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Westmeath Football thread - 5 Like(s)
Replying To Meridian: "I'll vote for ye Darragh for the top job or whatever other position on the Board you are going for to help out." Thanks for the vote of support there but I have a young family, am underage chairman in my own club and run training twice a week as it is. Could it be too much to just ask for whoever does take the job to work with people and not take every opportunity to criticise clubs and supporters
Darragh (National) - 04/07/2025 16:35:04
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Westmeath Football thread - 3 Like(s)
Replying To Maroon Heaven: "100k for marketing is peanuts. Whether they got value from that marketing company is a question for another day. To walk away with 500k is an excellent result.
I've had the pleasure of been at Tyrones COE a few times and its a class set up. You can't help but notice the investment from the likes of big businesses supporting it and also the county ground (McAleer & Rushe, Donnelly Brothers, Rocwell Water, Bank of Ireland). It would be good to see some of our own businesses operating on a national scale get behind the COE as I don't think Roma Chippie or a computer repair shop on Mullingar High Street will have the pocket's needed." If it was 100k then it was completely wasted as there was nothing done at all until the last couple of weeks and even then it was using our own county players to promote it. I could not think of a worse way of wasting money considering there were local alternatives that would not have cost as much. Bar that amount though this discussion in general shows how completely out of touch Westmeath top table is to the clubs. Hopefully the next person in the top job is willing to work constructively with people
Darragh (National) - 03/07/2025 13:37:27
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St Joseph's Hosting Match Between Westmeath Minor And U21 Winning Teams - 2 Like(s)
https://hoganstand.com/Westmeath/Article/Index/299590
If at a loose end this Saturday why not come down to see some great servants of Westmeath tog out again. It will be a great day out and will be supporting a small but hard working Junior club
Iarmhi Abu
Darragh (Westmeath) - 10/06/2019 17:12:43
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Westmeath Football thread - 2 Like(s)
Replying To IKnowBestest: "That is incorrect and even if it was its unfair.
Clubs can not be punished for winning it when they do? Who win Junior 2 the years after 2020?
How come they not go into Pot 2?" There should be a draw to decide which second team goes into the sole Junior side but keeping them mainly separated is there for a reason. A second team can be very different in round 1 to round 5 if their first team gets a run of injuries so keeping them apart is a good thing for the sole Junior clubs. It's a big discussion in general because if you say you want to improve the standard by involving the second teams then surely the best thing is to mix from the start and let the chips lie but that can't happen for the reason I gave. Westmeath clubs won't agree on the future for the competition as a Senior B competition is not valued by the big clubs and if you mix Junior 1 and 2 you could see some big beatings handed out which does no-one any good
Darragh (National) - 07/04/2025 15:06:46
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Proposals For 2Nd Tier Championship Pathetic - 2 Like(s)
Choose Life,
Choose the League,
Choose emigrating for the summer,
Choose playing for your club,
Choose delegates 40 years removed from playing,
Choose capitalism over community,
Choose no media coverage,
Choose not playing championship games at home,
Choose a future professional game in all but name,
Choose John Horan's need for a legacy,
Choose Tier 2
Darragh (National) - 22/10/2019 12:57:15
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Should Westmeath V Dublin Be In Mullingar? - 2 Like(s)
Absolutely it should be played in Mullingar. I haven't seen a Dublin fan on this who wouldn't fancy a trip down and we would gladly welcome them. Cusack Park is not a great venue but it is in the middle of the town so the potential for local businesses to benefit would be great (also I am sure some proceeds could be used to renovate the old ground). The excitement of having the best team in the country on our own patch would make for a great buzz and we could build on this to try and get more kids training and taking the games up. It would be a full house (we can sort out the season tickets it doesn't have to be the issue most make out) with a cracking atmosphere, instead the Leinster Council want Tullamore which neither county want and won't sell out anyway
Darragh (National) - 14/10/2019 17:23:45
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New Senior Manager - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Wicklowfan1: "The ex wicklow manager won more as a player at club & county than any of your local lads! You should be asking the question why they are not putting there names forward. Maybe it's because they don't have courage to step up & look for it? Who did the clubs nominate? As for scrapping the bottom of the Barrel because he is the ex Wicklow manager is a cheap shot. It's probably the most difficult job to take on. He might not of got the results people wanted but you need to dig deeper to find out what he brought & tried to do for Wicklow with the resources & players he had. He definitely had the biggest turn over of any county players I have ever seen.
