Galway host Cork in All-Ireland Camogie Championship opener
THE Galway senior camogie team open their championship campaign on Saturday at Kenny Park, Athenry (2pm) as they take their first step towards defending the All-Ireland title.
As championship openers go, it doesn’t get much bigger than a repeat of last year’s All-Ireland Final, with Cork coming to Athenry on a revenge mission, after the Tribeswomen denied them a three in a row of titles at Croke Park last August.
Championship encounters between these sides rarely fail to produce drama and entertainment, none more so than in last year’s title decider. Key moments in that game included Galway ‘keeper Sarah Healy saving a penalty from Cork’s Katrina Mackey during the first half, Mairéad Dillon’s superbly taken goal, and Hannah Looney’s red card following a strike on Carrie Dolan.
The Galway captain’s nerveless conversion of an injury time free to seal the county’s fifth O’Duffy Cup triumph was as dramatic a conclusion as could possibly have been scripted for camogie’s biggest occasion in 2025. It was indicative of the compelling nature of the contests which typically play out between Galway and Cork.
Since last year’s memorable All-Ireland triumph, the Tribeswomen secured the National League Division 1A title in April with a 0-13 to 0-11 final victory over Waterford at Nowlan Park.
Adding their eighth league crown represented another positive step for a Galway side which has been boosted by the return to fitness of St. Thomas’ Áine Keane, while six time All Star Ailish O’Reilly has also returned to the panel since the league final.
Galway will attempt to make history in 2026 by putting All-Ireland senior titles back to back, a feat which has eluded the county thus far. Historically, the closest the Tribeswomen have come to achieving a two in a row was in 1997 and 2020, when Galway suffered All-Ireland Final defeats to Cork and Kilkenny respectively.
In a change from the traditional championship format, this year’s competition sees Galway seeded in group 1, which contains the other three semi-finalists from last year’s championship; Cork, Tipperary, and Waterford.
All four are guaranteed a place in the knockout stages this year. The top two placed teams at the end of the group phase will be rewarded with a direct passage into the semi-finals.
The third and fourth place finishers in group 1 will play in quarter finals against the top two finishing sides from group 2, which consists of six teams. Kilkenny, Clare, Dublin, Limerick, Offaly, and Wexford are competing for the top two spots in group 2.
After their opening round clash with the Leesiders on Saturday, Cathal Murray’s charges will travel to Waterford for their second outing on June 14 for a repeat of the league final against the Déise. A home fixture against Tipperary will conclude Galway’s group campaign a fortnight later.
Cork, as ever, will pose a major test for the Tribeswomen, and Saturday’s contest can be expected to go right down to the wire. The sides last met in the league last March on a day when Galway recorded an 0-18 to 1-9 win at Kenny Park. Since then, Cork suffered a six point defeat to Tipperary in the Munster championship when Ger Manley’s side lost out by 1-18 to 2-9.
The Leesiders’ veteran centre back Laura Treacy announced her retirement at the beginning of 2026, while midfielder Ashling Thompson continues to recover from a dislocated elbow. Dual players Hannah Looney and Aoife Healy are heading to Australia to play in the AFLW this year, for Hawthorn and Fremantle respectively.
While the loss of these four players will be significant for Cork, the Leesiders will be buoyed by their recent All-Ireland under 23 title success. A highly impressive Cork side defeated Kilkenny by 2-23 to 1-5 in the final last month.
Senior players Méabh Murphy and Orlaith Cahalane were outstanding, as were the likes of Millie Condon, Niamh McNabloa, and Ava McAuliffe, who will be pushing to establish their places in Manley’s senior side this summer.
Given the rivalry between the counties at senior level, neither will want to give an inch or concede any psychological edge ahead of a possible rematch later in the season.
If Galway can overcome the inevitable rust that comes with an eight week layoff, then the home side may well have enough quality to triumph on the day.