All-Ireland success at U16, minor and senior: Linda Mellerick on Cork's great season

ON the back of All-Ireland senior, minor, and U16 titles, it’s been a great year for Cork camogie.

And we had new county champions in Sarsfields, their second title in five years.

After winning the Munster final last Sunday they face Galway side Sarsfields in Mallow today (4pm).

To win the All-Ireland senior title in such style after a disappointing league final and Munster championship defeat was certainly one to savour.

It’s rare that you can relax and enjoy the final quarter of an All-Ireland final, but I’d say Cork’s management and bench enjoyed that one. A fourth successive U16 title and a fourth title in six years for Cork’s minors, and it’s fair to say that the future looks promising.

Well done to the county board and all management who keep churning out the talent.

We have a new Cork manager in Ger Manley, with coach Liam Cronin remaining in situ ensuring strong continuity ahead of facing their nemeses Galway and Kilkenny in terms of development.

Kilkenny look to be heading for a long transition; Galway, while not as far behind, also have work to do there. Brian Dowling has stepped aside in Kilkenny, with Peter Cleere replacing him.

Cathal Murray remains with Galway. Waterford’s Seán Power is stepping down after guiding the Deise to their first All-Ireland appearance since 1945.

Cork are in a good position to win back-to-back senior titles.

What of 2024 on the inter-county scene? The issue for intermediate teams where the grade is the county’s second adult team being demoted to a farcical competition has been given a year’s reprieve, with it due to now commence in 2025.

DRAIN

The delay gives all senior and intermediate counties a chance to get together and try to dissuade a blatant blockage on player development from minor to senior.

When camogie doesn’t have an U21 competition where are minors to go? As we’ve raised standards this will, I believe, push them back again.

The trial rules for 2024 — I hope that’s another rush of blood to the head — and those in control will eventually realise that the ‘sideline from the hand’ and the ‘clean catch’ and subsequent free strike rules are going to bring mockery to the game after we have spent decades working towards respect and admiration.

The Cork club championship had its moments in the group stages, even though it was only at the quarter-finals that the real competitiveness came to the surface.

St Finbarrs inflicted huge defeats on Glen Rovers, St Catherine’s, Killeagh, and Fr O’Neill’s yet for the second year in a row failed to achieve what their team sheet suggests they should after losing the quarter-final to Cloughduv.

St Catherine’s were the second team to emerge from Group A and lost to eventual champions Sarsfields in the semi-final.

Sars topped their group with Cloughduv and Courcey Rovers also making the quarter-finals, Rovers by virtue of the best-placed third team from all groups. Inniscarra joined them. Cloughduv excited and Éire Óg had a good year.

The final between Sars and Seandún in 2022 was electric. This year it didn’t hit the heights. The two teams could meet 10 times and produce different games. Seandún didn’t excite this year despite reaching the final.

With just one group game before the quarter-final and little or no collective training sessions, it showed in their lacklustre performances as a group.

There’s still a handy side there next year despite losing the Blackrock girls who won the intermediate championship.

But with all competitions round-robin now there is just too much going on to try and set aside evenings for divisional training.

When you look at Sars’ championship preparations to Seandún’s, there’s no comparison. 

Aside from Cork senior Molly Lynch, Olivia McAllen, and intermediate player Lucy Allen who returned to full club action in early July after the Cork intermediates lost their quarter-final to Meath, Sars had their full panel complement for the majority of the club season which started in mid-August, their Cork minor players also back in plenty of time to settle in. 

You can’t underestimate how important that is for preparation, game planning, and bonding. They deserved their county success, we wish them the very best of luck today, hopefully they’ll be making the journey to Croke Park on December 17.