Wonderful Westmeath down the Dubs to win second Leinster crown

Leinster SFC final: Westmeath 2-28, Dublin 0-26 (after extra-time)

By Gerry Buckley

May 17, 2026. Write the date down and never forget it. The day that an unheralded group of fit, skilful and determined Westmeath men came to Croke Park, saw it, and conquered Dublin in sensational fashion to garner just a second Leinster senior football title – and by eight points for good measure.

Sometimes mere words can’t do justice to the enormity of a sporting achievement, especially one carved out by amateurs who have made huge sacrifices to bring pride to a county, in particular one like Westmeath, for years the object of ridicule for more successful counties. But there was nobody laughing at ecstatic grown men and women, proudly draped in their beloved maroon and white colours, in changeable weather in and around Jones’ Road at 4.30pm last Sunday, the underdogs having made up the majority of the crowd of 36,536. Nor was there laughter at rain-soaked Lake County folk welcoming home Mark McHugh and his merry men in Mullingar four hours later.

A total of 23 players all played their part in arguably the county’s greatest day. Others missed out through injury. Others were unfortunate not to get a run. But there’s no ‘i’ in ‘team’, and this sensational win was, above all, a triumph for team work, discipline and unquenchable spirit. It will live forever in the memory of those present and those watching from various parts of the world.

Westmeath showed no big-game nerves and they demonstrated this with early points from injury-doubt Matthew Whittaker and Brandon Kelly (when a goal briefly beckoned). They survived a missed goal opportunity for Brian Howard in the seventh minute before Cormac Costello opened the metropolitans’ account from a free a minute later.

Ronan Wallace (after effecting a one-two with the soon-to-depart Daniel Scahill) and Eoin Kennedy (via Jason Daly’s fingertips) traded points. A classy point ensued from Kevin O’Sullivan, who went on to have his best game for the county. The unbackable pre-match favourites were dealt a big blow on the quarter-hour mark when towering midfielder Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne picked up an unfortunate injury and had to be replaced.

Undaunted, however, Dean Rock’s charges tagged on six unanswered points between the 16th and 24th minutes, courtesy of Paddy Small, Costello (two frees), Niall Scully (two from play), and Ciarán Kilkenny (this score coming seconds after a Brían Cooney effort had come back off the post at the other end). Crucially, Shane Allen pounced for the game’s first two-pointer in the 25th minute and a fisted point from the lively Kelly three minutes later had the gap down to the bare minimum (0-8 to 0-7).

Veteran Kilkenny soon doubled his tally and Seán Bugler atoned for some earlier misses to open his account on the half-hour mark. Shane Corcoran was denied a goal by fine goalkeeping by Evan Comerford, but the young St Malachy’s man made amends within seconds with a neat point. David Byrne pointed for the Dubs, but this was cancelled out by Kelly’s third point (again, a goal looked possible). Westmeath were on the attack when the half-time hooter sounded, with the scoreboard reading, Dublin 0-11 Westmeath 0-9.

The men in sky blue and navy stretched their advantage to a worrying five points by the 42nd minute, via scores from play from the boots of sub Luke Breathnach and Costello (two). O’Sullivan and Whittaker added to their totals to keep Westmeath in touch, before Small doubled his tally in the 44th minute. The winners rallied brilliantly with a point from hugely influential sub Senan Baker, a two-pointer from Whittaker, Conor Dillon (when teed up by Wallace), and sub Robbie Forde to lead by 0-16 to 0-15 with 48 minutes on the clock.

Brian Howard equalised, but points quickly followed at the other end from Wallace, Kelly and the very influential Sam McCartan. Every single Westmeath player was visibly tackling and harrying to great effect all over the pitch, and when Costello slotted over a free the response was again brilliant with Baker pointing twice with aplomb to put his side 0-21 to 0-17 in front with 13 minutes remaining.

