Westmeath heroes of '95 plan celebration

It’s now over 30 years since Westmeath won their only All-Ireland minor football title - a success which proved a major turning point in the county’s history.

On Saturday, March 14, the players and management of that brilliant 1995 side which brought so much joy to the county, will meet to celebrate that famous victory in Bloomfield House Hotel, Mullingar. Captain Damien Gavin and manager Luke Dempsey are part of a small organising committee for the anniversary celebration in Bloomfield House Hotel, at which Darren Frehill of RTE Sport will be the MC.

There are plans to have the Tom Markham Cup at the event, while different memorabilia will be on display.

The players are funding the event themselves and would appreciate any support. The clubs of the county have been very supportive, as have business people, friends and supporters. Tickets are available. You can contact Kevin Hickey (087 9931703) or Tom Stuart-Trainor (086 8360150) to support the 1995 Westmeath heroes.

Flashback to 1995: 'Hickey was proud to anchor the Westmeath defence'

When Westmeath won the 1995 All-Ireland minor football championship - the county’s first national title at any grade - one of the standout performers was full-back Kevin Hickey of Shandonagh. His commanding high fielding and last-ditch defensive clearances became a hallmark of that campaign, inspiring his teammates at a time of huge significance for the Lake County.

Hickey, son of Ger and Georgina and part of a famous GAA family, had sport in his blood. He also played hurling with Castletown-Geoghegan, while his father Ger and uncle Liam had both been inter-county footballers. Another uncle, Christy, who has since passed, was one of the county’s most respected administrators, serving as secretary to both St Malachy’s and Castletown-Geoghegan.

Kevin, who later studied Arts at University College Galway, had already shown his leadership qualities earlier that year by captaining St Mary’s CBS to the Leinster Colleges Championship.

Ahead of the All-Ireland final against Derry, the Shandonagh star reflected on Westmeath’s historic run, recalling the tough opening game against Wexford. “We had to pull out all the stops,” he said. He also admitted that they started slowly against Wicklow but managed to finish strongly.

The semi-final against Longford was a particular test. “The Longford game was difficult. We knew one another well. We had played them in challenge matches while we also played against Longford schools, St Mel’s and Moyne, and they had players on the county team. In the end, we just scraped through,” he remarked.

The atmosphere of Croke Park on Leinster final day against Laois left its mark too. The sides finished and went on to play two further games in Tullamore before Westmeath prevailed. “We were all very nervous. We should have beaten them. Neither side deserved to lose in the first game in Tullamore against Laois. The second game there saw defences tighten up and on the day we were the better team,” said Kevin.

Ahead of the All-Ireland semi-final with Tipperary, Hickey said the team were calm and focused. “I got worried when they came back to two points but then we got three or four points on the trot and it was all over.”

In the build-up to the final against Derry, Hickey was realistic about the challenge: “Like most of my colleagues, I had only seen Derry on television. However, I knew Westmeath faced a mighty task and that Derry had an impressive full forward and midfield pairing, he said.”

The players had great faith in their manager, Luke Dempsey, Hickey revealed. “Luke Dempsey was a players’ manager who was very honest and a great motivator,” he recalled.

Kevin’s younger brother Alan subsequently went on to represent Westmeath at minor level and won a Leinster minor title in 2000.