing up in front of them and running. 'It happened in last year's All-Ireland final as well and that rule, and I'm saying this now as a winning manager, that rule has to change. It's absolutely crazy. You go to a club match in Galway and someone is soloing with a ball and someone stands up in front of them and takes a hit, it's a yellow card and it's a free and that rule has to change.' Murray also highlighted the input of the Galway bench today. Niamh Kilkenny, Niamh Hanniffy, Niamh McPeake and Áine Keane all started last year's All-Ireland final but were unavailable for today's Croke Park battle with Cork. 'Listen, we knew we'd have to battle. We knew we'd have to run ourselves into the ground and we did. 'That was the moment, Carrie's free and I'm delighted for her. She is our leader for a reason, she is captain for a reason, she is a leader. It's moments like that we value her so much.'
RTÉ News
4 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Cork boss Ger Manley bemoans 'shocking' ref calls
Cork manager Ger Manley said some of the decisions that went against his team were "shocking" after their one-point loss to Galway in a dramatic All-Ireland camogie final. Manley's side were targeting a first three-in-a-row since the early 1970s but were pipped by an injury-time Carrie Dolan free after Orlaith Cahalane's goal had sensationally levelled the game with a goal on 60 minutes. It had been a rousing second half display from the defending champions, whose situation looked bleak at half-time, trailing by five points and being reduced to 14 players after Hannah Looney was shown a straight red card just before the interval for striking out at Dolan. Manley felt the red card call was "harsh" though he had other gripes, in particular citing a clear push on Cork keeper Amy Lee in the lead-up to a first half Galway point. "Devastated really. I thought a lot of decisions went against us," Manley told RTÉ Sport after the game. "I thought Justin (Heffernan) made a couple of strange decisions and there was a point in it in the end. "Amy Lee was pushed in the first half, Clodagh (Finn) got pushed near the end. "Even the winning free - which was a super strike from Carrie Dolan to win it - Gemma tells me it wasn't a free at all. It was hard to see it from our side. "But look, I can't say much about him really. Some of the decisions that went against us were awful. "You lose by a point, you do look at them. You might prefer to be beaten by 20. 'Devastated really. I thought a lot of decisions went against us' - Cork manager Ger Manley bemoaned "strange" refereeing calls after his side were pipped by a point in the All-Ireland senior camogie final — The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) August 10, 2025 "One thing I'll say about our team is they fought so hard. "Galway were definitely on top in the first half, brought great physicality, great intensity. But I think we matched them in the second half. With the 14 players, I thought we did a bit better. An awful thing to say but... very disappointed for our gang." On the game's most significant call, the sending off of Looney just before half-time, Manley felt the referee could have shown more restraint. With play stalled, the Cork midfielder was shunted in the back by Dolan, who was trotting across to take a sideline cut, and then struck out at the Galway captain, lifting her hands in the process. HT: Galway 1-09 Cork 0-07 Cork's Hannah Looney sees red and the Leesiders will play the entire second-half down a player Watch on @rte2 and @rteplayer #SundayGame — The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) August 10, 2025 "She was in front of me but I couldn't see it. But Jesus, he went straight for the red card. I was kind of going, 'chill out a small bit'. "She's a brilliant player, Hannah. She's not a dirty player. She's a physical player, she's a hard runner. A huge loss to our game. I thought Saoirse McCarthy had a stormer in the second half. "If you see it again... very harsh I thought. There was nobody dead or anything. Was it a strike of the hurley? I thought they just collided. "I am disappointed with some of the decisions. I thought some of the decisions that went against us were shocking." The Cork manager insisted the 'three-in-a-row' talk - which Ailish O'Reilly said had "riled" Galway beforehand - didn't affect their preparation in the lead-up. "We didn't talk about it really. The outside people spoke about it," Manley said. The Cork manager expressed the hope that some of his more experienced charges would return for another tilt at the title. "It's their fifth (final) in a row. They set the standards. Galway pushed themselves to get up to it and they were better than us today. "The camogie standard is getting there. The top five or six teams, there's not much between us at all. "There's plenty of talent there. There's a lot of girls there with plenty of mileage on the clock. I hope they stay on. "What they've done for Cork camogie and for camogie in general, to put it on the map. That's a great final today. We died out there. They gave it everything. So hopefully they'll be back."
