Katie Quirke and Sarah Leahy on Cork ladies footballers' return to Croke Park
Cork's Katie Quirke is tackled by Tipperary's Emma Cronin during the Lidl Ladies NFL Division 2 game at Fethard. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
Sarah Leahy and Katie Quirke are eager for Cork to halt a run of two consecutive defeats to Galway in Saturday’s Lidl LGFA National League Division 2 final at Croke Park.
Both counties were relegated from Division 1 last year but have rebounded in style.
They've clashed on numerous occasions in recent times, including the 2024 All-Ireland semi-final. Galway won 2-7 to 0-10 before losing the All-Ireland to Kerry. Last February, the Connacht side’s 2-8 to 0-12 victory over the Rebels represented the only blemish on Joe Carroll’s side’s National League Division 2 campaign.
Cork’s top-scorer and one of their most consistent performers of 2025, Katie Quirke, accrued 0-9 in the defeat in Tuam earlier this season. The Bride Rovers stalwart is looking forward to getting another crack off the Tribe at Croke Park.
“It’ll be nice to play Galway again,” the 2024 LGFA All-Star said. “I feel like it’s always at a crunch time that we come up against them. Unfortunately, we have come up short the last few times we have met.
“It is something we are looking forward to. Playing at Croke Park is always such a big occasion and it being a league final as well.
“We will be looking for a performance and hopefully getting a win before going back up to Division 1, which would be a good start to our year.”
Whatever the result from Saturday’s latest installment with Galway, Cork captain Sarah Leahy believes playing a quality opponent at Croke Park will be of huge benefit.
“The experience of playing at Croke Park is so, so important and valuable going forward,” the Aghada player said. "I just think it’ll be a very beneficial experience all round. Dealing with the trip up to Dublin and then the nerves of playing Galway at Croke Park.
"Reaching a National League final, it’s such an achievement for this group of players. It is exactly the place we hoped to be, especially for the newer players on the panel. It’ll be an invaluable experience that will no doubt stand to us in time to come.
“We have learned so much from every single Division 2 game and delighted to come away with as many wins as we have. Overall, the start to our year has been was quite positive."
Taking down an undefeated and in-form team of Galway’s stature in a final will not be easy. Having lost last year’s All-Ireland final and suffered relegation, Daniel Moynihan’s side have beaten every Division 2 team they have faced.
“Cork getting up from Division 2 to Division 1 wasn’t an easy thing to do,” Leahy said. “So that’s credit to all the girls and management. As a result, the bond within our panel is growing stronger and stronger.”
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