Cathal Murray: 'Three All-Irelands in seven years is massive'
Galway players celebrate at Croke Park. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
By Daragh Ó Conchúir
Cathal Murray considered his future this time last year in a losing dressing room.
With two young children and a wife who has supported him as he set about effecting a complete turnaround in culture and an application of steel to the Galway camogie team since he took over the reins after the 2018 League, but this time, he was doing so from the winner's circle.
He came back because little things grated with him about the game, the year, a feeling that they never truly got going.
And they were down Niamh Kilkemny, Niamh Hanniffy, Niamh McPeake and Áine Keane this term, they got new mum Shauna Healy back as well as Emma Helebert, and the youngsters had a bit more experience.
"We were three points off it in 2023, we were three points off it last year," Murray mused. "The small little percentages. We just made them up today and we’re delighted."
Feeling completely written off remains a potential fuel, even in this era of sports science and professionalism. "Sure we were given no chance at all. I know the League (final), we were poor in the League final, there’s no doubt about that. But we probably got to the league final because other teams probably didn’t do their job. We were never really going at full pelt, we won two or three of our games by just a point or two.
"It was disappointing, but they took it on the chin as a team. They’ve just been exceptional, since we played Tipperary back in a challenge match in early June, we’ve just been exceptional since. Thank God we pulled it off today, it could have gone either way – Cork are unbelievable champions, they’re an incredible team. To come within a puck of a ball to winning three in a row, it’s hard on them today, but I’ve huge respect for them. I’ve huge respect for the management.
"To be down to 14 players just before half time, and give the performance they gave in the second half. Their selector said it to me there, we played unbelievable. We had to play unbelievable. It’s a mark of how good they are. We’re just delighted for ourselves, as I said, that third All-Ireland – it’s just, I don’t know does it copper fasten how good we’ve been. Three All-Irelands in seven years is massive."