National Forum

Westmeath Hurling thread

(Oldest Posts First) - Go To The Latest Post


Its not a great sign when we see so many retiring & a lot more opting not to play this year. It may be a re-building job but you can't say there should be no pressure on Kevin O Brien & his management team. That like giving them a free pass & we don't really care if we are beaten. Is it the same for Mark McHugh with the footballers?
Every year on this forum there's talk about top minors & u20s so if that's the case we should be seeing if these lads can step up this year. I don't want to be too down on the group but I really think we are going to struggle this year, hopefully I'm proven wrong.

Left Full (Westmeath) - Posts: 274 - 28/11/2025 08:31:20    2646285

Link

Replying To Left Full:  "Its not a great sign when we see so many retiring & a lot more opting not to play this year. It may be a re-building job but you can't say there should be no pressure on Kevin O Brien & his management team. That like giving them a free pass & we don't really care if we are beaten. Is it the same for Mark McHugh with the footballers?
Every year on this forum there's talk about top minors & u20s so if that's the case we should be seeing if these lads can step up this year. I don't want to be too down on the group but I really think we are going to struggle this year, hopefully I'm proven wrong."
I agree with that.Bit lets not be all negative.Jogger and Robbie Greville gave great service to the county and hats off to them.We will have experienced players in Dara Egerton,Conor Shaw Kevin Regan and hopefully Johhny Birmingham.and David O Reilly should be back for some of Mcdonagh at least David and Shane Williams along with Darragh Mccormack are fine hurlers..So it will be O Briens job to bring in and develop the younger players around them.. We have a squad fit to compete at 2a and Mcdonagh.OK unlike other years we aren't expecting to win but we are expecting signs it will happen in near future.

jobber (Westmeath) - Posts: 1865 - 28/11/2025 11:28:40    2646313

Link

Replying To jobber:  "I agree with that.Bit lets not be all negative.Jogger and Robbie Greville gave great service to the county and hats off to them.We will have experienced players in Dara Egerton,Conor Shaw Kevin Regan and hopefully Johhny Birmingham.and David O Reilly should be back for some of Mcdonagh at least David and Shane Williams along with Darragh Mccormack are fine hurlers..So it will be O Briens job to bring in and develop the younger players around them.. We have a squad fit to compete at 2a and Mcdonagh.OK unlike other years we aren't expecting to win but we are expecting signs it will happen in near future."
We will be competing to win the Joe Mcdonagh in the next couple of years if the current minor and u20 team are looked after. I've mentioned Mullingar CBS already but what they are doing for Westmeath hurling has to be commended, they are competing in A level competition all the way through. The Westmeath schools team playing in the Leinster championship is without Mullingar CBS lads as they are in the competition on their own and technically they could meet.

Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 1080 - 28/11/2025 12:32:51    2646322

Link

Replying To Dheen:  "We will be competing to win the Joe Mcdonagh in the next couple of years if the current minor and u20 team are looked after. I've mentioned Mullingar CBS already but what they are doing for Westmeath hurling has to be commended, they are competing in A level competition all the way through. The Westmeath schools team playing in the Leinster championship is without Mullingar CBS lads as they are in the competition on their own and technically they could meet."
You should be aiming to win mcdonagh this year,as far as I see carlow antrim and laois don't look to be improving infact could be on a downward spiral again, mcdonagh cup in general the standard seems to be dropping and this year was proof of that...try and go back up when you can

preddan (Kildare) - Posts: 822 - 28/11/2025 15:38:34    2646348

Link

Replying To preddan:  "You should be aiming to win mcdonagh this year,as far as I see carlow antrim and laois don't look to be improving infact could be on a downward spiral again, mcdonagh cup in general the standard seems to be dropping and this year was proof of that...try and go back up when you can"
It's nice to think like that but let's be realistic and not put too much pressure on young players playing their first season at this level.I agree the standards are way down but none of the others have been hit as hard as us in one fell swoop.

jobber (Westmeath) - Posts: 1865 - 28/11/2025 16:00:00    2646350

Link

Replying To Left Full:  "Its not a great sign when we see so many retiring & a lot more opting not to play this year. It may be a re-building job but you can't say there should be no pressure on Kevin O Brien & his management team. That like giving them a free pass & we don't really care if we are beaten. Is it the same for Mark McHugh with the footballers?
Every year on this forum there's talk about top minors & u20s so if that's the case we should be seeing if these lads can step up this year. I don't want to be too down on the group but I really think we are going to struggle this year, hopefully I'm proven wrong."
It is a free pass for new hurling management in 2026. To lose Jogger, Robbie Greville, Niall O' Brien, Ciaran O' Brien, David O' Reilly, Darragh Clinton and prob others with Darragh Egerton yet to be back fully training after 14 months out and Niall Mitchell also injured means zero expectations, we will be looking at being in contention for promotion from Div. 3 and trying to stay in McDonagh Cup. Talk about decent minors in 2025 is fine but they are not seniors realistically until 2028 at earliest.

