All-Ireland camogie final: Winning three in a row would cement this Cork team's legacy

In the aftermath of last year’s All-Ireland camogie final, Cork manager Ger Manly didn’t shy away when asked if the back-to-back champions would now drive on in search of three-in-a-row – a landmark not achieved by a Cork camogie team since the county claimed a famous four-in-a-row between 1970-’73.

Alluding to narrow final defeats in 2021 and 2022, Manly suggested that talk of a three-in-a-row could have been inflated to a far bigger number.

“We should be going for five-in-a-row,” he said. “We should be like Limerick. We should have won the last four if you go through it.” 

Manly did have a point – to a point. Cork had lost those 2021 and 2022 finals to Galway and Kilkenny by just one score. But the best team still won on the day, which is what invariably happens in All-Ireland finals.

EMPIRE

In lots of ways, the comment was disrespectful to Galway and Kilkenny but Manly wasn’t worried in that moment about handing those teams motivation in the future. He wasn’t unduly concerned full stop because, even if Cork could have been going for five-in-a-row now, Manly still firmly believes that Cork’s empire building is a long way from being done.

Cork have been trampling on teams for a while now, laying waste as they go. 

Waterford went into the 2023 All-Ireland final on a tsunami of hope and expectation after reaching a first final in 78 years and Cork blew them away, torching Waterford by 19 points, the biggest winning margin in a final in 64 years.

Fairytales are heartless, especially when Cork are involved. In the run-up to last year’s All-Ireland final, Cork won their six matches by an aggregate of 110 points. Dublin went into a semi-final over 12 months ago confident of reaching a first final in 38 years and then Cork ruthlessly knocked any notions Dublin might have had straight out of their heads, hammering them by 20 points.

They only beat Galway by three points in the final but successive titles, combined with the talent and age-profile of the group, only added to the narrative of Cork having the potential to build another empire. That looked more likely again when so many teams in the championship appeared to be operating at a level far below Cork.

Manly’s side cruised to another league title in April, beating Galway in the final by 11 points. After overcoming Waterford in the Munster final by ten points, Cork sailed through their group in the All-Ireland championship too, finishing with a points difference of +90 before beating Waterford in the semi-final two weeks ago by ten points.

Cork camogie has always immersed itself in a winning culture, demanding the highest standards of itself as an entity. 

They have the most clubs and the most players but culture and standards has always been about more than just numbers.

Across the last 40 years, certain counties have dominated at particular times. Kilkenny had a grip on the game, and on Cork’s throat, in the 1980s and early 1990s. Tipperary won their first All-Ireland in 1999 and then went on to win five in six years. Wexford bridged a 32-year gap in 2007 before winning three-in-a-row between 2010-’12.

CONVEYOR BELT

Yet Cork have always been there. Sunday is their 10th final in 12 years, their 16th in the last 22 seasons. After winning four of the last seven All-Ireland minor titles, and four of the last five U16 titles, the conveyor belt of talent is there for Cork to drive on and become even stronger again. And so is the ambition.

Cork have kept rolling players off the production line, continuing to strut their stuff, knocking whoever comes in their way, out of their way. And yet, they know their biggest challenge yet is coming now on Sunday in the shape of Galway, the only team in the camogie world now capable of beating Cork.

Cork were the better team in last year’s final but Galway still had huge regrets afterwards. 

As well as hitting five wides in the last eight minutes, Galway failed to score for the last 16 minutes.

The comparative depths of both panels was decisive on the day. Cork got their last three points from two substitutes, Clodagh Finn and Sorcha McCartan. Galway only introduced two of their three subs deep in additional time.

Galway have strengthened their panel this year but it’s still not as strong as Cork’s bench, which continues to be a huge weapon late on in matches.

Cork’s 11-point winning margin in the league final in April was another reminder of their greater scoring potential; Cork scored 0-18 from play that afternoon compared to Galway’s 0-3.

Yet the biggest learning for Galway was how much they were caught off guard by Cork moving Saoirse McCarthy to centre-forward. Galway played their best man-marker, Olwen Rabbitte, on McCarthy but it left a huge hole in the centre of Galway’s defence for Cork’s runners to exploit.

It was the just second time in the recent history of this rivalry that there was considerable distance between the teams but Galway won’t be overly concerned with a Cork demolition job outside of Croke Park; Cork beat Galway in last year’s All-Ireland group by 12 points but Galway proved how little there is between these sides again in the final.

Galway will be out to do the same again now on Sunday but Cork are still fancied to win a first three-in-row in over 50 years, which would cement the legacy of this team.