Manley delight as Cork drive out of transition to reach another decider

After a difficult season, Cork are back where they want to be.

Cork's Anna Kearney, Sorcha McCartan and Niamh McNabola celebrate victory over Tipperary. Pic: ©INPHO/Tom Maher

All-Ireland Camogie semi-final: Cork 2-16 Tipperary 0-17 

After a slow and difficult beginning to the year, Cork have found their rhythm.

Poor league form and an early exit from the Munster championship was a worry, albeit there was a logical explanation due to the exodus of a number of talented players, but the camp never lost hope.

It was an elated Ger Manley who celebrated qualifying for a sixth consecutive Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie championship final. Rivals Galway will provide the opposition for a third successive season on August 9 in Croke Park.

“This is probably one of the better ones in getting to the final,” the manager gleamed.

“We’ve had a few sleepless nights, it has been tough. A lot of soul-searching, but the players 1-36 and the management, we were backed by the county board.

“Beating a Tipp team here in Thurles by five points is worth another five because we are playing them on their home pitch, the best grass pitch in the country.

“Are we perfect? No. But where we came from and the injuries. We lost so many experienced players, icons really in Cork camogie.

“But look, Thompson, Coppinger, Amy O’Connor, you could keep going…Cahalanes. Méabh Murphy was phenomenal today. They all stepped up. McCartan, Millie Condon, Emma Murphy, Saoirse McCarthy. Laura Hayes is probably pound for pound the best hurler in the country and I include the men in that.” 

In front of a record semi-final attendance of 10,311, first-half goals from Amy O’Connor and Mille Condon laid the groundwork for success in FBD Semple Stadium on Saturday.

O’Connor registered in the seventh minute after she was picked out by Sorcha McCartan, while O’Connor became the provider for Condon a quarter of an hour later.

The Rebels used a wind-assisted first half to build a lead, after which they were 2-11 to 0-8 in front. Add in a well-organised defensive system, where Libby Coppinger was named Player of the Match and sweeper Méabh Murphy excelled.

In a revamped defence - including Izzy O’Regan who missed out due to an ACL injury in 2025 - Isobel Sheehan and Ava Fitzgerald shone.

That relentless work-rate was also illustrated by captain Méabh Cahalane, who said winning the U23 championship was pivotal in their return to the big stage.

“There were a lot of questions asked, would this be a team in transition? We didn’t want that to be the narrative, we wanted this journey to keep going. We wanted to be back training on Tuesday night, that was our biggest motivation.

“Winning the U23 competition brought confidence and energy. That is when we started to get going. The A v B games have been as tough as anything I’ve seen. This panel has shown great resilience to top our group and get through today.

“The first-half performance gave us the platform. And the sweeper allowed the back line attack a bit more.

“At half-time we had 30 minutes to be in another All-Ireland final and if you had said that to us at the start of the year we would have taken your hand off for it.” 

For Tipperary, the wait goes on. They desperately needed a goal, and Grace O’Brien came nearest, only for Amy Lee to stunningly save.

Their supporters got behind them, and when Karin Blair cut the deficit to five points in the fourth quarter there was hope. But Cork kept them at arm’s length.

“I thought we showed what we are about in the second-half,” Tipperary manager James Heffernan reflected.

“In fairness to the girls they could have easily died but they didn’t. We asked them to get it back to seven, to get it back to five, and they did that, but we didn’t push on. A goal would have made a big difference, we probably needed to create a few more goal chances.

“The Tipp crowd were brilliant in the second half, we never gave them a chance to get involved in the first half.” 

Scorers for Cork: A O’Connor (1-3, 0-2 frees), E Murphy (0-4), M Condon (1-0), S McCartan (0-3), O Cahalane and O Mullins (0-2 each), S McCarthy and L Hayes (0-1 each).

Scorers for Tipperary: E McGrath (0-7, 0-5 frees, 0-2 45s), G O’Brien (0-3), C Stakelum (0-1 free) and E Heffernan (0-2 each), C Hennessy, C McIntyre and K Blair (0-1 each).

CORK: A Lee; I O’Regan, L Coppinger, M Cahalane (Capt); A Fitzgerald, M Murphy, I Sheehan; A Thompson, L Hayes; E Murphy, S McCarthy, M Condon; A O’Connor, S McCartan, O Cahalane.

Subs: O Mullins for E Murphy (52), H Ryan for A Thompson (56).

TIPPERARY: L Leenane; A Quinlisk, M Eviston, E Loughman; C McCarthy (Capt), K Kennedy, C Guinan; K Blair, C Hennessy; E Heffernan, R Howard, C McIntyre; C Stakelum, E McGrath, G O‘Brien.

Subs: L Purcell for C Hennessy (48), K Ralph for C McIntyre, C Quirke for E Loughman (both 51), N Treacy for E McGrath (60).

Referee: Barry Nea (Westmeath).