Galway defeated Kerry in the All-Ireland ladies football final to claim their second title, inspired by Leanne Coen's two goals and a resolute defensive display.
Galway captured their second All-Ireland ladies football title with a hard-fought victory over Kerry at Croke Park, banishing the memory of last year's final defeat and a disappointing Division One league final earlier in the season.
The triumph was sealed by a determined defensive display and two crucial goals from Leanne Coen, the second of which swung momentum decisively in Galway's favour with only six minutes remaining. The final score of 2-8 to 0-9 reflected a tense, tactical contest that never quite caught fire. Having lost seven previous league finals, Galway's side had faced questions about their ability to win silverware under pressure.
The team's captain, Nicola Geraghty, reflected on the importance of learning from those setbacks.
'I think sometimes you learn more from losing a game. We knew we didn't want to be back in a position where we had that feeling; it's not a nice feeling,' she said. Galway responded to the league final heartbreak by embarking on an unbeaten run that took them through the Connacht final and a string of All-Ireland victories, culminating in Sunday's showdown.
Key to Galway's success was a tactical adjustment that saw Siobhán Divilly deployed as a sweeper, giving the side extra cover at the back and limiting Kerry's goal-scoring opportunities. Geraghty, who was named as one of her side's best performers, noted that the team believed in themselves despite external doubts.
'People probably doubted us but we knew ourselves and we believed in ourselves. We have great man-markers, and having Siobhán drop back worked for us,' she explained. The approach made for a scrappy, hard-fought encounter, with Kerry manager Mark Bourke rejecting suggestions that his team were overly defensive, insisting that the sides were evenly matched and that a high-scoring game was never expected.
The victory adds Galway to the list of recent champions, with Meath, Dublin, and Kerry having all claimed the title in recent years. However, Sunday's final attracted a crowd of just 26,471, the smallest for the event since 2013, a drop attributed to the recent appearances of both counties' men's teams at Croke Park and the absence of more localised finalists. For Galway, the attendance was irrelevant; the players were solely focused on lifting the Brendan Martin Cup.
Coen, whose brace made the difference, admitted that her second goal was the most memorable, having recognised the need for a goal at that crucial stage. For Galway, this victory represents the culmination of years of dedication and the realisation of a dream for players like Geraghty, who made her debut in 2020.
'It was just an amazing feeling. It's been a dream come true, I suppose. That's what you've trained for all year and that's what you want to do at the end of the day, win an All-Ireland in Croke Park. It's the best feeling in the world,' she said.
The win also reinforces the growing competitiveness in women's football, with four different champions in five years. While the final may not have been a classic, Galway's resilience and tactical discipline ensured their name was engraved on the trophy once again
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