As for your players should stand up to the CB & demand who should mange them.
Over the last 5 years you have gone from D1 to D4 & back to D3 with a couple of different mangers with a good portion of the same players. So is it always the mangers fault or do your players need to stand up & be counted. There is no question you should be the 2nd best team in Leinster & you should be in D2. Mangers & coaches come & go all the time so the players should have their own standards & ambitions. I heard your previous Manger was a walk over & your players took full advantage of it. I don't need to go into details but maybe that is also why none of your local guys want the job because of the players & what has gone on?" The ex wicklow manager won more as a player at club & county than any of your local lads!......i presume you think then that anyone from Dublin or Kerry should manage us then....we have had Bealin and that's enough proof to not go back to that particular well purely because of where he comes from. I understand the difficulties in Wicklow however Magee was constantly in need of a microphone to complain about something or other. I think we can find better internally personally and would take Magees appointment as a step backwards
Darragh (Westmeath) - 16/09/2017 17:52:22
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Westmeath Hurling 2018 - 1 Like(s)
Why the need to play the game in Portlaoise on Sunday while Carlow are due to play football in Antrim and we are due to play football in Longford. Both teams deserve their full county support as it will mean so much to either side to go up a division. Cannot fathom why Carlow or Westmeath would agree to this when there are other options
Darragh (Westmeath) - 13/03/2018 09:08:41
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Westmeath Hurling 2018 - 1 Like(s)
Replying To valley84: "Read somewhere lately that 10 years ago only 7% of kids in Limerick City played hurling. Following introduction of their development plan it's now 57%. They saw the threat from rugby and took it on.
While in Westmeath we've two towns of 20,000+ people with no urban gaa development plan or dedicated gaa coaches" Valley I read that same article and was just about to post the same thing. It could be said a development plan is even more needed for us than Limerick as we are dealing with a smaller playing pool. It does go to show what can be achieved if plans are put in place and followed through
Darragh (Westmeath) - 21/08/2018 14:13:04
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Westmeath Hurling 2018 - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Thechick: "A lot of discussion about naming players for junior etc. I would say most/all clubs need to be honest on this especially the Intermediate/Junior clubs. The amount of skullduggery that goes on naming lads that are two years in OZ or the states etc has always gone on. Any lad who ever played in the Intermediate grade and also the junior for the last number of years would tell you that the two junior B finalist's this year have always been able to put out virtually the same teams in both grades for years without any issue. The reason one of them can do it is obvious and well known and the other club chance their arm every year with a list and throw a hissy fit citing trying to develop hurling on the outskirts of a town and are let go. There used to be rows about it but most other clubs in the grade just take it for granted now ,one of them clubs in particular just have to see who wants to play junior and tog them, naming a guy from a neighbouring football club who never played hurling instead, again they have slightly different rules." It's a tricky balance between targeting those who are deliberately misleading and those who are struggling to field. One solution would be to review the named players to see how many played and at what level during the previous 12 months. If a club throws a bunch of names down who are not in the country or haven't played in years then it should be obvious
Darragh (Westmeath) - 20/12/2018 13:52:17
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Westmeath hurling - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Pinkie: "The article re "Opinion: will Westmeath finally get the credit they deserve?" is not accurate in my own opinion. It suggests that nobody gives Westmeath credit for a win. It suggests Wexford had a spanish inquisition into why we were beaten by Westmeath. We have such inquisitions if we are beaten by anyone and at the end of the year we have reviews of the progress the teams have made. It was not just because we lost to Westmeath.
