Twelve months ago, the Cork senior camogie panel was devastated after losing the All-Ireland Final to a late Galway point, but last Sunday the shoe was on the other foot when the Rebel women won by the same narrow margin to bring the O’Duffy Cup back to Leeside.
The game was an epic affair, played out in front of a record attendance (33,419) at Headquarters, and Cork left Croke Park with their 31st All-Ireland, and their third in four years, a remarkable achievement for a squad that has seen a lot of changes since last year. Manager Ger Manley and his backroom team have done a wonderful job to bring this team to the pinnacle, and the players themselves deserve great credit too for the way they responded to last year’s heartbreaking loss. Sunday was Cork’s sixth final in a row, a level of consistency which speaks to the quality and mental strength of the players who line out for the team. This strength of character was throughout the squad, but especially in Ashling Thompson from Milford, who last March suffered an elbow dislo-cation that completely separated her forearm from her upper arm. This injury looked like potentially ending her inter-county career, but Ashling is made of sterner stuff, and after an intense period of rehabilitation she played the full 60 minutes in the final group game of the Championship against Waterford. Even a later hamstring injury couldn’t stop her, and last Sunday she was at her imperious best, playing a major role in her county’s victory.
On Monday evening, Mallow Railway Station was a sea of red and white, and people came from all over North Cork to welcome the victorious Rebels. When the players and management emerged onto the platform, a huge cheer went up, and one by one the players went along the line of supporters, signing match programmes, jerseys, hurleys, sliothars, Cork bucket hats etc. Lots of selfies were taken, and the players had time for everyone. Star of the show was, as always, Ashling, who continued signing autographs when most of the players were already back on the train, and she continued posing for photos even as Iarnród Éireann staff were politely guiding her towards the waiting carriage.
There were brilliant celebrations in Mallow, but of course, it was nothing compared to the welcome they got when they reached Cork’s Kent Station, where they transferred to a bus for the short journey to Grand Parade. As the bus got to Grand Parade, Tina Turner’s song ‘Simply the Best’ blasted out, and team captain Méabh Cahalane led her team-mates on to the stage near the National Monument. Taoiseach Mícheál Martin was in attendance to congratulate the team, as was Lord Mayor, Damian Boylan, and Mayor of Cork County Bernard Moynihan.
Captain Méabh Cahalane gave a great speech and thanked the thousands of fans who had made the journey to Dublin on Sunday, and also those who had come out for the homecoming.
After all this, it was time for a quick blast of Queen’s ‘We are the Champions’, and in a fitting finale, Cork’s Rebel King – Cyril Kavanagh – led the crowd in a stirring rendition of ‘The Banks of My Own Lovely Lee’.