Dublin to face Kerry in women’s All-Ireland final after beating Cork

Dublin 2-19 Cork 0-13

Dublin are back in the All-Ireland final for the first time since 2021 after their win over Cork at Semple Stadium in Thurles.

A goal by Hannah Tyrrell in the 22nd minute, which the officials took a lengthy look at before it was awarded, was a crucial score as it put her side into a commanding lead and they never looked back from here.

Key to their win was the pressure they put on Cork kick-outs, giving the Rebels no room to clear their lines.

Niamh Donlon opened the scoring for Dublin three minutes in with Doireann O’Sullivan equalising from a free with Cork’s next attack.

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Jennifer Dunne put Dublin back in front before they had goalkeeper Abby Shiels to thank as she brilliantly saved from Maire O’Callaghan. But the referee was playing advantage and O’Sullivan added her second from the placed ball.

Dunne and Orlagh Nolan added points for Dublin as they led 0-4 to 0-2 after eight minutes.

Carla Rowe and O’Sullivan exchanged points, before Dunne and Tyrrell, from a free, put Dublin 0-7 to 0-3 up after 17 minutes.

Doireann O’Sullivan got her fourth, all from frees, to put three between the sides, with Tyrrell replying to increase Dublin’s lead again. They were now on top and further points from Tyrrell and Jodi Egan increased their lead.

A mistake from the Cork defence let Tyrrell in on goal and she passed to Dunne, who then returned it for the former to goal. The referee consulted with the umpires and after a long consultation awarded the goal. It put Dublin in a commanding lead 1-9 to 0-4 and with just 22 minutes gone they had one foot in the final.

A minute later Katie Quirke got Cork’s first point from play as they tried to get back into contention. Two late points from Cork reduced the deficit as Dublin deservedly led by 1-10 to 0-7 at half time.

Cork started the second half brightly with Hannah Looney and Daire Kiely going close before Aoife Healy pointed. But Dublin worked the ball down the pitch with Ellen Gribben scoring to keep their six point lead.

Credit to Cork they kept going and Shiels made another superb save, this time denying Orlaith Cahalane a green flag.

Down the other end Cork the woodwork to thank with Rowe’s effort coming back off the crossbar, before Nolan and Gribben added points.

It was game over after 45 minutes when Niamh Hetherton and Tyrrell combined to set up Rowe for Dublin’s second goal to make it 2-15 to 0-10. With 11 minutes to go Eilish O’Dowd was sin binned for Dublin but despite the best efforts of Cork they held out for the win to face Kerry in the decider on August 13th.

DUBLIN: A Shiels; N Crowley, L Caffrey, A Kane; L Magee (0-2), M Byrne, N Donlon; J Dunne (0-4), E O’Dowd; C O’Connor, O Nolan (0-3), K Sullivan (0-1); H Tyrrell (1-2, one free), C Rowe (1-2), J Egan.

Subs: E Gribben (0-2) for J Egan (0-1) (HT), N Hetherton for N Donlon (0-1) (38 mins), S Aherne (0-1) for K Sullivan (55), S Wylde for H Tyrrell (56), C Darby for C O’Connor (58).

CORK: M O’Sullivan; M Duggan, E Meaney, R Phelan; A Ryan, S Kelly, A Healy (0-1); M O’Callaghan, H Looney; D Kiely (0-1), C O’Sullivan (0-1), K Quirke (0-1); L Coppinger, D O’Sullivan (0-8 frees), E Cleary.

Subs: L O’Mahony for S Kelly, O Cahalane (0-1) for E Cleary (both HT), L Fitzgerald for O Cahalane, D Kiniry for A Ryan (both 48 mins), A Ring for D O’Sullivan (55).

Referee: Jonathan Murphy (Carlow).

Kerry 1-16 Mayo 1-11

Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh produced a stunning display and shot 1-10 as Kerry took another major step towards ending their famine as they booked their place in the All-Ireland final for the second year in a row.

Kerry, even without injured captain Siofra O’Shea, were on top throughout and will now hope to go one better in two weeks and capture the title for the first time since 1993.

The Corca Dhuibhne sharpshooter delivered an awesome display in a game where Kerry built up a nine-point half-time lead to leave Mayo with little chance of a revival.

The Connacht champions enjoyed a better second half with the wind and shot 1-6. However, Michael Moyles’ side had no answer to the unstoppable Ní Mhuircheartaigh, who caused havoc at every turn.

The exchanges were quite even in the first 10 minutes, with Sinéad Cafferky and Shauna Howley exchanging points with Ní Mhuircheartaigh and Hannah O’Donoghue.

But Mayo were blown away in a devastating nine-minute spell in the first half when Kerry hit them for 1-7 without reply.

The twin threats of O’Donoghue and Ní Mhuircheartaigh accounted for 1-5 of this, with Emma Costello and Niamh Ní Chonchúir pointing the remainder.

Kerry’s two most influential players were central to Kerry’s 18th minute goal, with O’Donoghue fist-passing across the goal for Ní Mhuircheartaigh to palm into the net.

Mayo – who sent three kick-outs out over the sideline in the first half – broke an 11-minute long scoring drought when Sinéad Cafferky knocked over her second point.

Centre back Ciara Needham added another for the Connacht champions, but a nine-point interval deficit left them with a mountain to climb.

The Kingdom lost the impressive O’Donoghue to injury at half-time, but that did little to impede their march to victory. Ní Mhuircheartaigh was immense, kicking 0-5 in the second half and nearly grabbing a second goal.

Substitute Deirdre Doherty gave Mayo a glimmer of home when she struck the net midway through the second half within a minute of her introduction.

However, they failed to muster a serious bounce against a Kerry team that tackled and turned over ball tigerishly all afternoon.

Shauna Howley and Aoife Geraghty pointed as Mayo made a few brave charges at goal, but their shooting and shot selection let them down. A rampant Ní Mhuircheartaigh, who ended with 1-6 from play, continued to terrorise the Mayo defence and saw a wicked shot on goal graze over the crossbar in the closing stages.

KERRY: C Butler; E Lynch, K Cronin, C Murphy; A O’Connell, E Costello (0-1), C Lynch; L Scanlon, L Galvin; N Carmody, N Ní Chonchúir (0-1), A Galvin; H O’Donoghue (0-3), D O’Leary (0-1), L Ní Mhuircheartaigh (1-10, for frees). Subs: A Harrington for O’Donoghue (HT), M O’Connor for Galvin (47 mins), C Evans for Ní Chonchúir (54), E McGlynn for Carmody (66).

MAYO: L Brennan; S Lally, C McManamon, D Caldwell; É Ronayne, C Needham (0-2), K Sullivan; A Geraghty (0-1), T O’Connor; S Cafferky (0-2), R Kearns (0-1), S Mulvihill; T Needham, S Howley (0-3, two frees), L Cafferky (0-1). Subs: S Walsh (0-1) for Mulvihill (26 mins), L Wallace for O’Connor (44), D Doherty (1-0) for Kearns (44), M Cannon for T Needham (52), F McHale for Howley (59).

Referee: Maggie Farrelly (Cavan).