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Kilkenny play in the all reland junior championship in August each year

The break will suit an out of sorts Tyrone but need to hang in there for first half til cobwebs get blown out.

There is a decent Tyrone crowd going from my contacts, a lot of people think they could finally bring it all together having not been too far off Armagh who are now deserving Champions of Ulster and a real contender for Sam.

The Tyrone support against Armagh was very poor, given the good effort the team made. Perhaps more will now get involved.

Who would've known the direct correlation between a team making a good effort on the day and the amount of tickets sold to tyrone before that actual day...but maybe more fans will travel the 3 hours to Roscommon based on that good effort this weekend

Where 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 installed 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.

It is an incredible emotional feeling to see your own team win against the expectation of others. Such a buzz. Congratulations on an amazing game.

Hard to imagine Celtic (will) do the double after the 33-day Nancy debacle in December.

It was madly ironic that they went 3 4 3 for 25 minutes in 2nd half!!!

There's an angle that shows the boy that fouls the goalie getting man handled into that position too. Absolutely mental. Not a few thing like as my ould boy has been whinging about the pushing and shoving at corners for years but seems to have really become a big issue this year.

There was at least 3 West Ham players dragged to the ground. How do you draw a conclusion that they didn't deserve a penalty but also a foul on GK.

Not sure how you came to that conclusion. I would have 100% gave a penalty. There was a foul on the goalie (by a boy who was being fouled) plus at least 2 more fouls. The first foul was Arsenal players man handling the boy who ended up fouling the keeper so i thought penalty. I even googled last night wondering if VAR wasn't allowed to check something that was seen while they were looking for something else but not the case.

Personally, i think West Ham were hard done by and that's coming from a Leeds supporter whose team were guaranteed survival with that West Ham loss.

Sorry ...phrased that poorly... I meant 'you' as the referee and not you personally.  So agree for sure!

There's an angle that shows the boy that fouls the goalie getting man handled into that position too. Absolutely mental. Not a few thing like as my ould boy has been whinging about the pushing and shoving at corners for years but seems to have really become a big issue this year.

There was at least 3 West Ham players dragged to the ground. How do you draw a conclusion that they didn't deserve a penalty but also a foul on GK.

Not sure how you came to that conclusion. I would have 100% gave a penalty. There was a foul on the goalie (by a boy who was being fouled) plus at least 2 more fouls. The first foul was Arsenal players man handling the boy who ended up fouling the keeper so i thought penalty. I even googled last night wondering if VAR wasn't allowed to check something that was seen while they were looking for something else but not the case.

Personally, i think West Ham were hard done by and that's coming from a Leeds supporter whose team were guaranteed survival with that West Ham loss.

Sorry ...phrased that poorly... I meant 'you' as the referee and not you personally.  So agree for sure!

There's an angle that shows the boy that fouls the goalie getting man handled into that position too. Absolutely mental. Not a few thing like as my ould boy has been whinging about the pushing and shoving at corners for years but seems to have really become a big issue this year.

There was at least 3 West Ham players dragged to the ground. How do you draw a conclusion that they didn't deserve a penalty but also a foul on GK.

Anyone know what relegation from div 1 is? Is it 1 from league and 1 from championship?

That is supposed to be the way of it, but Football Development Sub Committee due to update County Committee in June about plans going forward. This may include restructuring....but it should be for 2028 !

It has been running for 10 years. It has raised something like £3 million

Antrim need to cut their losses  and hand him the P45....Taxi !!!

Agree.

There was a lot of excitement around the county when Davy was appointed.

Maybe just a bad fit where he does not have the players for how he wants to play.

Seems to be an inevitability about it at this stage. But even at that I am expecting struggles going forward given our traditionally stronger clubs are poor enough right now too.

Not sure where you saw the excitement for him because I certainly didn't see or hear much of it.

Speak to Wexford people about him now and see what their opinions are, because they certainly wouldn't be in the positive.

Thing is he will see out the season and win or lose the JMcD he will be gone and we will be left picking up the pieces.

Left with the bill...more like

The 3 man'choke' tackle and 3 men lying on top of a fella trying to pick up the ball, then been done for over carrying is the worst development IMO.
Refs has definitely changed their approach. I can't be having it

Just tuned in. Is Morgan dropped?

Any links ?   Can't find it

Right wing idealogy based on the Tory doctrine of Michael Gove, based on the evidence of Enhlish academics, no counter thoughts allowed. This is designed to improve the educational outcomes & life chances of the lower achieving Protestant ( & R.Cs) working classes. This seems highly unlikely to improve anything for them. I wonder what Tony Gallagher QUB & Noel Purdy Stranmillis, think off it !!!

Eire Og heavy favourites for junior league and championship double. Heard they are flying under new management.

I heard a few squad players moved to Eire Og from Lisburn & that the Randalstown manager was directing the EO training for the manager( triple jobbing ?)
Also heard Conor Murray now coaching Lisburn.