While there is plenty of hurling snobbery in the game, there is also plenty of siege mentality at play as well!" Westmeath didn't complain so can't be thrown in to the siege mentality argument. I think the article was more referencing the fact that when a weaker team beats a traditional power then the focus is usually on why the big team lost rather than praise the winner. Seemed fairly spot on in that regard as far more focus was put on offaly losing to Westmeath in senior this year than the positive option of praising the winning team
Darragh (National) - 26/05/2016 14:20:29
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Leinster Senior Football Championship - 1 Like(s)
Replying To BigRon1: "I would support a Boycott.
The chances of winning the game should not have anything to do with basic fairness and level competition.
Boycotts are terrible because we all want to support our lads who put in so much work but at some stage we have to think about the next generation, will they want to play and should they have to put up with this nonsense.
The Blue wave document clearly sets out the plan to make Dublin Gaa successful (it worked!), the moving of all league and championship games to croker for them, Bertie's 5 mil, 17 years of unfair funding that is countinuing this year next year and beyond and the constant denial that any of this makes a difference and we should just volunteer harder is an insult.
At some stage people are going to have to stand up to continuing skewing of fair competition or attendances will keep falling and apathy around inter county football will set in, if it hasn't already.
Boycott and if they throw us out we can have a great extended club season!, thats what the gaa is really about anyway and you never know it might make them think." Not getting into your figures there Ron as in my opinion this has nothing to do with Dublin. We should have the right to host our own games regardless of the opposition. Local businesses who support Westmeath clubs and county could do with having increased numbers of visitors on the streets. Westmeath kids deserve the right to watch their own county men on their own pitch against the best team in the country. Leinster Council has a chance to make the right decision here but history would say they won't budge until they are embarrassed into it
Darragh (Westmeath) - 08/10/2019 15:59:15
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Tipperary V Westmeath - 1 Like(s)
It's poor form from Tipp, Kilkenny have accepted such a request before. It would do a great deal for hurling in Westmeath and the surrounding midlands counties
Darragh (National) - 28/06/2017 14:12:49
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Westmeath V Dublin - 1 Like(s)
I am a very proud Westmeath man who attends games both club and county all year. I am well used to being beaten by better teams which is fine but after yesterday I am questioning everything with regards to GAA and my participation in it. Maybe just the impact from yesterday talking but I cannot see a situation (aside from a Div 3 or 4 title) where we will ever again compete nationally under current structures. I don't even think a flash in the pan minor All Ireland or Under 21 title will ever happen again as we could see a lost generation through apathy after a result like yesterday and we need every kid we can to get playing. It's extremely demoralising being honest about it and the thoughts of having two kids at home who will likely never see their county win anything of merit is pretty heartbreaking stuff
Darragh (National) - 26/06/2017 12:42:40
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Westmeath Football thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Midlandsman: "Interesting to see junior 1 section A only has second teams what does this say about the sole junior clubs of the county?" It's the same format as the last few years since Junior 2 was introduced. Junior 1 has had two groups, one for second teams and one for sole Junior clubs. The main thing this format says about sole Junior clubs is that they are as (or less it could be argued) important to Westmeath GAA as a senior or intermediate second team. Funny though that when it comes to buying tickets for a house in Spain the Junior clubs are treated the same
Darragh (National) - 04/04/2025 09:25:31
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Westmeath Football thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Bluelake: "This isn't a new thing. When they restructured the competition they intended to separate second teams and sole junior clubs. It's still very difficult for a second side to win a junior championship although Lomans have been close the last few years. Ballynacargy should really be winning the junior this year" It's a very difficult to win for all clubs involved. The structure of the championships as it stands is very tough on the smallest clubs and has seen Ballinagore, Loughnavalley, St Paul's and Delvin drop to Junior 2 with only Ballinagore getting back up. Last years Junior 2 championship was a farce with teams pulling out and shows how important it is to Westmeath GAA. The second teams are treated very well in Westmeath, it's just a shame that the 30th best player in a big club is treated the exact same as the best player from a small club. Looking at Go Games and underage numbers and you would have to fear for a lot of small clubs
Darragh (National) - 04/04/2025 10:26:19
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So who will lift the Allianz league titles? - 1 Like(s)
Replying To wd45: "I am going with Wexford, tipp, Galway and Dublin. I hope Wexford win anyway. Some of them Westmeath lads are care more about there hair than football." Probably sinking pints tonight slapping the lads backs........