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 2532 - 28/11/2025 16:46:05    2646358

Link

Replying To Claretandblue:  "It is a free pass for new hurling management in 2026. To lose Jogger, Robbie Greville, Niall O' Brien, Ciaran O' Brien, David O' Reilly, Darragh Clinton and prob others with Darragh Egerton yet to be back fully training after 14 months out and Niall Mitchell also injured means zero expectations, we will be looking at being in contention for promotion from Div. 3 and trying to stay in McDonagh Cup. Talk about decent minors in 2025 is fine but they are not seniors realistically until 2028 at earliest."
I was mentioning the minors as we look down the road, Kevin O'Brien should be given until 2028 to build and then we should see those players start to come through.

Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 1080 - 29/11/2025 10:03:41    2646402

Link

Replying To Dheen:  "I was mentioning the minors as we look down the road, Kevin O'Brien should be given until 2028 to build and then we should see those players start to come through."
Some good news about training i hear some key players from Castletown back in the fold.

jobber (Westmeath) - Posts: 1865 - 01/12/2025 10:48:59    2646601

Link

I see mullingar col mhuire are in a qtr final in Leinster schools, is that their first year in the a competition , would ye have a chance of winning it

preddan (Kildare) - Posts: 822 - 01/12/2025 19:19:40    2646695

Link

Replying To preddan:  "I see mullingar col mhuire are in a qtr final in Leinster schools, is that their first year in the a competition , would ye have a chance of winning it"
Firstly its brilliant they are in the A for the first time in many years if ever.Secondly to get to quarter final is good.Do you know Who they play and when.
The Juniors lost their quarter final to St Kierans.

jobber (Westmeath) - Posts: 1865 - 01/12/2025 21:10:20    2646709

Link

Replying To jobber:  "Firstly its brilliant they are in the A for the first time in many years if ever.Secondly to get to quarter final is good.Do you know Who they play and when.
The Juniors lost their quarter final to St Kierans."
They comprehensively beat St Fintans Sutton of Dublin the last day out and now face Colaiste Eoin Dublin who will be a step up again but they are well capable of getting the win. The Kilkenny schools dominate this competition as you'd expect but if Mullingar can make a semi final it would be a great achievement and you never know what can happen.

Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 1080 - 02/12/2025 07:42:15    2646729

Link

I don't think a westmeath school was ever in A. I wonder what a full westmeath schools team would be like and was it considered, Offaly schools all joined three or four years ago and won Leinster but wernt allowed in the all Ireland then because of the amalgamation.

preddan (Kildare) - Posts: 822 - 02/12/2025 12:20:35    2646761

Link

Offaly schools won a Leinster A Colleges title in last 3-4 years? Don't think that happened. Westmeath schools took part last year but weakened this year with the CBS competing in it themselves

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 2532 - 02/12/2025 12:50:07    2646766

Link

https://offaly.gaa.ie/combined-schools-team-are-leinster-champions/
is that not it

preddan (Kildare) - Posts: 822 - 02/12/2025 13:36:04    2646771

Link

Replying To preddan:  "https://offaly.gaa.ie/combined-schools-team-are-leinster-champions/
is that not it"
No the combined schools is a sort of seperate pre-competition. The winners then take part in the Corn ui Dhuill proper with the seperate schools.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17963 - 02/12/2025 14:56:10    2646783

Link

Replying To preddan:  "I don't think a westmeath school was ever in A. I wonder what a full westmeath schools team would be like and was it considered, Offaly schools all joined three or four years ago and won Leinster but wernt allowed in the all Ireland then because of the amalgamation."
No combined schools allowed in the AI.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17963 - 02/12/2025 14:56:55    2646784

Link

Replying To Claretandblue:  "Offaly schools won a Leinster A Colleges title in last 3-4 years? Don't think that happened. Westmeath schools took part last year but weakened this year with the CBS competing in it themselves"
Offaly schools won the Corn ui Dhuill in 2023. Dublin North won it in 2018. The only other combined colleges team to win it were Dublin Colleges who reached a few finals in the 90s and noughties, think they won a couple too. The only other combined schools team to reach a final were Dublin South, who lost to Good Counsel College in 2022.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17963 - 02/12/2025 15:30:35    2646793

Link

Replying To preddan:  "https://offaly.gaa.ie/combined-schools-team-are-leinster-champions/
is that not it"
Stand corrected. Great achievement by them.

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 2532 - 02/12/2025 16:36:04    2646804

Link

So the Offaly schools did win the Leinster title outright?

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 2532 - 02/12/2025 16:37:34    2646805

Link

Replying To Viking66:  "Offaly schools won the Corn ui Dhuill in 2023. Dublin North won it in 2018. The only other combined colleges team to win it were Dublin Colleges who reached a few finals in the 90s and noughties, think they won a couple too. The only other combined schools team to reach a final were Dublin South, who lost to Good Counsel College in 2022."
I wouldn't argue with the history but I agree with Dheen in that if St Marys beat Colaiste Eoin and reach a semi final it will be a huge break through especially as we fielded a schools team without them who lost to Meath a third of whose team were Brownstown and Delvin lads. Athboy were in the D final today and the majority of their players are Brownstown and Delvin.

jobber (Westmeath) - Posts: 1865 - 02/12/2025 17:04:33    2646810

Link