The O’Duffy Cup is coming home. Ger Manley’s side erased the memory of last year’s heartbreaking loss to Galway by overcoming their great rivals for the second time in three years.

The third part of a trilogy of All-Ireland final meetings between the country’s top inter-county teams delivered yet another intense and physical battle.

Some of the tackles, including those involving Cork’s Laura Hayes and Galway’s Carrie Dolan, had supporters wincing in the stands.

Cork and Galway know no other way.

In a season defined by defences, Galway entered Croke Park yet to concede a senior championship goal. Cork were not far behind, their net breached only once, by Galway, on the road to this year’s decider.

It was fitting that two moments of attacking magic swung the result in Cork’s favour.

Orlaith Cahalane was well marshalled by Galway’s full-back line for the majority of the game. That was until the forward, compared to Lionel Messi by her manager, brilliantly found the bottom corner after 34 minutes.

A rare Amy Lee long puck-out zeroed in on Saoirse McCarthy six minutes later.

The Courcey Rovers star plucked the sliotar from the air, galloped through her opposing defence and fired beyond goalkeeper Sarah Healy.

Two goals of the highest quality and on the biggest stage of the championship.

Yet, they were barely enough to hold of a rampaging Galway fightback as the champions went down swinging. You would expect nothing less from a Cathal Murray team.

Yet, the champions will have regrets about the manner in which they mismanaged the closing stages. Over five minutes of injury time was an ample period in which a dominant Galway could have picked off enough scores to level.

Instead, wayward shooting preceded a last puck of the game opportunity for Sarah Healy. Granted, Galway’s free was a long way out from goal but Healy’s attempt flew too high and with it, her team’s last chance to salvage a draw.

Relief, elation and pure joy at the final whistle for a Cork panel that rebounded from an awful start to the season before picking up their 31st All-Ireland senior title.

Cork's Ashling Thompson celebrates with the O'Duffy Cup after their win over Galway. (Photo: James Crombie/INPHO)

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This was an equally positive day at the office for the Camogie Association.

A record attendance of 33,419 for a standalone camogie All-Ireland finals day owed much to the organisation’s increased marketing and clever use of social media.

The colour six different counties brought to Croke Park enhanced an already excitable atmosphere, especially in the closing stages of the senior decider.

It is fair to say that Cork and Galway’s box office rivalry has helped market the camogie championships to a new and growing audience. The quality of Armagh and Cavan’s Premier Junior final (won by Armagh) plus Antrim and Laois’ intermediate decider (won by Antrim) were also a pleasant surprise at a packed Croke Park.

Make no mistake, the gap in physicality, speed and scoring ability between the senior finalists and the two games that took place beforehand was stark.

That statement is true of most senior inter-county teams as well.

Cork and Galway continue to set the bar in camogie. It is up to others to match them.

So far ahead of the chasing pack are the Rebels and Tribeswomen that few would complain if they met in a fourth consecutive All-Ireland final next year.

There was a record attendance for this year's camogie finals. (Photo: Tom Maher/INPHO)

Ger Manley and his players were not thinking about that prospect whatever time they woke up on Monday morning.

An 11th All-Ireland appearance in the last 13 seasons and sixth consecutive final underlines the Rebels’ remarkable consistency.

Of all Cork’s All-Ireland senior successes in recent times, 2026 must rank as one of the sweetest.

Consider the fact Manley’s much-depleted squad suffered National League losses to Waterford, Antrim and Galway before exiting the Munster Championship to Tipperary earlier this year.

A seven-week concentrated block of training before the All-Ireland group stages proved pivotal.

The work done during that period, along with the return of experienced personnel, helped Cork overcome Waterford, Tipperary (twice) and, most notably, Galway.

Add to that the sight of a rebuilt half-back line consisting of Ava Fitzgerald, Méabh Murphy and Isobel Sheehan withstanding Galway’s late onslaught.

Player of the match Sorcha McCartan scored four points, all from play and each of the highest order. Ger Manley’s admission that McCartan played with a broken finger only added to drama.

Credit, too, to Manley and his management team for moving Ashling Thompson to centre-forward and allowing Millie Condon roam free late in the second half. It was an important tactical shift.

It was also another memorable day in the history of Cork camogie but, even more importantly, a memorable occasion for the Camogie Association.