Overview
- Galway defeated Cork 2-26 to 1-18 at Croke Park on Saturday, overturning a one‑point half‑time deficit with a 0-10 to 0-1 third‑quarter run that decided the match.
- Jason Rabbitte was a key figure, winning high balls, creating scores for team‑mates and finishing with three points in a man‑of‑the‑match display that stretched Galway’s attacking reach.
- Cork’s backline was repeatedly crowded out by Galway’s pressure on puckouts and turnovers, and captain Darragh Fitzgibbon received a second yellow card midway through the second half which further undermined the Rebels’ recovery.
- Galway now await the winner of the Limerick v Clare semi‑final to complete the July 19 final pairing, a game made more poignant by Shane O’Donnell’s confirmation that 2026 will be his final season with Clare.
- The result sends Galway to their first All‑Ireland final since 2018 and highlights Micheál Donoghue’s blend of younger players and experienced leaders, while Cork must confront a repeating pattern of second‑half collapses at Croke Park.