‘Big three’ favourites yet again
By Gerry Buckley
There is an interesting symmetry linking Westmeath’s two black and amber-clad senior champions from 2022.
The Downs, who opened their Flanagan Cup campaign last Sunday, are attempting to win their first two in-a-row since 1969, the middle year of their famous hat-trick of titles (1968 to 1970). Their Westmeath Examiner Cup equivalents, Castletown-Geoghegan, must also go back to their only three in-a-row days (1956 to 1958) to find the last time that they retained the blue riband trophy in Lake County hurling (1957).
Records are there to be broken, and Alan Mangan’s troops will be mustard keen to be top of the pile again in October. As has been the case for close on two decades, their main challengers look likely to come from Clonkill and Raharney. Remarkably, the ‘big three’ have shared the titles since 2006 and it would be a brave man who would predict a 2023 winner from outside the trio.
It is in no way being disrespectful to an ever-improving Fr Dalton’s to suggest that their target may well be consolidation in the top flight, their campaign starting in the toughest way with a game against neighbours Castletown-Geoghegan, the two clubs who occasionally pull from roughly the same catchment area. Owen McCabe’s promotion to Joe Fortune’s squad shows the quality of hurler now donning the green and gold jersey.
The remaining two sides in the senior ‘A’ championship will certainly have designs on ending the reigns of the ‘big three’. Near-neighbours and arch-rivals, Lough Lene Gaels and Castlepollard, last crowned champions in 2002 and 2005 respectively, are more than capable of beating any club side in the county on a given day. Their problem continues to be consistently doing so.
The Collinstown outfit possess two of Westmeath’s best hurlers in recent years, Tommy ‘Jogger’ Doyle (often spoken of as the best hurler in the country not to have been nominated for an All-Star) and Derek McNicholas (recently retired from the inter-county scene after an astonishing 19 years), in addition to county net-minder Noel Conaty.
Many of the better players in the county’s promising underage teams this year also don the purple and gold gear. A case could be made for them as dark horses this year, albeit it is believed that Doyle plans to go travelling in the months ahead.
Blue and gold ribbons adorned the ACHL Division 1 trophy recently, after a thunder and lightning-delayed final win against Castletown-Geoghegan. A three-goal win for Noel Boyce’s men raised a lot of eyebrows in small ball circles. Charlie McCormack has established himself in the Westmeath senior squad, and former county men such as Andrew Dermody and Allan Devine both excelled in last Sunday week’s success. The possible return from injury of the prodigious Darragh McCormack would also make the Cionn Torc men into genuine contenders.
However, the focus will be firmly on the ‘big three’ who have won the last 17 titles between them – Clonkill (eight), Raharney (six) and Castletown-Geoghegan (three).
The Loughegar-based team have depended quite a bit on a couple of players, Brendan Murtagh and Paddy Dowdall, who have been in a race with Father Time of late, but they can still rely on arguably Westmeath’s most consistent hurler in recent years, Darragh Egerton, in addition to a plethora of other players tried and trusted at this level. The fitness, or otherwise, of Niall Mitchell will be crucial, but the men in green and gold are certain to have a big say in the business stage of the competition.
Raharney failed in their two in-a-row ambitions last year – remarkably they have never managed back-to-back titles – and they will be anxious to return to the winners’ enclosure. Killian Doyle was a massive loss to the maroon and white cause in the five recent Bob O’Keeffe Cup games, and all Deelsiders will be hoping that the 2022 All Star nominee will play some part in the club championship.
His twin brother Ciaran did well for Westmeath this year, and together with the Greville twins (Robbie and Gary), Cormac Boyle and Eoin Keyes, they have a backbone of proven inter-county talent.
The holders from Castletown-Geoghegan will be many Gaels’ choice to retain the title they won with panache last year after some heartbreaks in the preceding years. Niall O’Brien is sure to be their scorer-in-chief, while defender Johnny Bermingham has been steady for the county this year. Much will depend on the possible return from overseas travels of the marquee duo of Aonghus Clarke and Liam Varley. Regardless, Mangan is lucky to be able to call on such hugely promising stickmen such as Peter Clarke.
It is all to play for in the 61st staging of the Westmeath Examiner Cup, fittingly first presented to the legendary John ‘Jobber’ McGrath of the now-defunct Rickardstown back in 1963.
Westmeath GAA fixtures
Friday, June 30th (7.30pm)
Intermediate HC Round 1: Kinnegad, Raharney v Turin, Sean Carroll. Ballymore: St Brigid’s v Southern Gaels, Bernard Heaney; Collinstown: Castletown Geoghegan v Clonkill, Rob Cornally.
Senior B Hurling Championship Round 1: Raharney, Delvin v Brownstown, Matt Shaw.
Saturday, July 1st
Senior B Hurling Championship Round 1: Clonkill, St Oliver Plunkett’s v Crookedwood, 2pm, Jimmy Greville.
Senior A Hurling Championship Round 1: TEG Cusack Park, Lough Lene Gaels v Clonkill, 5pm, Alfie Devine; TEG Cusack Park, Raharney v Castlepollard, 7pm, Barry Kelly.
Sunday, July 2nd
Senior B Hurling Championship Round 1: TEG Cusack Park, Ringtown v Cullion, 5pm, James McGrath.
Senior A Hurling Championship Round 1: TEG Cusack Park, Castletown Geoghegan v Fr Dalton's, 7pm, Caymon Flynn.