Cork stretched their lead as camogie’s most decorated county after retaining the O’Duffy Cup on a day another Galway team found a way to lose an All-Ireland senior final in 2024.
Cork’s subs scored the last three points of a scintillating All-Ireland senior camogie decider to earn the Rebels a record 30th title, but it was the legitimacy of their second-half goal that dominated some of the debate in the aftermath.
Katrina Mackey’s hurl did not appear to touch the sliotar after it left her hand and bounced over the Galway goal-line. Mackey took a neat pass from Amy O’Connor but immediately shipped a heavy tackle from Galway goalkeeper Sarah Healy and a subsequent challenge from Áine Keane. As the Cork full forward released the ball to try pat it to the net Mackey didn’t seem to make contact with the sliotar.
The rule states: “A goal is scored when the sliotar is played by either team over the goal-line, between the goalposts and under the crossbar, except when carried in the hand by an attacking player over the goal-line, or thrown over the goal-line by any player.”
The 36th minute goal gave Cork a 1-11 to 0-10 lead.
“They say she threw it in, did she? I don’t care how she threw it in,” said Cork manager Ger Manley when asked afterwards. “I didn’t see it but from where we were I’d say she went to strike it and she was fouled, and when she threw the ball up to hit it, it went in. She was in the process of striking, I thought she was (fouled).
“Amy O’Connor was definitely fouled when she gave the ball across. Jesus, ‘twas a goal! It’s gone against us a few times – but you’re right, when I saw it, I kind of went ‘woah’. But they pucked the ball out quick – done and dusted. Look, glad it was us.”
Galway manager Cathal Murray stressed he did not want to use the nature of the goal as an excuse but he did add that officials along the sideline informed him at the time that a penalty was to be awarded rather than permitting the goal.
“I believe it’s a throw ball. I questioned it on the line, I was told it was going to be a penalty,” he said. “And the reason they just let it play is because it was going to be a penalty anyway. But you still have to score a penalty, so I wouldn’t agree with them there at all.”
Galway did still respond to that setback and with nine minutes of normal time remaining the sides were level, but Cork fired over the last three points of the contest to bring the O’Duffy Cup back to Leeside.
Cork lost back-to-back finals in 2021 and 2022, but they have now followed up with consecutive triumphs.
“Going into the final I was thinking about the hunger and I don’t think that went away from last year,” said Cork vice-captain Meabh Cahalane. “We were so hungry for success this year, so hungry going out in every single training session trying to get something out of it. I felt the mentality of the girls showed today to ride that wave when Galway were coming at us was something else.”
It was a day of days for Cork at Croke Park as the intermediates beat Kilkenny in their final. Tipperary beat Laois in the junior decider. But the senior final delivered the most gripping showdown of the afternoon.
“Galway have been an exceptional team for the last five or six years, they have some super players so we knew it wouldn’t be easy,” added Manley. “We needed a match like that to show what we’re made of, and I think it really showed there in the last seven or eight minutes when the going got tough.”
For a 30th time Cork are camogie’s standard bearers. The toughest.
