Leinster Senior Championship 2026

[SCFC]

Leinster looks wide open for the next few years.
Dublin will improve with O'Callaghan, Murchan, Boylan back.
Meath, Kildare not a million miles away.
Westmeath and Louth will both be out to prove they weren't one hit wonders.
Kinda think we (Laois) aren't terrible either (we hammered Westmeath a couple of months ago!) but terribly inconsistent.

[armaghniac]

Presumably lost it in the sun.

No risk of that in Clones.

[Armagh18]

Not that I give a shite about any other world events outside Clones but fair play to Westmeath, enjoy it anyone on here. Special special feeling

[Dunneroyal]

Fantastic scenes in Westmeath last night. Great for football. Hurling gets all the talk but football is truly the crown jewel of the gaa

[Shamrock Shore]

Well done to the neighbours. I cannot help but wonder, had they not scored 5 lucky goals in the first half agin us, would the story be somewhat different?

[Doyler1]

Fantastic scenes in Westmeath last night. Great for football. Hurling gets all the talk but football is truly the crown jewel of the gaa

Hardly. Football pays the bills with gate receipts though.

[imtommygunn]

Well done to the neighbours. I cannot help but wonder, had they not scored 5 lucky goals in the first half agin us, would the story be somewhat different?

 

[mup]

Apologies to all the Westmeath fans on here. I wrongly thought the Dubs would beat ye handy.

Congrats on the win. Very refreshing watching you play.

[joemamas]

Is that Dessie Dolan's missed sitter free kick v Dublin to win Leinster consigned to the back pages now?

Are you thinking of Dessie Dolan's missed free against Meath ?
That was a Leinster Quarter-Final in 2003.

Congratulations to Westmeath - they won it twice today.

Also think it was against Meath.

[Joeythelips]

It was a great occasion and well deserved win for Westmeath but was very surprised at the poor standard especially in the first half.

Westmeath were wide open at the back and a ruthless team would have put a few goals on them. I was shocked how poor Dublin were also, they kicked passes straight to Westmeath men and we hitting wides with fisted efforts. The likes of Kerry would murder them.

In fairness to Westmeath it was a huge occasion for them so that probably had a effect and the win will bring them on a lot. I was very impressed with their No 5 who is a very tidy footballer who read the game very well.

[JollyGreenGiant]

It was a great occasion and well deserved win for Westmeath but was very surprised at the poor standard especially in the first half.

Westmeath were wide open at the back and a ruthless team would have put a few goals on them. I was shocked how poor Dublin were also, they kicked passes straight to Westmeath men and we hitting wides with fisted efforts. The likes of Kerry would murder them.

In fairness to Westmeath it was a huge occasion for them so that probably had a effect and the win will bring them on a lot. I was very impressed with their No 5 who is a very tidy footballer who read the game very well.

Wallace looked as good as any half-back in the country as he marauded forward. Senan Baker was also a game changer for them. And Heslin was the "old dog for the hard road". Connellan also won the midfield battle.

[From the Bunker]

At the game yesterday. Could not believe the fall off of support for the Dubs. The official attendance was down for 36,536. And the vast majority of the fans were from Westmeath.

For a game on their doorstep - it is an incredible fall off in support.

[rodney trotter]

At the game yesterday. Could not believe the fall off of support for the Dubs. The official attendance was down for 36,536. And the vast majority of the fans were from Westmeath.

For a game on their doorstep - it is an incredible fall off in support.

Dublin should go back to playing league games in Parnell Park next year. No need for them to be in Croke Park. They could sell Parnell in the future and develop a bigger ground. No room to expand at Parnell.

[Iarmhí Abú]

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 in 2015/2016 could not have been greater.

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.