Westmeath club players hungry to get back

There was a somewhat surreal feel to last Sunday evening’s proceedings in the stand at a chilly TEG Cusack Park when the draws for this year’s delayed Westmeath GAA championships in hurling and football were made.

The small attendance included past and present officers of the Westmeath County Board, representatives from some of the competitions’ sponsors, the media, and three current senior inter-county panellists.

Alan Cox (Delvin) and Joey Boyle (Raharney), two of Shane O’Brien’s hurling squad, were present and they spoke briefly to the assembled journalists prior to the smooth running of the draws.

Cox made it clear that he was very keen to get back into the swing of things. He stated: “I’m looking forward to getting back into it. It’s been a long few months off, so we’re definitely going to appreciate all the games that are coming.

“Most of the lads have been keeping themselves fairly well in shape over the lockdown. There are loads of articles and research done on how to keep right and prepare for games.”

When queried as to whether any hurlers were concerned with the whole business of social distancing which has dominated all the Covid-19 discussions since March, the Delvin clubman responded: “Yes, there are a few players worried who are living with elderly parents, and we’ll have to work around that. Personally, I can’t wait for games to return.”

Boyle spoke on very similar lines. “It’s been a long four months and it’s a matter of getting up and going at it again,” the Raharney star stated. “If you’re into hurling you probably always have the hurl in your hand, and I’ve hit the ball off the wall in recent months more often than if I was playing because I’ve had so much more time on my hands.

“But everyone knows how to keep fit and train. Everyone is educated in that. I think all the lads will be fairly ready when the first round of the championship comes. Everything seems to be opening up and, if restaurants can open up, surely you can out into a field and puck a ball.”

Last week’s master plan from Croke Park gives Boyle and his maroon and white-clad colleagues a huge carrot this winter, with the Joe McDonagh Cup final scheduled as curtain-raiser to the Liam McCarthy Cup decider. The Deelsider concurred, as follows: “Yes, it would be great to get some acknowledgement and play in front of a big crowd and a great atmosphere, even though we don’t know yet what numbers will be allowed at games. Of course, we want to win it this time, as we’ve left it behind us twice.”

There were many Westmeath Gaels present only too thrilled to remind Kieran Martin that it was five years to the day and date since his starring role in the Lake County’s inaugural championship win against Meath.

At the outset, the Maryland maestro opined: “The break probably helped me injury-wise and it has given me time to get the leg a bit stronger. The last few weeks have been tough on lads, as they didn’t know what the situation was. A lot of other lads have also got the chance to fix their injuries.

“We’re looking forward to getting back now. Being with the clubs for a few weeks will give us a boost before we start back with the county. In previous years, it used to be the other way round.”

Prior to the daunting winner-takes-all Leinster SFC quarter-final against the all-conquering Dubs, Jack Cooney’s men must finish out their NFL campaign. In this regard, Martin stated: “We have two important league games (home v Laois and away v Kildare) before the big game against Dublin. We have to try and focus on them. Our minimum goal at this stage is to stay in Division 2.”

With no Qualifiers on the Gaelic football agenda for the first time in 20 years, Martin and co are very much up against it when squaring up to Dessie Farrell’s troops. “The draw isn’t in our favour, but we’ll just have to go for it and work as hard as if there was going to be a ‘back door’.

“We’ll put the heads down when we get back together and go as hard as we can,” he concluded.

— Gerry Buckley