How Cork-Galway rivarly has defined and lifted camogie

With other counties in transition, to the surprise of nobody, we have arrived at a Division 1A League decider involving a familair pairing. 

Cork's Ashling Thompson and Ailish O'Reilly of Galway tussle in last year's All-Ireland decider. Pic: INPHO/Bryan Keane

Cork-Galway is camogie’s outstanding rivalry. Has been for the bones of seven seasons now. In more recent times, it has become camogie’s only rivalry.

It would be logical to think that camogie is suffering for the lack of a crowded field. Just two contenders for the main trophies doesn’t scream a healthy state of affairs. But that’s where you’d be wrong.

In the process of lifting their own standards in an attempt to outdo one another, Cork and Galway have lifted the game in tandem. The race to last August’s summit was arguably camogie’s finest hour. 

Or certainly the finest hour since the 2021 race between the same pair. It is the fault of neither that no one else has or can keep pace.

Such has been the player churn in the Kilkenny dressing-room, their rebuild could take longer than the National Children’s Hospital. Tipperary are six years stuck at the All-Ireland semi-final stage. 

Their window has come and closed. Waterford interrupted the established order by reaching the 2023 final. A one-off interruption it has since proven.

And so to the surprise of nobody we have arrived at a Division 1A League decider involving - yes, you guessed it - Cork and Galway. The second successive national final between the market-leaders. The third national final of the last five where red and maroon are mixing. The third League final in four years where these two are last standing.

Rather than lament the predictability of it all, camogie has a lot to thank them for.

For a few months last summer, one wondered had camogie become a one-horse race. Untouched and untroubled, Cork strolled up the road to the concluding Sunday of fare boasting an average winning margin of 19 points. One of those six hammerings was a 2-16 to 1-7 group stage dismissal of their supposed rivals.

Galway regrouped in the weeks following and presented Cork with their one contest of the 2024 championship. It was a contest where Cork had to defend for all their worth in the sixth and final minute of second-half stoppages to protect a one-score - 1-16 to 0-16 - lead.

It had been a similar story last spring. Cork arrived into 2024 off the back of the biggest All-Ireland final winning margin in 64 years. Their bid to follow that statement with League silverware was denied by Galway.

Take this current spring. Cork qualified for the League final with a round to spare. Galway went down to Páirc Uí Chaoimh for that final round and departed with a convincing six-point victory. The latest reminder from the westerners that where Cork go, we will too.

In this era of reestablished Cork dominance, Galway are the sole outfit capable of keeping them in check.

“You always get a great game off Galway. This is my fourth year involved and there is nothing between the teams,” says Cork boss Ger Manley.

“Last year's All-Ireland final was outstanding, and thankfully we came out on the right side of it. We had a brilliant game with them the year before in the semi-final. They had it over us in the championship before that. The last few years, they’ve been well on top of us in the League.

“Cathal [Murray] has been around a long time, longer than anyone on the camogie scene. They've exceptional players throughout their team, but so do we. There is fierce talent on both sides. The players are looking forward to Sunday. We know we are playing one of the best around.” 

The rivalry goes back to the 2019 All-Ireland semi-final. 

Cork will later this summer attempt a first All-Ireland three-in-a-row since 1972. The Cork-Galway rivalry was reignited when the latter stopped the former’s three-in-a-row bid of six years ago. 

It was the first time since 2010 the Tribeswomen had edged a knockout championship tie between the pair. It was the game that ended Galway’s long-running inferiority complex against camogie’s typically ruling force.

Laura Treacy, Laura Hayes, Libby Coppinger, Hannah Looney, Amy O’Connor, and the Mackey twins are the Cork survivors from that 0-14 to 1-10 semi-final. Still going for Galway are Sarah Healy, Shauna Healy, Emma Helebert, Aoife Donohue, Ailish O’Reilly, and Carrie Dolan.

The Tribeswomen won the next seven meetings between the counties. Cork wrestled back the balance of power in the 2023 semi-final. The back and forth will continue at Thurles tomorrow.

“Our bench press was good at the end of last year’s All-Ireland final, and I think this year we might be after strengthening it. There is a bit more competition for places. We have to kick on. If you stand still in camogie, you can't, because the last couple of years, the quality has got better, the hurling is improving, the fitness levels are up. We have to improve,” Manley continued.

“Galway took it to a level before us, we matched them and then went ahead of them. Ourselves and Galway are probably top of the tree at the moment, but you are there to be hit at and we know there is a target on our backs. You have to try and embrace that and try to improve.

“We haven't won the League since 2013, so that is a bit of a driver for us. It would be nice to win, especially when you are playing one of your greatest rivals in Galway, so we want to put one over on them.”