Quote from: Iarmhí Abú on May 19, 2026, 01:40:13 AMWhere to start after all that drama?
The 2026 Leinster Championship was certainly memorable, for a variety of reasons. It's fair to say that the competition has received a massive shot in the arm, last year and now, from the novelty of Louth and Westmeath ending Dublin's hegemony.
Westmeath's ascent to the summit is scarcely believable, even for ardent Westmeath fans. It started with an excellent performance over Longford, which primed us for the stunning ambush of Meath, for just the second time ever. Momentum was built with the battling victory and resilience demonstrated in overcoming Kildare, for just the third time ever.
The bookies offered 11/2 for the final with Dublin 1/7. The consensus was that Dublin had reignited the flame against Louth and would prevail. A Westmeath victory would be our fourth over Dublin. A pattern was emerging.
The mood in Westmeath was a bit different to the perceived wisdom. The level of confidence on the ground was quietly growing. Our status in the League wasn't reflected in the opinion that we could have a real shot at Dublin. In many ways it was a free hit for Westmeath and the narrative was that the team was going to really turn up. The public responded in a similar fashion.
Mark McHugh has done an incredible job in changing the mindset. The team was on a mission. 2004 was used as a positive motivation. It was time to create a new story. The loss of Luke Loughlin allowed/forced others to step up. McHugh seemed to take inspiration from Paul Galvin and John Heslin came back into the setup. This was agreed by the group and reflected Heslin's sensational scoring rate at club level.
The brittleness in evidence during the League has diminished and the team has demonstrated incredible resolve and adherence to the plan. The contrast with the mood before the finals in 2015/2016 could not have been greater. The momentum, within the team and among the general public, was very strong.
The final was a truly wonderful occasion for Westmeath. Croke Park was a sea of maroon as the Dublin support never materialised. It seemed that there were at least twice as many Westmeath fans as Dubs. The players seemed to feed off this energy and the intensity was immense.
I thought Dublin were really hindered by the loss of Ó Cofaigh Byrne. The balance changed in the middle. Brian Howard battled incredibly hard but eventually ran out of steam. This gave Westmeath a platform. Dublin showed glimpses of their previous excellence but couldn't push on. Westmeath kept them close and then then slowly squeezed Dublin. The late switch in momentum was temporary as Westmeath wrested back the initiative in extra time.
Dublin were unable to reproduce the energy of the Louth game. The general performance was muted at times. Dublin were outfought in some situations. This will be a concern if it's not eradicated quickly. The loss of Con and Murchan was obvious. I think Ger Brennan's ban has really hurt the team. Leadership was provided by the older players, but it seemed at times as if Westmeath had more players on the pitch.
Westmeath had heroes all over the field. Thirteen players scored. The defence was incredible, aided by really impressive fitness. The willingness to work was astounding. This comes down to the spirit instilled by McHugh. Players took responsibility continuously. In the endgame, Wallace, McCartan, Heslin and Allen showed real composure. Connellan's departure was not an issue. The team at last managed the clock down properly.
Heslin's cameo was a success. An error in front of goal was forgotten as he started claiming marks, winning dirty ball, providing a constant outlet and arching over a fabulous two point score.
When the dust settles, a few interesting stats emerge.
Westmeath scored 13 goals in the four matches, with seven players contributing. Amazingly we conceded just one goal during this sequence. That occurred after five minutes in the Longford game. Westmeath subsequently played another five hours and fifteen minutes without conceding a goal. There's obviously an element of luck involved, but this gives an insight into the concentration and commitment to keep the goal intact.
Similarly six players hit nine 'two point' scores in these matches. We conceded 14 of these, although Longford scored six of that total.
Luke Loughlin has been our talisman, however the load has been shared in his absence. The team has grown remarkably. 13 players scored against Dublin, similar to the Kildare game. It had been 12 against Longford and nine against Meath. Others filled the void.
The tight battles will prove invaluable in terms of lessons learned and experienced gained. Players that have low numbers of games have come through high pressure moments. It's exciting to see what can be achieved as the team develops in the next few campaigns.
The release of emotion after the achievement was immense. This is understandable when one considers the history of Westmeath GAA. These lads have achieved immortality in our little patch. The celebrations are ongoing. McHugh's next significant task will be to refocus for the All Ireland series. It will be interesting to see how he manages. The energy will change again, subtly, but definitely. How will this manifest itself? Will the manic effort be sustained? How will the team fare as they reset and start again? Interesting times.
Dermot McCabe will no doubt have a strategy to ask some hard questions.
McHugh can just sit them down and look at the match once again. I could not believe how poor Dublin were, Westmeath should have beaten them out the gate, Ciaran Kilkenny was carrying them on his own it seemed along with the midfielder who went off injured. I recall a Dublin lad playing a kick pass directly to an unmarked Westmeath player 15 yards away, the goalkeeper was practically on his line and still let a highball go in for a goal and one Dublin lad went to hand pass a point and hit it well wide (at least he was under pressure) to mention 3 examples. That is the type of mistakes you'd see at u-12 level, I could not believe what I was watching.
This is a plus though as McHugh can use this to highlight to the panel there is a still an awful lot of room for improvement. Having a good bench is vital in modern day inter county football and Westmeath have that. They are in bonus territory now so a dangerous opponent for any side.