Big Tom leading a Shamrocks revival
The Extra Mile, with Westmeath Examiner sports editor, Damien Maher
Last Saturday’s victory for Mullingar Shamrocks in the Westmeath minor football final represents a significant moment for the club as it attempts to rebuild.
And one of the men leading the revival is the senior winning captain of 2000, Tom Ormsby, a man who soldiered at midfield with the club for many years. A legendary figure, he has succeeded in getting the best out of a talented young side, one that simply refused to accept defeat when seven points adrift in the drawn encounter.
“It’s our first minor title in 15 years (since 2008) someone told me. It’s massive for the club. We have been in the doldrums for a long time at underage; it’s one of the things we have been working on in the club, our underage structures, and today is a great boost particularly for this group. Hopefully, it will encourage other players to come to us, and coaches as well,” he said after the replay.
Ormsby knows the challenge to develop players who will make an impact at senior level is the biggest test the club faces.
“It is a fabulous day. It should be a help. You are never going to build a senior team on one minor team. We have some very good underage teams behind us and hopefully this squad, if we get five or six of these lads to go to senior level, will be a huge boost for the club. And hopefully, that will bring us back up to where we were,” he remarked.
Ormsby was delighted with the work ethic his players showed in both games, but especially last Saturday when breezy conditions made it extra challenging. And the character his side showed when Tubberclair applied plenty of late pressure really satisfied the former midfielder.
“I wouldn't say that we got the start we wanted today. It was 0-5 to 1-1 at half-time. They had the strong breeze in the second half,” he noted.
“I would have liked to have been five or six points ahead going in at half-time. We had chances in the first half, and they didn't just come off, so you were going into the second and there was a battle ahead and we got stuck in and we battled. We tackled really well and moved the ball well up the field and picked up vital scores.
“We got a goal in the second half which was vital because it gave us that bit of breathing space, and then, right near the end when they were putting the pressure on looking for a goal, they were hitting a rearguard that they weren’t going to get through. Adam Buckley in goals caught one really super ball near the end; another ‘keeper may have dropped it and it would have ended up in the back of the net. Three points ahead, the breeze behind you, anything can happen, especially at minor level.”
He was thrilled the players played to their potential in Saturday’s replay. “I'm very proud of them because the last day we got out of jail, there's no question about that, but they never played the way we know they could. Today they did; today they showed us what they could do, and I'm delighted for them,” he said.
“The last day we went in with five points apiece, and it was a big wind also. But we didn't play well for most of the game, only in the last four minutes, and managed to draw the game. With young lads it’s very difficult to figure out: are they ready for it? But they were today, and I’m delighted for them.”
Whether this victory with the minor side will be a stepping stone into senior management is uncertain, but it’s surely a logical step for someone of Ormsby’s calibre.
“I've been with this group now since they were six. I know them inside out and they know me. We will enjoy today and see how it goes.
“When you have your own kids playing - I got involved then. We'll just have to see what the future holds. I’m not going to worry about it.
“I’m just going to enjoy today and tonight,” he added.