Castletown hope to emerge Hale and hearty from Nowlan Park
The Gerry Buckley Column
Over the past 30-odd years, Kilkenny’s triumvirate of marquee forwards have been so prominent at national level that the mere mention of their first names is sufficient to identify them throughout the length and breadth of Ireland.
Accordingly, when ‘DJ’, ‘Henry’ and ‘TJ’ are brought up in hurling conversations, there is never any real need to add ‘Carey’, ‘Shefflin’ and ‘Reid’. In this regard, without even venturing into a list of the other household names who will wear the famous white and green colours in Nowlan Park next Sunday (throw-in 1.30pm), the mere fact that TJ, one of the true legends of the game, is still spearheading the Ballyhale Shamrocks attack is sufficient to clarify the enormity of the task facing Castletown Geoghegan in the quarter-final of the Leinster senior club championship.
Indeed, the visitors' donning of their usual black and amber-striped jerseys will make for an unusual scenario for fans of the Cats, well used to roaring on a range of heroes over the years in their famous county colours in their home patch.
Castletown manager Alan Mangan kindly took time to talk to this columnist last Thursday night prior to overseeing training, and he was typically upbeat about the prospect of taking on the mighty men from Ballyhale, eight-time winners of the Tommy Moore Cup (1981, 1984, 1990, 2007, 2010, 2015, 2019, 2020) and twice beaten finalists (1979, 2022). Indeed, their recent fifth consecutive county final victory means that Shamrocks, who were only founded 50 years ago, join Tullaroan at the top of the Kilkenny roll of honour with a remarkable 20 senior championship wins.
The affable Delaney Cup-winning star from 2004 opened by saying: “We were delighted to win in Westmeath, but we knew this meant a tough draw in Leinster. Ballyhale Shamrocks are one of the best club teams of all time. They were robbed of another All-Ireland title earlier this year (by Ballygunner). But we are going down in good spirits and are hoping to give a good account of ourselves.”
When I referenced the aforementioned TJ Reid, Mangan responded: “Their half forward line is probably the best half forward line in the country, apart from Limerick, and consists of Eoin Cody, TJ and Adrian Mullen. We are under no illusions about what lies ahead of us.
“A few of us from the club were down at the Kilkenny final (when they defeated James Stephens by 1-21 to 2-11). That half forward line was outstanding that day. They really hurled out of their skins. Also, Richie Reid was outstanding at centre half back, while Colin Fennelly was brilliant at midfield.
“They are formidable opposition. But if we can stay with them up to the last ten minutes, who knows what could happen?”, he added.
The man popularly known as ‘Budda’ was glad to report that he hopes to be picking from a full deck. He went on to clarify: “Liam Varley was meant to go back on his travels, but he has deferred this as he wants to play in this game. I suppose it is not too often these lads are going to get to play in Nowlan Park. It’ll be great to have him there.”
Varley, of course, was one of the stars of Westmeath’s famous Leinster U21 win against Kilkenny in 2016 and was later name-checked by the defeated manager that fabulous evening in TEG Cusack Park, Eddie Brennan, in the latter’s role as a respected Sunday Game analyst. Brennan also referenced 2022 All Star nominee Killian Doyle. High praise indeed.
Mangan concluded as follows: “David Lynch is away on the Westmeath footballers’ holiday and we hope he’ll come back in good fettle. The game is a free shot for us in many ways. Absolutely no neutrals are expecting much from us. But at some stage in the history of the GAA, a Westmeath team is going to beat a Kilkenny team in the club championship.
“It could be 50 years from now. Who knows when? But what’s to say it won’t be us? We will have a good crowd travelling from Castletown and, hopefully, other parts of Westmeath. We are going to try and give as good an account of ourselves as we can representing both Castletown and Westmeath.”
The only Marble County side which Castletown have previously faced was then-kingpins Clara in 1986. A six-point defeat was considered an eminently respectable outcome for the home team in Páirc Mhic Eochagáin exactly 36 years today.
The away factor undoubtedly adds to the difficulty for Mangan’s men next Sunday and, while all Westmeath Gaels hope to be present when the Cats’ representatives eventually fall to their Lake County counterparts (as alluded to above by the bainisteoir), a narrow defeat next Sunday would be a very decent outcome.
Castletown Geoghegan have represented Westmeath in the Leinster club SHC in seven previous years. Their results have been as follows:
11/11/1979, Portlaoise, Camross (Laois) 6-12, Castletown Geoghegan 3-9
9/10/1982, Castletown Geoghegan, Castletown Geoghegan 8-26, Longford Slashers (Longford) 2-2
23/10/1982, Castletown Geoghegan, St Rynagh’s (Offaly) 2-10, Castletown Geoghegan 1-12
19/10/1986, Trim, Castletown Geoghegan 3-10, Navan O’Mahony’s (Meath) 1-4
8/11/1986, Castletown Geoghegan, Clara (Kilkenny) 2-8, Castletown Geoghegan 1-5
7/10/1990, Castletown Geoghegan, Castletown Geoghegan 2-14, Wolfe Tones (Louth) 0-6
21/10/1990, Castletown Geoghegan, St Rynagh’s 1-17 (Offaly), Castletown Geoghegan 1-5
17/10/2004, Castletown Geoghegan, Portlaoise (Laois) 2-17, Castletown Geoghegan 1-12
3/11/2013, Cusack Park, Mount Leinster Rangers (Carlow) 1-15, Castletown Geoghegan 1-13
5/11/2017, Tullamore, Kilcormac/Killoughey (Offaly), 2-15 Castletown Geoghegan 1-12
Footnote
This is my 1,000th column since being asked by the sports editor at the time, John FitzSimons, to come on board with the Westmeath Examiner. To use an appropriate term, míle buíochas to all those who have had kind words to say to me, and about me, over the past two decades. I have always tried to be fair and balanced. Any offence ever caused, most likely due to my quirky sense of humour, was most certainly not intended.