Inside Track: Galway camogie side died with their boots on
THEY are the one Galway inter-county team you can bank on to perform virtually every day it counts. Since Cathal Murray took over as team manager in 2019, the Tribeswomen have become an admirably consistent and respected force on the camogie fields.
Three All-Ireland titles and several league triumphs have been delivered with the Sarsfields’ clubman at the helm. Galway have become the brand leaders in aggressively chasing their targets inside the four white lines and only Cork are their equal now. The rest – notably Kilkenny, Tipperary and Waterford – are just not in the same ball park.
For the third consecutive year, camogie's two heavyweights squared up in the ultimate battle at Croke Park last Sunday. Galway were the outsiders despite being the defending champions, as the pundits believed Cork possessed the greater motivation – seeking revenge for their 2025 defeat when Carrie Dolan brilliantly nailed the match-winner from the Cusack Stand side of the field.
But Galway have never needed causes to perform. Dolan and company just turn up and get on with the job. It was the same at the weekend when despite spurning lots of chances and losing both Ciara Hickey and Niamh Mallon to injury, the players in maroon jerseys were the ones driving forward repeatedly over the closing minutes.
Cork had looked home and hosed towards the end of normal time, being six points ahead after second-half goals from Saoirse McCarthy and Orlaith Cahalane. But there is no end to the resilience of this Galway team: they kept battling; kept hounding; and almost pulled it out of the fire.
It would have been a fairytale ending if Sarah Healy's end-game free had somehow found the Cork net, but despite surrendering the O'Duffy Cup, Galway lost nothing in terms of their reputation for consistency and delivering on the big occasions. If anything, it has been emboldened.
For it was a relieved Cork camp at the finish. Galway have spooked the Rebels over recent years and they were really jittery as the Tribeswomen threw everything at them down the home stretch. You can't buy that type of character and spirit, and the Galway players continue to do their county proud.
Yet, they will be deflated this week as, on the balance of play, Galway was arguably the better team. We are not suggesting it was a final which was left behind as Cork had their misses too, but the opportunities were there to successfully defend their All-Ireland crown for the first time.
There is little merit in fleshing out the bones of the match again, but Galway brought their usual intensity to the exchanges. Dolan, in particular, was not standing on ceremony; while Aoife Donohue typically caused mayhem around the breaking ball and in her pursuit of Cork players in possession.
With impressive corner forwards Niamh Niland and Caoimhe Kelly tallying seven points from play between them, and Dervla Higgins making some important interventions further back the field, Galway were at least Cork's equal for most of the final, bar that seven minute spell when the Rebels scored their two goals.
With the wind behind them and six points up, Cork might have thought they would now coast to victory, but Galway simply don't give up. It made for a dramatic finale as points from Niland, Dolan (two frees) and substitute Mairéád Dillon – it probably should have been a goal – had the Cork supporters biting their nails.
On Sunday, a contingent of the triumphant ladies' Gaelic footballers were there to support their camogie brethren and the prospect of completing a milestone All-Ireland double. In the end, Galway just fell short but they can hold their heads high after another heroic effort. A few individuals weren't at their best and mistakes were made on Sunday, but what heart and bravery the Tribeswomen displayed.
Surprises
UNLIKE the opening round of the senior Gaelic football championship, the hurling title-race saw several upsets when it got underway at the weekend. Though some observers might put Tommy Larkins' victory over champions Loughrea at the top of the surprise outcomes, surely Athenry's defeat of Turloughmore was more unexpected.
Crowned league winners for the second consecutive year and under new management, this loss represents a blow for Turlough who started well, fell behind, drew level, but couldn’t get ahead again against a well-drilled Athenry team for whom Jason Rabbitte and Cian Hannon were outstanding.
Loughrea knew they would get nothing easy from Tommy Larkins at Duggan Park on Saturday evening, but when leading by four points early in the second-half, the title-holders must have thought they would emerge with full points. Two Jason Flynn goals from frees, however, turned the match on its head, with Cian Daniels throwing in a third for good measure. Like Turlough, Loughrea have got an early wake-up call.
Last year's Senior B winners, Liam Mellows, also upset the odds with a clear-cut victory over the admittedly fading force of Cappataggle. By all accounts, Tadgh Haran was inspirational for the city outfit who are bound to get a big bounce from this result. Elsewhere, with county player Darragh Neary in top form, Castlegar let a six-point lead slip against Sarsfields, with the remarkable Ger Farragher having to land a stoppage-time '65 to even salvage a draw.
Neighbours Craughwell and Clarinbridge didn’t produce the expected fireworks. With Joshua Ryan doing a good policing job on county colleague Tom Monaghan, and Evan Niland typically scoring points for sport, the 'Bridge’s victory was a little more comfortable than the final scoreline of 1-22 to 2-17 suggested.
On a weekend, when most of the county players showed up well – including Daniels for Larkins – the championship's opening round was well attended with several top-quality matches, reflecting the feelgood factor after Galway's Leinster Final triumph and reaching the All-Ireland Final.