Ladies Gaelic Football

4 // Ladies Gaelic Football Association THE REBELS VS THE DUBS PEIL Autumn | Issue No 3 | Volume 14 A rivalry that has pushed the game forward he dominance of the Cork women began in 2005. Previous to that there were flashes of brilliance from them but the game was still being dominated by Mayo, Dublin, Galway and Monaghan. Winning their first All Ireland Final in 2005, not many would have predicted what was going to happen over the next decade. In 2005 Dublin has lost the two previous All Ireland Finals to Mayo and then Galway. A team with a lot of talent at the time, they were starting to get the reputation for not being able to get over the final hurdle. As Cork batted away the competition of Galway, Armagh, Mayo and Monaghan Dublin on the other hand were floundering. At this point the Dubs were no match for the speed and skill of Cork. In 2008 Dublin were beaten by Tyrone in the quarter final of the Championship 2-12 to 1-09. Former players have alluded to that defeat being a watershed moment for the squad. This discussion afterwards and in preparation for 2009 was that they were going to raise their standards to achieve what they believed was their true potential. In 2009 the Dubs certainly took a step forward. They reached their first All Ireland final since 2004 putting themselves forward as the next in line to try and topple Cork. The 2009 final was a low scoring event, Cork 1-09, Dublin 0-11. In the aftermath many suggested Dublin were the better team for long periods of time – that didn't count for anything however. Dublin were hungry but weren't able to find the killer blow. In a narrative that was to be repeated in subsequent years, the game was there for the taking for Dublin but Cork would never yield. With 8 minutes left Dublin were 2 points ahead. Cool under pressure Nollaig Cleary and Valerie Mulcahy had the composure to hit the final 2 points for their team in the dying minutes. 2009 began a vicious competitivness between Dublin and Cork that is still alive and well today! In 2010 Dublin won their first every Senior All Ireland title. They were comprehensive winners over Tyrone, the team that had put Cork out of the Championship. It was a wonderful occasion for the Dubs but whether the absence of Cork in the final took a small shine off the medal? The 2011 Championship draw saw the two teams meeting in the quarterfinals in Birr. Once again Dublin started with a great intensity and dominated Cork. Cork however did not give up and in the second half they hit 7 unanswered points to get themselves T Rebels DUBS

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