Cork camogie: Injection of youth mixed with veterans fuelled All-Ireland success
Cork's Katrina Mackey scores a goal against Galway at Croke Park. Picture: INPHO/Bryan Keane
The full-time whistle had only blasted two minutes prior when, amid the celebrations, Hannah Looney gave the clearest insight into the mindset of Cork’s all-conquering camogie heroes.
“What we want is to be a generational team and to win back-to-back is only the start of it. We’ll keep going,” she told RTÉ. “What hasn’t been done is the three in a row.”
Whether she has Paul and Fintan row her down the Lee with the O’Duffy Cup or bungee jumps off Shandon Bells, this victory will be given plenty of time for well-earned celebrations.
The seed has been sown, though. Three in a row is next for this Cork team. And why not?
This is a Cork side with demographics in their favour, their hunger for silverware undimmed, and their talent unquestioned.
Looney wasn’t the only one speaking in such generational terms either.
“We should be going for five in a row. We should be like Limerick,” said manager Ger Manley. “We should have won the last four if you go through it.”
Judging by their performances in the All-Ireland final and across the championship, they could keep going as long as they wish.
The county generates new blood year on year.
Between 2018 and 2023, Cork played in all five All-Ireland minor finals, winning four.
Of the 20 players who featured on Sunday, half were involved on those teams
. The same stat applies to the intermediate side who made it a famous Rebel double at Croker.
With 20 players who prospered at minor level so recently collecting cups within two hours of each other, the present is bright and the future could be brighter still.
That senior-intermediate double was the first since 2018 when it was again completed by Cork.
They lost All-Ireland-winning full-back Libby Coppinger to injury earlier this year. Then Méabh Cahalane was ruled out from a starting berth for the knockout stages.
Down two All-Star defenders, Izzy O’Regan stepped into the number three jersey and maintained their unbreakable defensive solidity.
Ger Manley was especially proud of how they didn’t allow Galway a goal chance in this All-Ireland final.
When the Tribeswomen did charge back with a string of points, it was Cork’s depth that made the difference.
Their bench added 1-6 in the semi-final blowout against Dublin. In the final, the last three scores were landed by substitutes Sorcha McCartan and Clodagh Finn.
That winning burst showcased Cork’s resolve in the face of their first real test all year.
Their average winning margin had been 19 points coming into the final. Their previous five games had been won by double-digit margins.
Three of those, including the All-Ireland semi-final, were won by 20 points or more.
But they still felt they had unfinished business against Galway. In 2021, the Westerners outscored Cork 1-4 to 0-1 coming down the stretch for a three-point victory. In 2024, it was the team in red who eked out the win in the crucial moments.
Méabh Cahalane hinted at how those final defeats to Galway and Kilkenny hadn’t been forgotten.
Those memories may continue to fuel this team to scale even greater heights next year.
“Going into the final, I was thinking about the hunger and I don’t think that went away from last year. We were so hungry for success this year, so hungry going out in every single training session trying to get something out of it,” she said.
The whole operation appears seamless. Matthew Twomey stepped down as senior boss last autumn after delivering the biggest prize in camogie. His selector Ger Manley took up the mantle and alongside head coach Liam Cronin, they have maintained a relentless winning streak.
They will have plenty more milestones mapped out come January.
A first league title since 2013 would be a prized medal to add to the collection. But a first three-in-a-row in over 50 years would make this truly a golden generation for the history books.
They know it themselves.
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