Galway are the newly-crowned Glen Dimplex All Ireland Intermediate Camogie champions.
A 0-13 to 0-11 win over Cork was enough to ensure Cathal Murray's team prevailed in what was a tight decider at Croke Park.
Galway had led at the break by 0-10 to 0-7, after which the game became a real dogfight, but the Tribeswomen were always able to keep just enough in front to deservedly take the spoils on a superb day for the county.
Galway were more economical than Cork as Laura Loughnane led from the front with three points from play. She was helped by Katie Gilchrist who delivered five frees, while both Tegan Canning and Niamh McPeake also added to the scoresheet.
At the other end Joanne Casey struck four frees, with Lauren Homan adding two points, and Katelyn Hickey also splitting the posts before Cork regained the initiative after the break. However, Galway rolled their sleeves up with a superb defensive display led by Galway's Ciara Donohue and Lisa Casserly, forcing Cork into a total of 11 wides in the game.
Galway were also reduced to 14 players when Kate Manning was shown a second yellow card in six minutes for a high tackle in the 52nd minute, but they continued to repel Cork's goal-scoring efforts despite the best efforts of Joanne Casey. With just two points between them, Casey went for goal, but her effort ricocheted off the stick of goalie Fiona Ryan before being cleared.
Katie Gilchrist slotted her seventh point to stretch the lead to three, and although Casey bagged her sixth point in injury time, time ran out for the Cork women.
Galway's Laura Loughnane, who scored three excellent first-half points, paid tribute to the up-and-coming youngsters in the team.
“It’s a completely new team this year. It’s basically made up of 17, 18, 19-year-olds, and seven or eight of us bringing up the average age. I’m so proud of them, they’re unbelievable.
“The older girls learned a lot this year from the younger girls, and they learned hopefully a bit from us. I’m so glad to have won it with this bunch because they’re unreal. I’ve no doubt most of them girls will be playing senior camogie in the next few years.”
GALWAY: F Ryan, C Starr, C Donohue, C Hickey, K Manning, L Casserly, K A Porter, A Hesnan, J Hughes, N McInerney, K Gilchrist, T Canning, O Rabbitte, N McPeake, L Loughnane. Subs: L Kelly for Canning, S Corcoran for McInerney (both 40 ); C Kenny for Loughnane (55 ); A Kelly for Gilchrist (60 )
CORK: S Beausang, A Moloney, N O’Leary, G Hannon, J O’Leary, K Kilcommins, L O’Sullivan, L Callanan, R Harty, J Casey, K Hickey, S Hutchinson, L Homan, H Ryan, C O’Callaghan. Subs: M Murphy for Hutchinson (29 ); R O’Shea for C O’Callaghan (39 ); A O’Callaghan for Ryan (59 )
GALWAY SCORERS: K Gilchrist 0-7(6fs ); L Loughnane 0-3; N McPeake 0-2; T Canning 0-1; CORK SCORERS: J Casey 0-6(5fs ); L Homan 0-3; K Hickey, R O’Shea 0-1 each.
REFEREE: Gavin Donegan (Dublin )
