Galway’s 22-year wait for senior glory comes to a chaotic end against Kerry

All-Ireland Senior Women’s Football Final: Galway 2-7 (2-0-7) Kerry 0-12 (0-0-12)Confusion, controversy, a brief wave of maroon devastation, and then came the delirium. Galway, All-Ireland senior champions for only the second time.What had been a tame All-Ireland Women’s Senior Football final produced the most dramatic ending as Síofra O’Shea’s free, kicked with 21 seconds left on the clock and Kerry trailing by one, dropped short under the Galway crossbar.A forest of bodies rose to meet the incoming effort, but Niamh Divilly’s fingertips weren’t enough to prevent the ball from crossing the line. Goal. Out the field, O’Shea was already celebrating, jumping into the outstretched arms of Emma Costello.Some Galway players feared the Brendan Martin Cup had been snatched from them in the dying seconds. More heartbreak. But referee Maggie Farrelly had signalled for a square ball, even before the ball had dropped to the net.READ MOREThe hooter sounded as Leah O’Halloran prepared to kick the ball out. It was over, Galway – who had lost deciders in 2005, 2019 and 2024 – are All-Ireland champions for just the second time after their maiden triumph in 2004.Regulation 434 of the LGFA’s official playing rules state: “From a set play, if the player is within the small rectangle before the ball enters it, the defending team shall be awarded a free out from within the small rectangle.”Kerry captain Síofra O’Shea reacts to a late goal being ruled out for a square ball. Photograph: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile Erica McGlynn was clearly inside the square before the ball arrived, so it was the correct call.However, Kerry were also frustrated that a longer advantage was not given for the foul on Róisín Rahilly which led to the free. Farrelly had her hand up to signal advantage – which under rule is for up to five seconds – and ultimately called the play back for the free. O’Shea was in possession when Farrelly ended the play, and while Galway players appeared to stop, the Kerry captain continued forward and popped the ball over the bar. But the score was not given.“You’d be annoyed about all of it really, but you’d have to go back and look at it,” said Kerry manager Mark Bourke afterwards.“I can’t control any of that, so I’m not going to start annoying myself over things I can’t control. That’s for other people, officials to make sure they get things right and if they do, they do, if they don’t, they don’t.”It was a messy, chaotic ending to what had been a structured, pedestrian game played in front of 26,471 spectators at Croke Park. It was the lowest scoring final since 2019 and, for most of the contest, the teams cancelled each other out. Galway certainly came with a plan not to concede heavily and persisted with the tactic of keeping a fourth player in defence at all times.Galway lost the 2024 final to Kerry by 12 points. The Tribeswomen were not about to allow them the freedom of Croke Park on this occasion.Sisters Olivia and Siobhán Divilly celebrate after the game. Photograph: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile With Siobhán Divilly regularly staying back as a sweeper to ensure Galway had a four-v-three defensive scenario, they were cutting off potential space for Kerry.It also curtailed Galway’s attacking edge though, as they were mostly working with a numerical disadvantage going forward. Those ingredients led to a bland encounter, though Galway will care little with the win secured.“I said before the game, whether we won by ten points or whether we scraped it, like we did today, as long as we won, I didn’t care how we won it,” said Galway captain Kate Geraghty.Galway had several brilliant performers. Leanne Coen scored both their goals, with her second coming with six minutes left to edge the Connacht champions one point ahead.After Caoimhe Evans’ equaliser, Eva Noone showed immense bravery and leadership to score a wonderful point in the 58th minute to restore Galway’s narrow lead with what would prove to be the match winner.O’Shea was Kerry’s standout player but they had to start the game without Anna Galvin, a late change due to a knee injury.The sides were tied 1-4 to 0-7 at the interval, with O’Shea accounting for three of Kerry’s points. Rahilly created an early goal chance for Kerry but her shot blazed just wide of the post. The Kingdom were 0-3 to 0-2 ahead when Galway hit the front for the first time courtesy of Coen’s opening goal just after the quarter-hour mark.The Corofin player showed great pace and power to glide beyond the tackles of Deirdre Kearney and Niamh Ní Chonchúir before a deft right-footed finish beyond Mary Ellen Bolger.Leanne Coen scores Galway's second goal. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho Jadyn Lucey responded with a point for Kerry, and it was little surprise to see the sides deadlocked at the turnaround.Galway went from the 21st to the 42nd minutes without scoring, but Kerry weren’t exactly overworking the scoreboard operator either. With just over 10 minutes remaining, the score read: 1-5 to 0-8.Róisín Leonard pushed Galway in front in the 50th minute, but thereafter Kerry grabbed the initiative. Ní Chonchúir drew the sides level with a neat point and the Munster champions forced two turnovers on the next pair of Galway kickouts. Both ended with points from O’Shea, the second featuring a brilliant pirouette to escape Galway defenders.Nailing three unanswered points to lead by two, Kerry were starting to strike for home. But Galway’s response was emphatic. At the end of a well-worked move up the field, Nicola Ward offloaded to Coen, who turned Kearney and smacked the ball beyond Bolger, 2-6 to 0-11.Evans and Noone traded points in the minutes that followed before the controversy of the final seconds arrived. When the dust settled, the sound of The Saw Doctors was again bouncing around Croke Park, this time for stone walls and the town of the Tribes. Galway, 2026 All-Ireland women’s senior football champions, meaning the Brendan Martin Cup will join Sam Maguire in Connacht this winter. The West’s awake, indeed.GALWAY: L O’Halloran; B Quinn, S Ní Loingsigh, K Geraghty (capt); H Noone, N Ward, S Divilly; L Ward, N Divilly; E Noone (0-0-1), K Slevin (0-0-1), K Thompson (0-0-1); O Divilly (0-0-3, 1f), L Coen (2-0-0), R Leonard (0-0-1). Subs: S Hynes for Thompson (52 mins), E Power for S Divilly (56), A Trill for Leonard (58).KERRY: ME Bolger; A Dillane, D Kearney, E Lynch; A O’Connell, N Carmody (0-0-1), R Rahilly; E Costello (0-0-1), M O’Connell; M Mulvihill, N Ní Chonchúir (0-0-3), C Evans (0-0-1); J Lucey (0-0-1), D O’Leary, S O’Shea (capt; 0-0-5, 3f). Subs: L McMahon for Mulvihill (43 mins), E McGlynn for Lucey (52), R Dwyer for O’Leary (58).Referee: M Farrelly (Cavan).