BEFORE A SLIOTAR was pucked in the All-Ireland camogie final, Hannah Looney was talking about Cork’s wish to be a ‘generational team’.
She wasn’t looking beyond Galway necessarily – but the dual star was aware of her side’s place in history.
“We are not happy with just having the one All-Ireland under our belt,” Looney told The Irish Examiner.
“We really want to drive on and be a generational team, but that’s not easy either. But when you are from Cork, it is kind of what you are expected to do.”
Just after the final whistle of Sunday’s 1-16 to 0-16 win, with the O’Duffy Cup defended, she was repeating those sentiments to the RTÉ cameras.
“What we want is to be a generational team,” Looney said, “and to win back-to-back is only the start of it. We’ll keep going.
“It’s something we’ve done in Cork before so it’s in the tank in a lot of us. What hasn’t been done is the three-in-a-row. Maybe it’s a bit too early to start talking about that…”
It has been done. Cork have achieved the camogie feat three times, but not in Looney or her team-mates’ lifetimes. They last won three-in-a-row in the early seventies, crowned champions four years on the bounce from 1970 to 1973.
Since then, they have gone back-to-back eight times — 82/83, 92/93, 97/98, 05/06, 08/09, 14/15 and 17/18 before this edition. There have also been some standalone wins, but three-in-a-row has proven elusive.
Opportunity awaits now, after turning two consecutive final defeats to Galway and Kilkenny into a pair of successive wins.
“We should be going for five-in-a-row, we should be like Limerick,” manager Ger Manley told his post-match press conference, half joking but mostly serious.
“We should have won the last four if you go through it.”
Manley, who was a selector under Matthew Twomey but moved into the managerial hot-seat this year, echoed those sentiments in a separate media interview.
“This is our fourth final in-a-row and we lost two we should have won,” he said. “But these are a team of their generation. They’re so good.
“We’re going to push on again if we can.”
He offered insight into the set-up and their 2024: how they “raised the bar” and trained smart, with particular praise given to coach Liam Cronin.
“Killing girls and killing fellas five nights a week is madness,” Manley said at one point.
“We’ve a happy camp,” he added at another. “It’s all about the team, not the individual.”
Beside him, vice captain Méabh Cahalane spoke about the freshness added to the panel, competitiveness in training and the overall hunger.
It sounds like that will only grow as they look to drive on.
Galway manager Cathal Murray has no doubt they will.
“Cork are a super team and they could go on to dominate for a few years,” he said.
“They’ve an unbelievable amount of underage coming through. They’ve won five of the last six minors, four-in-a-row under-16s up to this year. They’re just an incredible team.”
Add the intermediate team’s success to that at underage level and the good times are rolling on Leeside.
Ashling Thompson is the oldest player on the starting team at 34, though appears to be enjoying a new lease of life, while the similarly long-serving Mackey twins, Katrina and Pamela, are 33. The bulk of the team are in their mid-to-late twenties, so the age profile augurs well as they look to cement their legacy as a “generational team”.
For Galway, meanwhile, the winter is uncertain.
This one will really hurt.
Murray’s future will be in the spotlight. He has been at the helm since 2018, steering the Tribe to four All-Ireland finals with the winning record evenly split. He did agree new terms for 2024/2025 with the option of 2026 last November, but anything could happen. He has been linked with other jobs in the past, including the Galway senior hurling one.
An emotional moment in yesterday’s press conference will leave people wondering if this is the end. “They’ve been incredible since I came in,” Murray said, before being forced into a sentimental pause.
Galway have a similar blend of youth and experience to Cork, but must add depth if they are to challenge for a first O’Duffy Cup next year. Sorcha McCartan and Clodagh Finn bagged crucial scores as the Rebels bench made their impact felt down the stretch, but the Tribe didn’t get much change from theirs.
2025 will be interesting, to say the least.
Cork have made their three-in-a-row intentions clear, but what about everyone else?
Will the Big Three dominance continue? Will Kilkenny, like Galway, bounce back?
Or could we see a major breakthrough?
Tipperary, Waterford and Dublin have shown signs of shaking things up of late.
Connacht played great rugby in torrential rain,huge respect for the Connacht supporters, turned out in force again
Work in progress!! A badly needed win. Hopefully a win on the road next week!! Onward!!
