Cork in white find the winning combination
The Cork All Ireland camogie winning team at their homecoming. Pic: Eddie O'Hare
A huge crowd gathered in Cork yesterday evening to welcome home the newly crowned All-Ireland senior camogie champions, with captain Méabh Cahalane of the famed St Finbarr’s club bringing the O’Duffy Cup to the banks of the lovely Lee for a record 31st time.
In the latest chapter of this great sporting rivalry, the Rebels defeated titleholders Galway by the slimmest of margins.
The game ended in a single point score difference the year before too.
This was a new-look Cork in more ways than one. Transitional because of the departure of key players and the introduction of rising stars, but also because of a kit change.
Opting to switch jerseys from red to white to avoid a colour clash with the westerners made Ger Manley’s squad stand out from the moment they entered Croke Park.
Crucially though, their values remained the same.
It got us thinking of Mayo a couple of weeks ago, who also wore a white-inspired jersey against Kerry. It was the same colour jersey they donned when they won their previous title in 1951.
A happy coincidence.
The camogie strip alteration was a throwback to the early part of the new millennium when the uniform changed from white to red.
However, and regardless of the colour, the county’s consistency is unchanged.
Since the beginning of the noughties, Cork have won the O’Duffy Cup 12 times and they've been runners-up on nine occasions.
Doing the maths, over a period of 27 years that is an incredible 21 visits to GAA headquarters on All-Ireland final day.
For the present group, Sunday will surely go down as one of the most endearing. The panel turnover has been well highlighted in recent weeks, with no less than 14 players not available for selection.
Yet, Manley describes the current squad as one of the best.
“I was involved in hurling teams most of my life. This is probably the best team I’ve coached. And tactically, they’re so good. Like, Dónal O’Grady is one of our backroom team. Seán Crowley has been involved in winning All-Ireland teams. James Nyhan is involved in senior teams in Cork. Gemma O’Connor will be a brilliant coach. She is a brilliant coach.”
Combining youth with seasons of experience is the winning mix. Goal-scorer Saoirse McCarthy sums it up perfectly.
“I think a lot of people said we would never do it this year. Even people from Cork were saying it. We knew what we had, and we stuck to that, and here we are now, and we just couldn’t be happier. I actually can’t believe it.”
The magnitude of the achievement will take a while to sink in.
Twelve months ago it was Cathal Murray and Galway who had that winning feeling when Carrie Dolan brought the cup back across the Shannon.
Murray said in his post-match interview two days ago that his team died with their boots on, and it wasn’t an exaggeration.
A week earlier Galway were crowned All-Ireland ladies senior football champions, and what a nice touch to see them en bloc back at the Jones Road venue to support the camogie team.
You win some, and you lose some. That’s how sport works.
For now, the celebrations have started on Leeside and they will continue for a long time to come.
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