1. Red-hot Rebels target back-to-back titles
Cork are favourites to defend their crown in today’s All-Ireland senior camogie championship final. Galway stand in their way at Croke Park.
Ger Manley’s side have enjoyed a rich vein of form this summer. In six championship games, their average winning margin has been 19 points. Wexford were the only team to get within single digits, ultimately losing by nine points, with Amy O’Connor, Katrina Mackey and Orlaith Cahalane on fire in a ruthless full-forward line.
Not only have they been scoring loads — including raising 19 green flags — they have conceded little: 1-7 was the biggest tally in one game.
As Ursula Jacob said this week, Cork are “playing like champions,” with an abundance of confidence and belief. Now, they must deliver on the biggest day if they are to retain the O’Duffy Cup.
The big worry on Leeside is have they really been tested?
Meanwhile, there’s an opportunity for a Cork double with the intermediate team also chasing silverware against Kilkenny.
2. Galway out to turn the tables
After two disappointing weekends for Galway teams in Croke Park, it’s all eyes on the camógs. The men’s and women’s footballers both lost their All-Ireland finals, can Cathal Murray’s side lift the mood out west?
Like most others, they’ll be happy enough coming in as underdogs. They were among Cork’s earlier victims, losing by 12 points at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in June.
Already qualified for the knockout stages by then, they bounced back with hard-fought wins over Waterford and Tipperary. The semi-final win over Tipp was particularly pleasing, as they avenged for April’s Division 1 league final defeat. Big players stood up when they were needed most, with Niamh Mallon and Carrie Dolan among their main threats.
One concern of late is the Tribe’s lack of consistency, but they could indeed save their best until last and produce the big performance when it matters most.
3. Rivalry renewed amidst Camogie’s Big Three
Cork, Galway and Kilkenny have shared every All-Ireland senior title since 2013. Since then, Cork have won five times, while Galway and Kilkenny have taken three a-piece.
Tipperary’s league success earlier this season was the first time since 2012 that the winner of the two national titles wasn’t one of the three counties. Waterford and Dublin have also shown signs of breaking through of late, but the general feeling is until someone else wins an All-Ireland, the Big Three dominance will remain.
The rivalry between the top teams is undeniable. They have met time and time again through the years. Galway had Cork’s number for some time up until last year. The Rebels’ 2023 semi-final ended an eight-game losing run going back four years.
That losing run included the 2021 All-Ireland final, for which Cork will be seeking revenge today. They have won the teams’ last two championship duels and also triumphed in the league, but this is where it really counts.
4. The state of the game
Camogie hasn’t always been in the spotlight recently, and when it is, it’s often in a negative sense. There have been rule changes in recent years, and with that, endless debate and discourse.
The RTÉ Camogie Extra podcast fielded an interesting conversation after the semi-finals, with former Dublin manager Adrian O’Sullivan and ex-Galway player Anne-Marie Hayes offering their thoughts on the state of the game.
O’Sullivan shared his “grá” for going back into management stemming from increased physicality and improved refereeing, and hailed today’s ref, Liz Dempsey, in particular.
“The game has evolved, even in the couple of years since was last involved,” he said. “A lot of my coaching and approach would be around physicality and confrontation, the way the game is progressing would be attractive to get back into it at some stage.”
While O’Sullivan noted that frustrations and inconsistencies do remain, both rejected criticism that the game hasn’t evolved enough — or quickly enough.
“In the last 10 years, I think the game of camogie has risen to a completely new level,” Hayes added.
“The levels of fitness, the S&C coaching is huge. The game has become much faster, much more physical, the striking, scores and quality of camogie has definitely improved.”
With Dempsey in the middle and two top teams locking horns, here’s hoping for a good spectacle — and a big crowd — this evening.
*****
2024 Glen Dimplex All-Ireland camogie championship finals
Sunday 11 August, Croke Park, live on RTÉ
- Premier Junior – Laois v Tipperary, 1.05pm
- Intermediate – Cork v Kilkenny, 3pm
- Senior – Cork v Galway, 5.15pm.