Bugler pointed for Dublin before a huge free from Wallace was just short of the target. An enormous roar greeted the introduction of one of the county’s greatest ever players, the returning John Heslin. However, he was soon involved in a move which should have yielded a score and didn’t. This, and a missed free from McCartan, looked very costly when Kilkenny pointed, Costello kicked a great two-point free under enormous pressure, and Byrne came forward for his second point. Heartbreak looked likely, but up stepped Senan Baker to coolly equalise from a difficult angle with time almost up. The score stood at 0-22 each as the players made their way to their respective dressing rooms to prepare for ten minutes-a-side extra-time.

McHugh’s marvellous men had won the semi-final against Kildare after extra-time and they showed a steely determination to do the same again when play resumed. Remarkably, they scored 1-4 without reply in the first period. The points were scored by Wallace, Heslin (a free after Senan Baker had been fouled), McCartan, and the returned Jack Duncan (his side’s 13th scorer). Better was to follow when Cooney’s two-point attempt deceived Comerford for a soft – but tonic – goal. Westmeath had one hand on the Delaney Cup when leading by 1-26 to 0-22 at half-time in extra-time.

Sub Greg McEneaney reduced the deficit with a point on the change of ends, but the moment the vast throngs of Westmeath fans craved duly arrived when Heslin kicked a great left-footed two-pointer, following a fabulous run by Tadhg Baker. Sandwiched between a single point from McEneaney and a two-pointer by his fellow-sub Seán Guiden, Heslin pulled off an inspirational catch.

The coup de grace arrived seconds before the hooter when sub Adam Treanor’s shot came back off the woodwork and an alert Duncan was on hand to coolly smash the ball past Comerford. Having scored a total of two goals in their previous 15 championship games against Dublin over six decades, Westmeath had now scored two in one game. You couldn’t make it up!

Cue wild celebrations in Croke Park and among watching Westmeath fans worldwide. Minutes later, amid delirious scenes in and around the Hogan Stand, Leinster GAA chairman Martin Byrne presented the Delaney Cup to a very worthy recipient in Ronan Wallace.

Scorers – Westmeath: J Duncan 1-1, S Baker, M Whittaker (1tp), B Kelly 0-4 each, B Cooney 1-0, R Wallace, J Heslin (1tp) 0-3 each, S Allen (tp), K O'Sullivan, S McCartan 0-2 each, S Corcoran, C Dillon, R Forde 0-1 each.

Dublin: C Costello 0-8 (1tpf, 4f), C Kilkenny 0-3, N Scully, S Bugler, D Byrne, G McEneaney, P Small, S Guiden (tp) 0-2 each, B Howard, L Breathnach, E Kennedy 0-1 each.

Westmeath: Jason Daly; Danny Scahill, Charlie Drumm, Tadhg Baker; Ronan Wallace, Shane Allen, Matthew Whittaker; Brían Cooney, Ray Connellan; Kevin O'Sullivan, Sam McCartan, Conor Dillon; Shane Corcoran, Jack Duncan, Brandon Kelly. Subs used: Adam Treanor for Scahill (inj., 18), Robbie Forde for Duncan (h-t), Senan Baker for Corcoran (42), Shane Ormsby for Whittaker (59), John Heslin for Dillon (61), Jack Duncan for Allen, Shane Corcoran for Kelly (both start of e-t), Eoghan McCabe for Connellan (83), Ian Martin for T Baker (inj., 84), Tom Molloy for Cooney (86).

Dublin: Evan Comerford; Theo Clancy, Nathan Doran, David Byrne; Seán MacMahon, Charlie McMorrow, Eoin Kennedy; Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne, Brian Howard; Seán Bugler, Niall Scully, Ciarán Kilkenny; Paddy Small, Killian McGinnis, Cormac Costello. Subs used: Luke Breathnach for Ó Cofaigh Byrne (inj., 18), Liam Smith for Clancy (59), Seán Guiden for Breathnach (61), Greg McEneaney for Kennedy (64), Cian Murphy for McMorrow (75), Cian O'Connor for Scully (78), Ethan Dunne for McMahon (85).

Ref: David Coldrick (Meath).