Cork players Aoife Hurley and Emma Flannagan celebrate after their side’s victory in the Glen Dimplex Senior Camogie All-Ireland Championship Semi-Final match against Waterford. Photo: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

History beckons for camogie stars

While the Cork hurlers are suffering a serious drought and the footballers are still not in the top tier of challengers for an All-Ireland, Kerry ending their own short drought recently was not welcomed much in Cork.

Apart from by the swathes of Kerry people who live here of course!

I happened to be on holiday in Kerry when they scraped their way to a win over a brave Shane Walsh-inspired Galway team. While Kerry were pretty comfortable in the end, they struggled to put an inferior Galway team in its first final in years away.

Unfortunately with players of the calibre of Seán Ó Se and the Clifford brothers, they could start a period of dominance themselves, since Dublin’s reign is clearly over.

But things are certainly not all bad on Leeside. Indeed, this weekend history beckons for Cork camogie.

Sunday sees Cork competing to win yet another All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship.

Cork have won the All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship the most times – 28 titles. Dublin are second with 26 titles. Cork have almost been an ever present in finals since the early 1990s, picking up 14 titles since 1992. They’ve also made the final 12 times since 1987 - incredible.

They didn’t find it easy to make this year’s final having to overcome a tough Waterford side who took a big lead at half-time 0-7 to 0-3. This resolute Cork team took over in the second half however, pulling out six scores in a row, despite Waterford making it -08 to 0-3.

Cork reeled Waterford in and finished with a flourish, hitting the last 8 points to defeat Waterford by five points and book another Croke Park appearance.

There on Sunday they will face a formidable Kilkenny. They defeated champions Galway by 1-13 to 0-12 after a fine second half performance.

But it’s not just the seniors who need to win to make Sunday truly historic. This Sunday the senior and intermediate Cork teams can make history if they both win their All-Ireland finals - no easy task of course.

The minor and under 16 titles have already been secured so this is an opportunity for a historic clean sweep of All-Ireland titles.

See more on page 39 where the incomparable Finbarr McCarthy provides a full page preview of both finals. You’ll have to read them to find out if he reckons history will be made!

Finals are hard-won and there’s no easy finals. The intermediates are slight favourites while the seniors are outsiders, but let’s hope the intermediates get the first part done and give the seniors a unique and unprecedented opportunity! Corcaigh abú!