Westmeath kick off National League with crucial game against Offaly in Tullamore
Sport was put in context on March 12 last year when Offaly senior football manager Liam Kearns died suddenly, less than a month after he had patrolled the sideline in the visitors’ bainisteoir bib in TEG Cusack Park when Westmeath won a National League Division 3 game by a flattering two-goal margin.
Before any thoughts follow about a repeat of next Sunday’s local derby in the same division – Westmeath, of the two participants, would have been particularly gutted not to gain promotion in 2023 – it is appropriate to express the hope that Liam’s family have coped as well as possible in the last ten months. May he rest in peace.
I was on duty for Midlands Radio Three in Mullingar on February 19 last and I took issue with an Offaly man on commentary also who opined afterwards as follows: “I think Liam Kearns will be the happier of the two managers.” I found this comment amazing as Offaly had led early in the second half before a Kieran Martin-inspired home team won by six points. And I calmly pointed all this out!
The Maryland ‘Bear’ came on as a sub in that match and will almost certainly have a similar high jersey on his broad back and shoulders next Sunday in Glenisk O’Connor Park. His best days are behind him, as are those of a handful of likely starters, albeit they are still key to the men in maroon and white replicating the many admirable championship performances in 2023 which followed the bitter disappointment of being stuck in tier three of the league again this year. We lost three out of seven league games, of which just one could count as unlucky. Accordingly, we can have no complaints about our fate.
Both neighbouring counties will have ambitions to come out of Division 3 in the two months ahead, with the divisional champions likely – but not certain – to gain admission to the Sam Maguire Cup proper as a huge bonus. Declan Kelly is now in situ as the Faithful County manager, after the interim reign of Martin Murphy, a role he or nobody else could have envisaged a year ago.
Kelly is well known, and well respected, in these parts after a successful spell with St Loman’s, Mullingar. In addition, his achievement in guiding his native county to an U20 All-Ireland (narrowly defeating Westmeath en route) in 2021 was significant, and several of that winning squad are sure in feature in the tricoloured jerseys next Sunday and for many years to come.
As stated above, Westmeath’s established team has an older look to it. Kevin Maguire at full back and John Heslin at full forward remain the lynchpins of the side. The former, who would have graced the number 3 jersey on any county team over the past decade, looked untypically ring rusty in the recent O’Byrne Cup defeat to Louth, while doubts remain about the latter’s availability due to overseas work commitments. Heslin’s presence would strike fear into many an Offaly heart and Westmeath Gaels will certainly be hoping he appears out of the Tullamore tunnel at approximately 1.45pm next Sunday. Management sources seem reluctant to confirm or deny his availability.
Despite Offaly having won a lot more than their northern neighbours provincially and nationally over the years (one scribe from the county wrote a few years ago that Westmeath football has ploughed its trade for decades in “sustained mediocrity”), the league record between the counties is very close – 12 to 11 in Offaly’s favour. One of those dozen defeats (2-25 to 0-1 in Moate in December 1990) still gives this Westmeath fan present that afternoon regular nightmares!
Neither team will win by 30 points next Sunday. A tenth of that is likely to be there or thereabouts in terms of a winning margin. Despite a patchy January to date, a full-strength visiting side will be favourites to tie the head-to-head if they perform close to their best. Anything less could mean the worst possible start to what is a vital campaign for Dessie Dolan’s troops.
The teams have met nine times this millennium, with Offaly shading the ties by five to four, as follows:
13/2/2000, Cusack Park, Offaly 1-7 Westmeath 0-8
31/3/2002, Tullamore, Offaly 1-11 Westmeath 0-12
23/3/2003, Tullamore, Offaly 1-13 Westmeath 1-10
6/2/2005, Tullamore, Offaly 2-11 Westmeath 0-14
10/4/2011, Cusack Park, Westmeath 0-19 Offaly 2-11
27/3/2016, TEG Cusack Park, Westmeath 1-9 Offaly 0-9
25/3/2018, TEG Cusack Park, Offaly 1-20 Westmeath 1-14
27/1/2019, Tullamore, Westmeath 0-13 Offaly 0-12
19/2/2023, TEG Cusack Park, Westmeath 2-12 Offaly 0-12
Mick Price RIP
The unexpected passing of Ballynacargy native and long-time Mullingar resident, Mick Price, came as a major shock to his family, and to his countless friends in Westmeath and further afield. I was delighted to be in the latter category and, in a nutshell, one of the lines I put up on RIP.ie needs no further embellishment: “I never spent a dull moment in his company.” Nor, I suspect, did anybody else who was on a bus or in a hostelry with this most genial of men.
The nickname I put on him when he proudly became the chauffeur in 2004 and 2005 for the late, great Páidí Ó Sé, ‘Captain Price from Priceair’, stuck. With Páidí as a fantastic host, Mick, another Lake County fan, and I spent a truly unforgettable weekend in Ventry between our historic Delaney Cup triumph and our bitterly disappointing loss to Derry. I could write a book on our escapades – albeit only after a legal brain had edited the script! Indeed, there were a number of key words relating to the trip which I would utter in the intervening two decades and instantly cause Mick to explode into his trademark belly-ache laughter.
The last time I did so was a couple of short months ago in Dublin when I met the ‘Captain’ bussing a load of American tourists to a typical Irish social night. I introduced my lady friend to him. She instantly liked him. Like we all did. May he rest in peace.