Camogie: Thompson powers Cork to comfortable victory over Galway in Division 1A decider

April 13, 2025

Cork's Ashling Thompson in action against Galway during the Very Camogie League Division 1A final at FBD Semple Stadium ©INPHO

Cork 0-21
Galway 0-10

by Daragh Ó Conchúir at FBD Semple Stadium

It was a daytime stroll for Cork in the Very Camogie League Division 1A final, as they held the upper hand in most sectors of the field against a strangely flat Galway to win by more double scores and claim the county’s first title in a dozen years.

It was a hugely impressive effort by Ger Manley’s squad, with Ashling Thompson a central cog.

The Milford dynamo may have turned 35 last month and was one of only three players to survive from Cork’s last triumph at this level, but she remains a relentless driving force in the middle of the field, at the core of much of what is good about the Rebels.

She struck two points in the first half and three in total, but won mountains of possession and found teammates with clever distribution, helped undoubtedly by the movement of those around and in front of her.

Cork’s depth of talent was illustrated by the response to the late injury changes that would disrupt most side. But they were able to introduce former All-Ireland-winning captain and All-Star, Amy O’Connor for Laura Hayes, while Emma Murphy took the place of Katrina Mackey, who along with twin sister Pamela, joined Thompson in the defeat of Wexford in the 2013 final.

Murphy snaffled three points in another reminder of her ability, while Clodagh Finn will have been happy with her first start in a national senior decider, adding two. O’Connor contributed four, and had a hand in a few more.

Saoirse McCarthy, hit four points and was akin to a Rolls Royce at times and Sorcha McCartan also contributed heavily, with three and offering an aerial outlet all the time. Defensively they were in complete control, Laura Treacy, Libby Coppinger and Pamela Mackey exuding authority.

It was a good end to a weekend that had started disappointingly for Coppinger, Hannah Looney and Aoife Healy, the trio having played in the ladies football team that lost the Division 2 League final yesterday.

And in truth, it was never in doubt. Galway were largely unthreatening, apart from one goal chance when the alert Amy Lee raced off her line to block a ground shot from Ailish O’Reilly.

They failed to register a score from play until the fifth minute of the second half. Cathal Murray undoubtedly fired some shots in the dressing room and with the lack of a response, had clearly seen enough when making a triple substitution in the 39th minute.

The thing was that there were only five points between the teams at that juncture, despite Cork being fairly well on top. But they could not seem to raise their intensity and the second half meandered to an inevitable conclusion.

Finn and Carrie Dolan (free) swapped early points but when Murphy gave Cork an eighth-minute lead, after a brilliant run out of defence that took out five Galway players, they were never pegged back again.

Thompson and Murphy helped move the Leesiders four clear when Lee made that fantastic save from O’Reilly in the 24th minute. A goal there might have altered the flow of proceedings, but instead, points from McCarthy, O’Connor and Finn made it 0-9 to 0-4 at the break, with Dolan’s frees keeping Galway in contention.

It was the skipper that got the Tribeswomen’s first score from play and it was a brilliant effort, in reply to another McCarthy point, but with Thompson dictating, Cork just pulled further and further ahead, concluding with eight individual scorers.

Sarah Healy provided one of the few Galway highlights, with a pointed free from her own 65, and subs Niamh Niland and Sabina Rabbitte did get on the scoresheet, but it was a day to forget for the Maroons, while for all the Cork players bar the aforementioned trio of the Mackeys and Thompson, it was a first ever Division 1A League medal.

SCORERS FOR CORK: S McCarthy (1f), A O’Connor (2fs) 0-4 each; E Murphy, A Thompson, S McCartan 0-3 each; C Finn 0-2; H Looney, M Condon 0-1 each

SCORERS FOR GALWAY: C Dolan 0-6(5fs); S Rabbitte, N Niland, Sarah Healy (f) 0-1 each

CORK: A Lee, P Mackey, L Coppinger, M Murphy, M Cahalane, L Treacy, A Healy, A Thompson, H Looney, A O’Connor, S McCarthy, S McCartan, C Finn, E Murphy, O Cahalane. Subs: C Healy for Finn (45), A Fitzgerald for Looney (51), K Wall for Murphy (56), R Harty for A Healy (57), M Condon for O’Connor (60+1), O Mullins for O Cahalane (60+3)

GALWAY: Sarah Healy, Shauna Healy, D Higgins, R Hanniffy, E Helebert, O Rabbitte, C Hickey, A Starr, M Dillon, Á Keane, C Dolan, N Mallon, A Donohue, A O’Reilly, C Kelly. Subs: A Hesnan for Starr (39), R Black for Helebert (39), S Rabbitte for C Kelly (39), A Kelly for O’Reilly (49), N Niland for Mallon (49), S Gardiner for Donohue (52), A Lynskey for Dillon (58)

REFEREE: Gavin Donegan (Dublin)


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