Denise Cronin's charges were not keen to have a repeat performance of last year's defeat to Wexford, as a strong defensive display helped them lift the O'Duffy Cup for the 23rd time.

Sile Burns' two first-half goals were the decisive scores in this Cork victory. Indeed, this hour-long duel saw some of best goals witnessed at GAA headquarters this year.

Teenage star Jessica Gill had a major hand in ensuring that Galway continued to keep in touch in this game.

The Athenry attacker was also a key figure in the opening stages as Galway led by 0-04 to no score after nine minutes, with all of those scores coming from Gill frees.

It was the reliance of Liam Donoghue's charges on scores from placed balls which cost them dearly, but in reality it was Cork's rearguard which reigned supreme.

When goalkeeper Aoife Murray leaked a 27th-minute goal to midfielder Aine Hillary, it was the only real blip on an otherwise flawless performance from the Rebels defence.

Cork opened their account on 10 minutes, with the first of seven points from full-forward Rachel Moloney.

Moloney has been a danger player throughout this year's championship and she again proved her worth this afternoon.

If Moloney was one player for the Galway defence to be watchful of, so too was right corner-forward Burns.

The Rockban native crashed home a fine brace of goals. Her first strike came on 16-and-a-half minutes, after Eimear O'Sullivan and Elaine O'Riordan combined to flick the ball off to Burns who had no hesitation in finding the net.

Four minutes later and Burns was again on target, this time thumping the ball to the roof of the net from the 21-metre line.

What had been a four-point Galway lead 10 minutes previously had now been turned into a four-point Cork advantage.

But Galway rallied strongly and a goal, from a speculative Hillary shot in the 27th minute, sliced the deficit was reduced to the minimum, with the half-time score-line reading 2-03 to 1-05 in Cork's favour.

Points from Moloney and Orla Cotter opened up a three-point advantage in as many minutes after the restart, and although Gill had ample goal opportunities, including a 36th-minute penalty, it just was not Galway's day.

Aoife Murray was rock solid between the Cork posts, while at the opposite end Susan Earner also pulled off two fine saves in the closing ten minutes.

Firstly Earner stopped a bouncing shot from centre-forward Una O'Donoghue in the 52nd minute, which was cleared out for a 45.

And then five minutes later, there was a chance for Burns to complete her hat-trick. However, nothing was going past Earner at that stage.

Galway were not without their scoring chances as the full-time whistle approached, but a clinical Cork side failed to lose their composure as a seventh Moloney score put the gloss on a hard earned victory.

After the game an overjoyed Caitriona Foley accepted the O'Duffy Cup from Camogie Association president Liz Howard.

CORK - A Murray; L O'Connell, C Foley, J O'Callaghan; G O'Connor, M O'Connor, S Hayes; O Cotter (0-01), B Corkery (0-01); A O'Regan, U O'Donoghue, E O'Sullivan; S Burns (2-00), R Moloney (0-07, 0-06f, 0-01 '45'), E O'Riordan.

Subs used: E O'Farrell (0-01) for O'Riordan (half-time), R Buckley for O'Connell (40 mins), L Dorgan for O'Regan (57).

GALWAY - S Earner; S Tannion, A Kelly, T Manton; AM Hayes, S Cahalan, N Kilkenny; A Hillary (1-00), S Noone; M Dunne, T Maher, V Curtin; O Kilkenny, J Gill (0-08, 0-08f), B Kerins.

Subs used: L Kavanagh for Dunne (half-time), C Cormican for Noone (48 mins), D Burke for Kerins (58).

Referee: Eamonn Browne (Tipperary)