Dublin are back in the TG4 All-Ireland senior ladies football championship final for the first time since 2021 after their win over Cork at FBD Semple Stadium in Thurles. 

By Anthony Newman 

A goal by Hannah Tyrrell in the 22^nd minute, which the officials took a lengthy look at before it was awarded, was a crucial score as it put her side into a commanding lead and they never looked back from here. 

Key to their win was the pressure they put on Cork kick-outs, giving the Rebels no room to clear their lines. 

Niamh Donlon opened the scoring for Dublin three minutes in with Doireann O’Sullivan equalising from a free with Cork’s next attack. 

Jennifer Dunne put Dublin back in front before they had goalkeeper Abby Shiels to thank as she brilliantly saved from Maire O’Callaghan. But the referee was playing advantage and O’Sullivan added her second from the placed ball. 

Dunne and Orlagh Nolan added points for Dublin as they led 0-4 to 0-2 after eight minutes. 

Carla Rowe and O’Sullivan exchanged points, before Dunne and Hannah Tyrrell, from a free, put Dublin 0-7 to 0-3 up after 17 minutes. 

Doireann O’Sullivan got her fourth, all from frees, to put three between the sides, with Tyrrell replying to increase Dublin’s lead again. 

They were now on top and further points from Tyrrell and Jodi Egan increased their lead. 

A mistake from the Cork defence let Tyrrell in on goal and she passed to Dunne, who then returned it for the former to goal. 

The referee consulted with the umpires and after a long consultation awarded the goal. 

It put Dublin in a commanding lead 1-9 to 0-4 and with just 22 minutes gone they had one foot in the final. 

A minute later Katie Quirke got Cork’s first point from play as they tried to get back into contention. 

Two late points from Cork reduced the deficit as Dublin deservedly led by 1-10 to 0-7 at half time. 

Cork started the second half brightly with Hannah Looney and Daire Kiely going close before Aoife Healy pointed. But Dublin worked the ball down the pitch with Ellen Gribben scoring to keep their six point lead. 

Credit to Cork they kept going and Shiels made another superb save, this time denying Orlaith Cahalane a green flag. 

Down the other end Cork the woodwork to thank with Rowe’s effort coming back off the crossbar, before Nolan and Gribben added points. 

It was game over after 45 minutes when Niamh Hetherton and Tyrrell combined to set up Rowe for Dublin’s second goal to make it 2-15 to 0-10. 

With 11 minutes to go Eilish O’Dowd was sin binned for Dublin but despite the best efforts of Cork they held out for the win to face Kerry in the decider on August 13.

Kerry booked their place in the All Ireland Final as Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh hit 1-10 to see the Kingdom have another chance to end their 30 year wait for All Ireland Silverware.

Kerry won the first half, Mayo better in the second, but August 13th will be Kerry’s day, they battled well in the first half to carve out a 1-10 to 0-04 lead, but the second was nerve wracking.

Mayo missed chances and will rue them, Kerry have a lot to work on, Cork or Dublin next on the agenda, they will have to worry about Hannah O’Donoghue going off injured, but will celebrate this evening.

It was a largely possession based game in the early exchanges, Mayo passing around the Kerry half nicely, but the final pass just eluded them, the Kingdom transitioning well and after some possession Hannah O’Donoghue fired the opening point over six minutes in.

Sinead Cafferky levelled the tie almost immediately, the opening 12 minutes compact and close as the score was split two points a piece, with Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh and Shauna Howley grabbing scores.

When O’Donoghue restored the Kingdom’s lead 13 minutes in, they took control, Mayo with two sloppy kickouts in a row that Kerry turned over, O’Donoghue and Emma Costello pointed for a 0-5 to 0-2 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Ní Mhuircheartaigh stroked over two incredible scores to make it a five point game, before Niamh Ní Chonchúir added a score before Ní Mhuircheartaigh found the back of the Mayo net, Niamh Carmody playing the key pass to find Danielle O’Leary, she passed it across the goal for Ní Mhuircheartaigh to tap home, 1-8 to 0-2, Kerry in the blink of an eye took control.

The Kerry forward added to her tally soon after, if not for a solid stop by Ciara Butler to save a goal bound effort from Tara Needham, it could have been a different story on the scoreboard.

From the resulting 45, Mayo went short and Cafferky got them a much needed score, they follow up by Ciara Needham dropped short, Laura Brenna denied Kerry a second goal fro, a counter attack, Carmody finding O’Donoghue but the Mayo net minder stood her ground.

Ní Mhuircheartaigh and Ciara Needham swapped scores towards the end of the half, the Kingdom largely comfortable, ahead 1-10 to 0-04 at the interval.

Mayo started on top in the second half as Rachel Kearns made use of Kerry being unable to clear their lines to score the first point of the half, Ní Chonchúir was in on goal but was unable to create the chance, at the other end Ailsing O’Connell got in the way to stop Mayo creating a goal of their own.

Ní Mhuircheartaigh steadied Kerry with a tap over free minutes later, Mayo laced the killer touch to close the gap and almost had O’Leary in for a second goal, Carmody’s pass had a little too much weight on it to land to her full-forward.

Sinead Walsh kept Mayo on the board, but they made too many mistakes to start the second half, taking poor shooting choices and kicking the ball to no one, Lisa Cafferky making use of a create chance to put seven between them, 1-12 to 0-07.

Deirdre Doherty was one of three late changes, she dropped to the bench and having been summoned to come on, her first touch was rolling the ball past Butler into the Kerry net, Aoife Geraghty making the powerful run into the Kerry rearguard, unable to deal with her threat she offloaded to Doherty to make it a five point game.

The Kingdom playing into the breeze in the second half looked second best, they struggled to create scores, Ní Mhuircheartaigh missed a chance at a free but made up for it later to keep the Kingdom ahead.

Inside the final ten minutes, Howley tapped over two frees to keep Mayo within arms length, the Kerry captain Ní Mhuircheartaigh was however in fine form, despite Geraghty pointing for Mayo, her eight and ninth points kept Kerry ahead.

O’Leary and Needham swapped late points as Mayo trailed by five, Deidre Doherty went for  goal twice from free’s late on, the first went wide, the second was blocked on the line, Kerry awarded a kick out, the hooter sounding, Kerry into the All Ireland Final.