MATTHEW Twomey wasn’t surprised when Meábh Cahalane was named Cork camogie captain this season. The former All-Ireland-winning manager knows Cahalane is a leader on and off the pitch – she is the perfect choice to lead this current group of trailblazing Rebels.
Now the experienced Cork defender is closing in on her greatest moment yet: leading her county to All-Ireland glory.
Cahalane was vice-captain to Sarsfields’ Molly Lynch when Cork defended their All-Ireland title in 2024, and this year the St Finbarr’s player – with a strong West Cork connection – is wearing the captain’s armband and leading by example.
‘Meábh is one of the leaders on the field – she is a player who would have the whole dressing-room behind her,’ says Twomey, who kickstarted Cork’s three-in-a-row bid when he was in charge of the 2023 All-Ireland-winning team.
‘She’s a fantastic player, but is a great person as well – she has a charisma and a lovely way about her. Meábh has been in the panel since 2015/16, and I never heard another player say anything negative about her.
‘Whether it’s raining or the sun is shining, she has the same enthusiasm all the time.’
Meábh Cahalane lifts the Very Camogie League Division 1A cup after victory in April. (Photo: Ben Brady/INPHO)
The leadership genes are strong in the Cahalane clan – Meábh’s dad is Castlehaven great Niall Cahalane, who previously captained the Cork senior football team, while her mom Ailish is the rock on which the current Cahalane dynasty is built.
Six of Ailish and Niall’s children line out for Cork inter-county teams – Meábh, Orlaith and Gráinne with the camogie team, Damien and Jack with the Cork hurlers, and Conor with the footballers. It’s a tight family unit, and they’ll be in Croke Park on Sunday to support the Cahalane sisters in the All-Ireland senior final against Galway.
Meábh is a key cog in a Cork defence that doesn’t offer up many chances or scores. In fact, the most the Rebels have conceded in a championship game this season was 1-11 against Waterford in the semi-final. More of the same on Sunday, please.
‘As a player, we have gone to the well with Meábh so many times and she always delivers – Meábh could be marking their best player or fastest player, and she does the job. She’s mature and experienced,’ Twomey points out.
‘Man-marking is one of her key strengths, as is her calmness on the ball – she never seems to panic and always finds the pass.
‘There is a steadiness to her, on the field and in the dressing-room, and that exudes confidence. No matter how good or bad things are, she brings calmness. If mistakes are made, her attitude is, how do we improve? She has a very positive outlook,’ adds Twomey, who feels Cahalane’s decision to focus on camogie only is reaping its rewards. She had juggled both camogie and football but made the call in 2023 to give all her attention to camogie.
Méabh Cahalane juggled both football and camogie before deciding to focus on the latter.
‘Since Meábh gave up dual status – and that’s a tough decision to make – she has improved again,’ Twomey says.
‘She has more time for rest and recovery, and also to focus on herself, and that has helped her hurling. 2023 was the first year she did that, and we saw the rewards of it that year.
‘Recovery is huge, but also the ability to concentrate on one code. I know from working with dual players how hard it is – they are going from week to week, switching from camogie to football and back, and that’s challenging.
‘Meábh can now focus on camogie only, and she is feeling the benefits now – her energy levels could have dipped previously, there were problems with her calves, but she’s a new player since she has focussed on camogie only.’
And the Cork captain just takes it all in her stride. Even this week, with media obligations on Tuesday, Cahalane had an early start on Morning Ireland before a day full of interviews, but, experienced and calm, she handled it all with ease. The hope now is that this Cork group, on the cusp of three in a row, can handle the expectation in their biggest test yet: Galway in the final.
With Cahalanes involved – and one as captain – it gives Cork more than a fighting chance.
