A SECOND SUCCESSIVE Saturday shock in the capital.
Galway dethroning Dublin once again, this time in the All-Ireland senior ladies football championship.
The previous Saturday evening, the Sam Maguire race took a turn when the Tribe stunned Dessie Farrell’s side at Croke Park. A single point separated the sides as Dublin bowed out at the quarter-final stage for the first time since 2009.
Seven days later, Mick Bohan’s charges saw their title defence come to an end a stone’s throw away in Parnell Park.
Galway won an extra-time thriller by a single point, 3-7 to 1-12.
Another championship blown wide open, as the favourites exited at the quarter-final stage. The Dubs had previously limped out at this juncture in 2022, but you’d have to go back to ’13 for their penultimate last-eight departure.
It was probably the biggest result in ladies football since Dublin’s 2021 final defeat to Meath.
The earlier games ran along expected lines as Cork and Kerry overcame Waterford and Meath respectively. The Rebels were waiting in the semi-finals for the winners at Parnell Park.
There had been another seismic shock at Croke Park in a different code that afternoon. Kilkenny crashed out of the camogie championship as Dublin advanced to their first semi-final since 2017, and second since 1990.
Few would have expected such contrasting fortunes for the Dublin women’s teams.
News of a significant pre-match change filtered around Donnycarney: Carla Rowe was ruled out through injury. The Dublin captain and then-championship’s joint top-scorer would be a major loss, and compounded the absences of other injured regulars, Kate Sullivan and Orlagh Nolan.
Afterwards, Bohan spoke of uncharacteristic “jitters” as a result.
Dublin did power into an early 0-4 to 0-1 lead, but a quickfire 1-1 from Roisin Leonard moved Galway into the ascendency. Late first-half goals from Hannah Tyrrell (penalty) and Leonard left Galway 2-2 to 1-4 ahead at the break.
The hosts wrestled back control on the scoreboard and appeared to be closing in on a semi-final return when Galway were temporarily reduced to 14 with Aoife Ni Cheallaigh in the sin-bin.
But Daniel Moynihan’s side dug deep to force extra-time. Again, Dublin took the driving seat, but again, Galway reeled them back in. Olivia Divilly established herself as the championship’s leading scorer with some big kicks, while substitute Aoife O’Rourke scored the decisive goal four minutes from time.
Dublin had their chances to bring the game to a free-taking contest, but Galway’s famous win was eventually confirmed after a premature hooter and then, referee Seamus Mulvihill’s definitive final whistle.
The Saw Doctors’ N17 didn’t ring out around the venue on this occasion, but there were similar celebratory scenes among the Galway faithful seven days on:
Scór Lánama in Am Breise #ProperFan
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) July 6, 2024
@dublinladiesg 1-12@GalwayLgfa 3-07
“Tá an tIarthar ina dhúiseacht” 🔥
Galway win the game with a single point in an epic game in Parnell Park. 👏
BEO/LIVE AR @TG4TV 📺@LadiesFootball pic.twitter.com/BBeC2Ihfcj
The Tribeswomen were relegated from Division 1 of the league in April after six defeats and one win. They beat Mayo in a straight Connacht final the following month, before a two-point defeat to Cork and a 35-point hammering of Laois in the All-Ireland series group stages.
Galway have been there or thereabouts in recent seasons, but hadn’t made a significant breakthrough since their 2019 All-Ireland final defeat to Dublin. They lost the 2020 semi-final to Cork, and three quarter-finals in-a-row; the last two by a single point to Meath and Mayo respectively. They reached the Division 1 league final last year, but were well beaten by Kerry in Croke Park.
Backboned by the All-Ireland club winning Kilkerrin-Clonberne contingent, Galway have one of the strongest panels in the country on paper, but it felt like they hadn’t reached their full potential of late.
Like Pádraic Joyce’s men, they have blooded plenty of youth from successful underage teams, with 13 of their 36-strong panel minors in 2022 or 2023 and Moynihan their manager.
Saturday felt like a real culmination, as the rising stars complemented the likes of Leonard, Divilly and the Ward twins, Nicola and Louise.
Nicola spoke of the “belief” in the set-up afterwards as the focus switched to a repeat of the ’20 semi-final showdown. Galway “owe Cork one,” she said, in the wake of their recent group stage meeting and other tight battles as the two teams relegated from Division 1 prepare to face off.
Kerry and Armagh — like their male counterparts — lock horns in the other semi-final, with coveted decider tickets up for grabs in a Tullamore double-header on Saturday, 20 July.
The Kingdom are hoping to turn back-to-back decider defeats into Brendan Martin Cup success, while Division 1 league champions Armagh appear to be recovering from Aimee Mackin’s cruciate blow. Her sister, Blaithin, led the Orchard past Mayo yesterday.
With Dublin now out of the picture, the championship has been shaken up.
The 2023 and 2017-20 champions can only watch from afar, having cruised through the late spring and early summer up to this point.
Their strength in depth was striking as they dismantled Meath, Kildare, Mayo and Laois, but it won’t translate to back-to-back All-Ireland titles.
A long winter looms, with question marks over the future of Sinéad Goldrick, Sinéad Aherne and Hannah Terrell, to name some, and of course, Bohan.
The long-serving manager hinted that his eight-year term may be coming to an end.
“Maybe it’s someone else’s time, we’ll see,” he concluded.
Dublin dethroned, and another championship blown wide open.