A wins a win but if we don’t sort out our discipline we are in for a long season.
First half was awful, the second half was much better.
Carty has the yips this year and we need to do something about that or we will lose games we should win
@Reg Gordon: i thought there were a lot but then stat came up on screen that it was only 10 pens (and that was deep into 2nd half) so may not have been that many over the 10 target
@Kingshu: it appeared that way because a lot of the penalties were at crucial times deep in opposition areas
Would definitely have both Hansen and Baloucoune starting in green against South Africa or at least Australia. Both of them can do serious wonders out on the wing.
@Criiochúr Daniel Daithí O’Chathail: Hansen is a brilliant footballer,very clever reads the game ,anticipates where the gaps are,reads the game .Balaoucoune great going forward, needs to get more physical
@rugbyanbeer: Balloucoune also needs to get more involved off his wing like both Hansen and Lowe do. They offer a serious amount getting stuck-in outside what normal wingers do. Needs to raise his standards massively to compete with their kicking games too. The gap is big, but he has potential.
@Criiochúr Daniel Daithí O’Chathail: Franckie horn ( Lions no 8) 60 meter try against ulster with Balaucoune chasing him and couldn’t catch him would be concerning…
@Criiochúr Daniel Daithí O’Chathail: agree .. both deserve it .. but I think if Stockdale hits his heights he’s truly world class
@rugbyanbeer: Balacoune defense is one of his main strengths, never thought it would be questioned even.
@Stuart Collins: not really cos he made a lung bursting attack play just before that In thin air altitude..
@Gary Galligan: maybe so.. Put it down to altitude then. You do t see many forwards scoring tries like that..
Bp win, difficult at times, but Scarlets are a shadow of thier former selves. Away to Ospreys will be tough, they are a good side at home with their best players out, then away to Munster and home v benneton. Looking at the fixtures at start of year, I could see where Connacht would get the 11 wins need to make playoffs. Best concentrate on Challange cup to be honest.
@Kingshu: Best to keep your opinion to yourself to be honest. Looking forward to seeing Munster embarrass themselves tomorrow.
@Kingshu: absolutely no reason they can’t go 3/3 so wouldn’t be throwing in the towel at all, of course 0/3 is possible but thinking like that will only help it into being
@Paddy Kennedy: No need for that. Besides he’s most likely correct. Connacht unlikely to make top 8 & even if they do will struggle against Leinster, Ulster, Stormers or Bulls.
@Paddy Kennedy: to make playoff you need about 11 wins and 10bps. Look at the fixtures left and tell me where Connacht will pick up the points needed? With only 1bp so far prob need 12 wins, therefore do you think Connacht will win all but two of the following?
Ospreys a
Munster a
Benneton h
Ulster h
Leinster a
Sharks h
Lions h
Zebre a
Dragons a
Edinburgh h
Cardiff h
Glasgow a.
Said since start of season if Connacht had Edinburghs fixtures, they would comfortably make the playoffs, but have to play the other provinces twice, just disadvantages them too much.
@Kingshu:
I think the following could be possible, w implying a win:
Ospreys – w
Munster – w
Benetton – w
Ulster – l
Leinster – l
Sharks – w
Lions – w
Zebre – w
Dragons – w
Edinburgh – w
Cardiff – w
Glasgow – w
If the other sides take points off each other, it will help our cause too. Some sides would be daunting away, but I think can be beaten at home, while others are off form. Optimistic, but I think we can qualify for Europe…playoff might be a bit too high a bar, but in the best case scenario, outlined above, we would have a good shot.
@Joe Vlogs: To be guaranteed European Champions Cup you need to make playoffs and possibly 6th place as 1 Welsh team & 1 Scots/Italian team guaranteed a position. Leinster Ulster & the SA sides all likely to make it.
Definitely not a level playing field. Particularly difficult for both Connacht & Munster given the start they’ve had & the games they have to play.
@Joe Vlogs: yeah reviewing it maybe I am being pessimistic, 9 more wins may do, and if league is closer maybe even 8 to make playoffs but for H cup its near even harder, since its not top 8 as Welsh and Scot/Ita side are guarenteed one each. Means Connacht would have to finish above one of Leinster, Ulster, Munster, Stormers, Sharks bulls. Would like to see Connacht in the playoffs as they have the ability to beat bigger teams and cause shocks. They deserve a fair league, not one stacked against them.