Darragh (National) - 08/04/2017 19:10:20
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Westmeath Football thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Claretandblue: "Sides in section B of senior or intermediate can't meet those from section A until quarter finals and still obviously treat the championship as seriously. Clubs have won the senior from section B." The point being made was that Senior second teams improve the standard of Junior 1 football considerably. I pointed out that they do not meet until quarters so it's not that much of an opportunity to mix and therefore bring up the standard of Junior 1 clubs. When it comes to treating the competition seriously then obviously it is far more important to a Junior 1 club to win their grade than it is to a second team player. I am not being down on these lads as they need to play football too but let's be honest here and not compare to a Senior or Intermediate competition where clubs are competing at their highest opportunity
Darragh (National) - 08/04/2025 18:13:11
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Westmeath Football thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Bluelake: "For sure, Lomans lads were absolutely devastated to lose that junior final in 2023" Just one question then.....if an injury happened to a first team player would this dream of a Junior medal go away very quickly if they were added to the senior squad. I don't think anything will change with Junior championships anyway but this whole exchange has highlighted how the big clubs are treated versus the small clubs. When it comes to tickets for a house in Spain we will all become equals again
Just for one final time though. No player in any senior second team will ever value the Junior 1 Championship as much as a player from a sole Junior 1 club. In no way am I being negative to any second team player but it's wrong to suggest they are the same
Darragh (National) - 09/04/2025 14:12:51
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Dublin Hurling - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Fionn: "Tough day for the Dublin Hurlers in HQ earlier today in front of 82,500 fans. Packed to the rafters.
Just shows how much we missed Chris at the back, and then to compound that another 2 defenders went off in the first 20mins. Half of our regular back 6 gone.
Dublin did leave 3 goals behind them, and in fairness 2-21 was not bad scoring.
But Cork were rampant, and could have scored 10 goals there today, if they really wanted to. Such was their dominance up front. As it is, 7-26 is a massive score line. Fair play to them.
We were so one dimensional today, and continued to launch high balls in, when it was clear the Cork defence was winning all the high ball and most of the breaking ball.
A steep learning curve for Niall and the lads. But overall there are green shoots and we must build on that Limerick performance. It cannot be just a flash in the pan....
Cork: Patrick Collins; Niall O'Leary, Eoin Downey, Sean O'Donoghue; Ciarán Joyce, Rob Downey , Mark Coleman; Tim O'Mahony (2-01), Darragh Fitzgibbon (0-03); Diarmuid Healy (0-01), Shane Barrett, Declan Dalton (0-05, 2f); Patrick Horgan (0-08, 6fs), Alan Connolly (3-02), Brian Hayes (2-01).
Subs: Robbie O'Flynn for Healy (50 mins), Shane Kingston (0-02) for Horgan (55), Tommy O'Connell for R Downey (58), Conor Lehane (0-01) for Barrett (63), Jack O'Connor for Dalton (66).
Dublin: Seán Brennan; John Bellew, Paddy Smyth, Conor McHugh; Paddy Doyle, Conor Burke (0-03), Andrew Dunphy; Conor Donohoe, Brian Hayes (0-01); Rian McBride, Fergal Whitely (0-3), John Hetherton (0-01); Seán Currie (0-7fs), Ronan Hayes, Cian O'Sullivan (2-05).
Subs: David Lucey for Dunphy (15), Darragh Power for McHugh (21), Donal Burke (0-01) for McBride (half-time), Diarmaid O'Dulaing for R Hayes (46), Conal Ó Riain for O'Sullivan (60)." Fellow Leinster man and was a bit shocked at the support from both counties. Fair play to Cork supporters but I thought Dublin hurlers deserved better support from their own
Darragh (National) - 05/07/2025 22:09:56
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