'It is a different group': Galway's young guns step up on the big stage

Four of the Galway team that comfortably overcame Kilkenny on Saturday were starting their first-ever All-Ireland semi-final.

Galway defeated Kilkenny 1-14 to 0-11 to reach their third consecutive All-Ireland senior camogie final. Pic: ©INPHO/Bryan Keane

No mention of back-to-back. New team, new challenge.

It was inevitable that at some point during his post-match interview Galway manager Cathal Murray would be asked about going back-to-back and the motivation flowing from such.

Successful defence of the O’Duffy Cup is a feat never managed by a Galway camogie team. It would thus be utterly understandable for a manager who has masterminded three All-Ireland wins and for the players who were there for those three wins that the next target would be back-to-back.

Privately, it could well be their outstanding aim. Publicly, there is no revealing such.

“No, honest to God, it hasn’t even been talked about,” said Murray when asked about backing up the 2025 triumph.

“For me, it is a different group. It is about this year and the 2026 championship. Obviously, it's brilliant to get back to a final. That was our goal at the start of the year. We just wanted to get back to an All-Ireland final. And when you're back in an All-Ireland final, you want to win it. There's no other motivation than that.” 

The current group is different for the exodus of players from jerseys two through nine that began after last year’s All-Ireland final. Siobhan Gardiner, AnnMarie Starr, and Olwen Rabbitte are missing through a combination of retirement and injury. Shauna Healy was listed among the additional panel members for Saturday’s semi-final having missed a chunk of the season. Emma Helebert, who was introduced as a second-half sub into the Galway defence in last year’s final, is another who has stepped away.

All that meant that four of the Galway team that comfortably overcame Kilkenny - half-back Katie Manning and Katie Anna Porter, midfielder Ally Hesnan, and corner-forward Niamh Niland - were starting their first-ever All-Ireland semi-final.

“We are missing a lot of leadership in our group from last year. We are missing a lot of experience in our group,” Murray continued.

“It's really good to see some of the young players - Katie Manning, Katie Anna Porter, Ally Hesnan - come into our team and play so well. You look at Caoimhe Kelly and Niamh Niland coming into the forwards, all those players have stepped up.

“We had really good impact off the bench today though Shannon Corcoran, Mairead Dillon. Alannah Kelly’s point at the end was absolutely super. That’s what you want.

“We’d an awful lot of U23s and an awful lot of young players [out there]. People look at Carrie Dolan, and she’s been around for a long time, but she’s still only 26. It is great to see them younger players step forward.

“We might have been criticised in the past for not giving them players [their chance], but I think we have given them that experience. This year, they’re not coming in [cold]. They’ve played minutes in the last few years, they’ve started games. That’s really, really good for them. We have given them the chances and they have taken them.

“Today was the first big test for them. That’s what we were worried about coming in. There is probably five or six that are going to start their first All-Ireland in two weeks’ time. That’s a massive thing, and it is huge to get that experience. They have stepped up and I am massively proud of the group, and certainly massively proud of those players.” 

The worry now is this promoted group might not have as many experienced heads beside them on the concluding day because of injury.

2025 Player of the Year Aoife Donohue departed during the second-half because of a knee injury. 2025 All-Star Niamh Mallon played no part in the six-point win over Kilkenny because of a recurring shoulder injury.

“It’s a knee injury. That’s all we know. It is going to have to be scanned,” Murray said of Donohue.

“Obviously, Sabina Rabbitte has a bad thumb injury. Niamh Mallon wasn’t able to partake today. She hurt her shoulder again a couple of weeks ago in an in-house game. Jennifer Hugher hurt her calf in a challenge game a few weeks ago. Carrie [Dolan] had to go in full-forward, she had a calf injury the last few minutes. Dervla [Higgins] got a nasty ankle injury that troubled her earlier on in the year, as well.

“The medical team is going to be busy over the next few weeks. There's no doubt about that. And hopefully, we'll get them girls on the field for an All-Ireland final.

“Will they all make it, I don't think they will, to be honest with you. But, hopefully, as many of them as possible will be there.”