@Kingshu: Scarlets were missing 16 players. Pretty much their entire 1st team…
Connacht’s reputation for high penalty count certainly had them in thevreferees sights tonigjt…thought he was a bit one eyed.
@Michael Murray: I thought it was a good referee performance. He was consistent for both teams, let it flow in terrible conditions, set plays were well managed and made the right call for Boyle’s yellow.
@Michael Murray: in fairness they’re aren’t ill disciplined. 80% of them are for the same thing, not protecting the ruck.
@Michael Murray: Looking at the first try and HansenVMcnickol again, while both were exceptional plays, not sure they were clear tries. Not like Connacht needed them, the Welsh went missing in parts under pressure from a decent upfront Connacht performance. Prendergast is a big player for them now, back row were excellent. Dunno compared to some of the reffing we’ve had it definitely felt better.
Could only half watch it but Porch seemed excellent again and Hawkshaw looks a player, the team managed the yellow card well and took advantage against 13, would have been a shame to not to get points in those last 10. Some good counter rucking by Scarlets but not much else, their scores coming from poor discipline – kicker had a bit to spare against the wind, credit to him and a missed tackle following kick tennis, could be held up as a reason to/not to engage with the tactic
Just on this ref called a lot of pens for Playing the 9, it not really a rule I like or fully understand. If the 9 is down and big forward does the SH job are they then the 9? You can hit their hand but not tackle them? Surely if someone tackles them before they lift the ball, its tackleing a man without the ball, and dont need a special rule? And once they lift the ball can they be tackle, or still not allowed to play the 9?
@Kingshu: completely agree. And half the time the SH sees the counter ruck happening and a lack of supporting forwards on his side – and he either tries to seal off and buy for time or stands there without trying to play ball and hopes to be ‘take out’. One area SHs do need a rule change is when they are being man handled and shoved by their opposite number (who is usually offside too) during a scrum.
@Kingshu: you can’t play/takle anyone who isn’t attached to the ruck. The 9 generally isn’t, so you can’t play him until he’s touched the ball. If anyone else is playing 9 then the same rules apply to them. Although the refs tend to be more defensive of the 9s as that’s their primary job and players should know not to interfere.
@Joseph Blocks: but why when they have lifted the ball are you only allowed to hit their hand, but not tackle them?
@Kingshu: A player that’s part of the ruck can’t tackle the 9 because they’re technically coming from an off side position. Hitting their hand isn’t considered a tackle. Any other player coming from an on-side position can tackle the 9.
In fairness to Scarlets they were missing Wyn Jones, Javan Sebastian, Vaea Fifita, Sam Lousi, Blade Thomson, Tomás Lezana, Gareth Davies, Aaron Shingler, Carwyn Tuipulotu, Johnny Williams, Scott Williams, Dan Jones, Dan Davis, Lewis Rawlins, Samson Lee, Dane Blacker. 16 injuries is outrageous. Pretty much their entire 1st team.
@Harry O’Callaghan: Still there was a decent smattering of top players, particularly out wide. Dunno what’s up with Rhys, he’s not a ‘Patchell’ of the player he was…. I’ll get my coat.
Cathy needs to sort head out. Not sure putting him captain was good idea. Definitely not near irish squad anyways
Probably gonna upset the connacht fans here but I can see Hansen playing for leinster in few years.
Class player and with it harder now to get into the Hcup it might be difficult to keep your top players playing out west, i hope im wrong as i dont want them to become a feeser club but as a leinster fan id love to see him in blue.
@Ben Lowe: Leinster have two international left wingers. Connacht only have two left wingers full stop, with Hansen and Wootton. Defeats the purpose of the national team and game time for him to go there.
@Ben Lowe: bring back the red thumb
But seriously, with Leinster’s conveyor belt I doubt they’ll be short
@Ben Lowe: with the improved standard of the URC with the addition of the SA sides, playing in the HCup will become less important for national selection. Theres certainly less of a gap, and the URC playoffs are of a higher standard than a lot of HCup group games. Playing regularly for your province should count for more than 2 or 3 Hcup appearances.
@Kingshu: excellent point