Ruthless Cork on a mission as Kerry blown away
Cork’s 13-point win over Kerry in the All-Ireland ladies football semi-final at the Gaelic Grounds on Saturday, not only ensured the Rebels’ a chance of winning a 10th All-Ireland title in 11 years, and a second bid for five in a row, it also ignited the possibility of a new GAA milestone.
Given Corkery and Buckley will contest the senior All-Ireland camogie final against Galway on September 13, and the football final against either Dublin or Armagh on September 27, they both have a chance of surpassing Kathleen Mills’ record of holding 15 senior All-Ireland medals.
The Dublin camogie star — whose father happened to be a Cork man — made her own piece of history in the 50s and 60s but Corkery and Buckley have savoured victory in both codes in a decade when competition was fierce.
It’s ironic, that in a season that’s been sadly speckled with dual player debacles (playing two senior inter-county championship games in three hours in July), that Corkery and Buckley are on the verge of being the most successful GAA players of all time.
For Buckley, Cork’s 13-point win against the Munster champions at the Gaelic Grounds was just that, a win, and history will play no part in the coming weeks for the Donoughmore woman.
“We’re just lucky to be on the teams we’re on,” she said. “It’ll be nice to be in with a shout of maybe matching the record, but we just want to win. We’ve won nothing yet, and we’re not looking beyond the camogie final first, and then the football.”
Buckley kicked an inspiring point midway through the first half of Saturday’s semi-final and with it the floodgates opened. Captain Ciara O’Sullivan pounced on a short kickout, and Aine O’Sullivan did the honours to raise the first of four green flags, while player of the match Valerie Mulcahy registered the second just before half-time after a sparkling moment of individual brilliance.
Kerry goalkeeper Edel Murphy had earlier that day come on as a sub for the Munster women’s rugby team in their win over Ulster in Thomond, but there was nothing the Laune Rangers’ star could do to prevent Mulcahy’s perfectly placed lob.
Points from Sarah Houlihan and Patrice Dennehy kept Alan O’Neill’s side in it at half-time (2-5 to 0-7) but superb defending by Cork’s Geraldine O’Flynn on Louise Ní Mhuirceartaigh meant Martina O’Brien wasn’t tested once in the game.
O’Neill introduced Irish rugby sevens star Louise Galvin at half-time — her first appearance since Kerry’s league semi-final loss to Cork in April — but despite an initial injection, it came at a cost of losing one of Kerry’s most threatening forwards all season, Megan O’Connell.
Referee Colm McManus was consistent throughout, and Kerry’s Emma Sherwood was sin-binned for persistent fouling on the 42nd minute, followed by Cork captain Ciara O’Sullivan a minute later. But, it was the Rebels who capitalised on the freedom of having more space.
With 15 minutes remaining, just six points separated the sides, but when wing-back Vera Foley ventured forward to assist Mulcahy, the TG4 player of the match winner made no mistake (3-9 to 0-9).
From there, it all unravelled for the Munster champions and when Bernie Breen was sent to the sin-bin in the closing minutes, substitute Eimear Scally netted to ensure Cork would be venturing back to Croke Park for a shot at winning their 10th All- Ireland title since 2005.
Eamonn Ryan’s charges have never suffered a defeat at Croke Park. For
Rena Buckley, who has tasted defeat there with the camogie team, it’s something she doesn’t want to experience again. “I don’t think the football girls realise how lucky they are to not have lost there. It’s the worst feeling in the world because it’s the biggest day, and the fall is twice as hard.”
V Mulcahy 2-2 (0-1f), E Scally 1-2 (0-1f), A O’Sullivan 1-1, D O’Sullivan (1f) and A Hutchings 0-2 each, B Stack, R Buckley, C O’Sullivan, A Walsh and O Finn 0-1.
S Houlihan 0-4 (1f), L Scanlon 0-3, L Ní Mhuircheartaigh and P Dennehy 0-2 each, M O’Connell and L Galvin 0-1.
M O’Brien; M Ambrose, B Stack, A Barrett; V Foley, D O’Reilly, G O’Flynn; R Buckley, B Corkery; C O’Sullivan, A Hutchings, A Walsh; V Mulcahy, Á O’Sullivan, D O’Sullivan.
Subs:
E Scally for Á O’Sullivan (43), O Finn for A Walsh (52), O Farmer for A Hutchings (55), R Ní Bhuachalla for D O’Sullivan (56).
E Murphy; G Crowley, A Desmond, A Leonard; C Kelly, C Lynch, M Quirke; B Breen, L Scanlon; E Sherwood, S Houlihan, D Hallissey; P Dennehy, M O’Connell, L Ní Mhuircheartaigh.
Subs:
L Rogers for G Crowley and L Galvin for M O’Connell (HT), E O’Connor for A Leonard (47), A Brosnan for S Houlihan (55).
C McManus (Meath).
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