SUNDAY, 10 AUGUST
All-Ireland Premier Junior Camogie Championship final
Armagh v Laois, Croke Park, 1pm
All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie Championship final
Offaly v Kerry, Croke Park, 3pm
All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship final
Cork v Galway, Croke Park, 5.15pm
ONLINE
Live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app.
TV
Live coverage of all three finals on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Coverage begins at 12.45pm.
Watch highlights on The Sunday Game from 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.
RADIO
Live commentaries and updates on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1 – and Spórt an Lae on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta.
WEATHER
Weather will be mixed going into the weekend, but the rain is likely to clear Saturday night into Sunday morning ensuring nice conditions at Croke Park – although there may be a scattering of showers.
For more, visit met.ie.
Galway out to end Cork’s treble dreams
Two of Galway’s four All-Ireland triumphs have come against the Rebels, in 1996 and in 2021.
In the first of those, Galway hit an incredible 3-01 in seven minutes as Mullagh’s Imelda Hobbins became the first Tribe player to lift the O’Duffy Cup and, in a more relevant decider, a late Siobhan McGrath goal proved decisive in a three-point win.
A lot has changed even from the latter, but this is developing into quite the rivalry in what will be their third final meeting in five years with the scores nicely poised at one apiece.
Cork’s motivation will only be intensified by three-in-a-row ambitions. Oddly for a team well clear at the top of the roll of honour with 30 wins, they haven’t managed it since the early 1970s. Kilkenny, Tipperary and Wexford have all achieved it in the meantime.
Ger Manley’s side have looked imperious at times this season, but they were asked serious questions in the first half of their semi-final win over Waterford. Their Munster opponents, huge underdogs, totally bamboozled them in the first half with sweeper Kate Lynch acting like Velcro to the sliotar.
Orlaith Mullins hit 1-02 late on in Cork’s semi-final win over Galway
Whatever Manley and his team said at the interval worked a treat because they eventually won by 10 points.
Saoirse McCarthy was phenomenal with her probing runs causing mayhem, Katrina Mackey came to life and Orlaith Mullins issued a challenge to selectors with a blink and you miss it 1-02 cameo having come on for the final few minutes.
Galway do not possess the scoring threat of their opponents, who are ridiculously well stocked, but they do have a mean foundation with a concession rate of 10.2 points per game in the championship.
Tipperary did better that in the semi-final with 1-11, but Niamh Mallon’s emphatic strike gave Galway a seven-point winning margin – her first championship goal of the season as it happens.
Their work-rate was noticeable, and it will not have escaped their guise that Waterford’s energetic press did leave Cork uncomfortable – the Déise simply didn’t have the energy reserves to keep it up though.
That extra energy may be fuelled by Galway’s regret from 12 months ago.
Cathal Murray’s side could have won it, having levelled things coming down the stretch, but they were unable to take the game when it was there to be grasped and Cork took home the silverware.
Niamh Hannify and Niamh Kilkenny aren’t around from that game, nor are long-term injuries Áine Keane and Niamh McPeake. Roisín Black, one of their All-Stars last year, only made her first start of the season in the semi-final.
It’s a different team, but it will be a driven Tribe team.
Former team-mates to meet in All-Ireland final
Any build-up to the decider, just like last year’s final, will have to include mention of the fact that Galway’s Niamh Mallon and Cork’s Sorcha McCartan will battle in opposite full-forward lines having shared one in the past.
The pair both hail from Down, and combined for 2-04 as the Mourne County won the All-Ireland Intermediate title in 2020.
Twelve months ago, it was McCartan, daughter of 1994 Sam Maguire winner – and well-known character – Gregory, who got her hands on the O’Duffy Cup.
Galway’s Niamh Mallon will know one Cork player particularly well
Mallon will be hoping it’s her turn now as she aims to complete her own unique senior-intermediate double.
Kerry overcome mid-season strife
Kerry’s progression to the All-Ireland Intermediate final against Offaly is all the more impressive when you consider that their manager Bryan Darcy and head coach Paul Lillis stepped down in the early stages of their league season.
John Madden came in as that league campaign drew to a close, and not only did he keep the train on the track, but he helped it pick up speed and drove them to a first-ever intermediate final.
A five-point semi-final win over Down, now without the previously mentioned Sorcha McCartan and Niamh Mallon, who have a different final to worry about on Sunday, was an eye-catching win with the side digging in, and Diggin in too with Patrice landing a penalty, as they secured a path to Croke Park.
It’ll be a special day for long-term servants like Jackie Horgan, Sara Murphy, the Leens and Aoife Behan who ten years ago were hammered by Carlow in a Nancy Murray final – the fourth-tier competition. Murphy’s three frees were all they managed that day.
That final was played at the Templetuohy club grounds in Tipperary, the surroundings will be much different this weekend.
Kerry boss John Madden only took over mid-season
Having secured the Division 2A title in emphatic style against Derry back in April, the Faithful County are looking to add All-Ireland honours to their CV for the season .
Their one defeat this season came in the championship group stages as Antrim beat them by two points. When they met in the semi-final, Offaly had learned their lesson to win by one.
Mairead Teehan and her cousin Grace will need serious watching – and David Sullivan’s side look determined to truly make up for last year’s semi-final loss to eventual champions Cork.
Orchard aiming to end dismal final record
Armagh have been a regular fixture in the All-Ireland Premier Junior final, but they have been a regular loser too.
With six final losses from eight attempts, only Cork’s junior team have lost more – although the Munster side, with seven wins, have won nearly as much as they have lost.
This is their fourth final appearance since 2020 and having won the first of those in a fan-free Kingspan Breffni during Covid, they have lost deciders in 2021 and ’22.
Former Antrim manager – albeit only for a couple of months – PJ O’Mullan is in charge of the side and he has them moving very well.
They were back in Breffni for the semi-final and blitzed Roscommon on a 2-17 to 1-08 scoreline – the in-form Sinead Quinn amongst the goals while the ever-reliable Rachel Merry finished with 0-10 as she punished nearly every Rossie foul within range.
Líadan C Fennell (C) and Laois will be hoping to make up for last year’s final loss
Laois have been goal machines this season scoring 17 in five championship games (Louth, who had scored 0-00 against Armagh, conceded their game).
Five of those 17 came against Sunday’s opponents, but the fact that they still only won by six points, despite Armagh failing to raise even a single green flag, shows that this will be no walkover.
Susie Delaney, Aimee Collier, Amy Daly, Kirsten Keenan and Clodagh Tynan all raised green flags at the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds that day,
Collier struck a brace in the semi-final win over Wicklow with Eimear Hassett and Delaney also on target, and if that goal machine fires into gear, they can make up for last year’s narrow final loss to Tipperary.
Watch the All-Ireland Camogie Championship finals on Sunday from 12.45pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, including the senior final of Cork v Galway at 5.15pm. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1. Watch highlights on The Sunday Game from 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player