'We have no complaints' - Meagher 'immensely proud' despite Kilkenny's semi-final heartbreak
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Kilkenny lost out to Galway in the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Camogie Semi-Final on Saturday
Member of the Kilkenny management team, Jimmy Meagher admitted the Cats were second best in their All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Galway but expressed great pride at the panel’s progression in 2026.
A controversial Carrie Dolan penalty goal in the opening minute of the second half ensured a comfortable progression against a hard-working but less experienced Kilkenny unit. - MATCH SUMMARY HERE
“I’m immensely proud of the girls. I thought they put in a fantastic effort. Galway were really, really good in that middle third,” Meagher told Kilkenny People Sport.
“We probably struggled to work the ball into areas where we could bypass Ciara Hickey and she had a huge influence on the game, particularly in the first half. When you’re 0-7 0-5 down at half-time with the breeze to come, you’re already on the back foot.
“The goal at the start of the second half was a real sucker punch. I thought the penalty was a little bit soft. To me it was just a coming together between the players, but the referee gave it and Galway put it away,” he continued.
“What pleased me most was that we never stopped trying. We never gave up. Even when they went seven or eight points ahead, the girls kept battling right to the bitter end. We probably left a few chances behind us as well with a goal opportunity and a couple of wides.
“Overall, the better team won and we have no complaints. We’ll learn from it and we’ll be back. Kilkenny camogie is in a really good place and we have a lot of good young players coming through.”
Despite the disappointment of missing out on an All-Ireland final, Meagher believes Kilkenny have made significant strides this season and says the foundations are firmly in place for further progress in 2027.
“When we review the year, we’ll look back first at our league campaign because we could easily have been in a league final. We weren’t good enough in the Leinster Championship and we knew we had to step things up after that.
“The players were fantastic when they came back. The tier two competition was really good for us because it gave us the chance to build confidence, build a strong team and give our younger players valuable experience. Then the Waterford game in Croke Park was a really solid performance and we came into today feeling we could give Galway a real test,” the Kilkenny boss claimed.
“We know we still have work to do, but 2026 has been a good year for Kilkenny camogie. The Under-23s reached an All-Ireland final, the minors won an All-Ireland and the Under-16s also won an All-Ireland. There are a lot of positives to take from the year.”
Meagher said the management team will now sit down with the players to review the campaign before turning their attention to next season.
“We’re hoping the younger players in the dressing room become leaders as well because they’re a fantastic group coming through. We’ll review the year with the players and our leadership group, listen to their feedback and see what improvements and tweaks we can make for 2027.
“We’re bitterly disappointed to lose today, but there has been a lot of progress. When I look back on the year, I see a lot of good young players coming through and a county in a really good place. We’ve made a lot of progress and I believe we’ll be in a good place again in 2027.”