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Westmeath Hurling thread

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Replying To COYBIY:  "If the Westmeath hurlers weren't so poor he wouldn't have got the job. Can't see them getting any better soon either. He will fill a gap for a while.
The fact there was little interest in the job proves this. Leo O Connor would have used it as a gap before he takes over at Offaly and no chance of shiel, how could you appoint a lad that gets Sligo relegated. Reality is no one wants to have their name linked to a poor hurling team with very little coming through, same players every year relying on and they are only getting older."
Like Micheal Donoghue took on the pointless job of managing Dubs hurlers until he was offered the Galway job again? Chris Crummy, Danny Sutcliffe etc still playing for the Dubs?? Best club hurlers in Dublin still playing the big ball game at inter county level. We're not in a great place at the moment but we regularly punch at our weight. Ye say the same? Ranked 8th or 9th in the country last thirty or forty years.

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 2324 - 11/08/2025 16:14:11    2631152

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Replying To Claretandblue:  "Like Micheal Donoghue took on the pointless job of managing Dubs hurlers until he was offered the Galway job again? Chris Crummy, Danny Sutcliffe etc still playing for the Dubs?? Best club hurlers in Dublin still playing the big ball game at inter county level. We're not in a great place at the moment but we regularly punch at our weight. Ye say the same? Ranked 8th or 9th in the country last thirty or forty years."
Regularly punch your weight…in the Joe Mc? Who did you beat this year? Closer to relegation from what I could see. Open to be corrected?

COYBIY (Dublin) - Posts: 5 - 11/08/2025 17:00:24    2631171

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Replying To COYBIY:  "Regularly punch your weight…in the Joe Mc? Who did you beat this year? Closer to relegation from what I could see. Open to be corrected?"
Westmeath has 15 hurling clubs and 100,000 people.Kilmacud Crokes have a bigger pick.We have over 15 years punched above our weight winning Joe Mcdonaghs,Christy Rings playing Leinster and division 1 while counties with treble our population such as Kildare and Meath are almost always behind us.We had a poor 2025 no one can dispute that but with new management we can win Division 2a and have a real rattle at Joe Mac.
Your team 1.5 million people.What have you done over the last 60 years while spending a 1000% more than us.Sail off into the sunset friend and have a bit of self reflection before you lambast 1 of the best GAA counties in Ireland per head along witb Laous,Offaly,Carlow and especially Clare.

jobber (Westmeath) - Posts: 1777 - 11/08/2025 17:20:44    2631175

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Replying To COYBIY:  "Regularly punch your weight…in the Joe Mc? Who did you beat this year? Closer to relegation from what I could see. Open to be corrected?"
You aren't in any position to criticise Westmeath hurling when you follow Dublin, an absolute disgrace that ye are ranked 9th in the country since forever with the pick of players and super clubs at ye're disposal. Its easy to come on here and put down a county trying to make inroads and who do in fact have players coming through. Maybe if you were from Tipperary/Kilkenny you might have some merit, but your not, your from Dublin!

Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 1044 - 11/08/2025 17:21:26    2631176

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Replying To COYBIY:  "Regularly punch your weight…in the Joe Mc? Who did you beat this year? Closer to relegation from what I could see. Open to be corrected?"
also the fact Dublin have well over 80 hurling clubs with probably at least two adult teams per club surpassing even cork and tipp...Westmeath only have 15.. i wonder if dublin had only 15 clubs how would ye be getting on..

preddan (Kildare) - Posts: 805 - 11/08/2025 17:56:03    2631183

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Replying To COYBIY:  "Regularly punch your weight…in the Joe Mc? Who did you beat this year? Closer to relegation from what I could see. Open to be corrected?"
What's your issue westmeath ffs Dublin should 10 times size westmeath with pick from westmeath win the competition nit so longg long and drew with wexford they not that abd ok nit level of Dublin but what did westmeath do you

Gaaforlife2023 (Longford) - Posts: 907 - 11/08/2025 18:06:52    2631187

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Replying To COYBIY:  "Regularly punch your weight…in the Joe Mc? Who did you beat this year? Closer to relegation from what I could see. Open to be corrected?"
Club level westmeath isn't bad particularly senior a

Gaaforlife2023 (Longford) - Posts: 907 - 11/08/2025 18:07:08    2631188

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Replying To COYBIY:  "If the Westmeath hurlers weren't so poor he wouldn't have got the job. Can't see them getting any better soon either. He will fill a gap for a while.
The fact there was little interest in the job proves this. Leo O Connor would have used it as a gap before he takes over at Offaly and no chance of shiel, how could you appoint a lad that gets Sligo relegated. Reality is no one wants to have their name linked to a poor hurling team with very little coming through, same players every year relying on and they are only getting older."
You're probably right

CleanShoulder (Westmeath) - Posts: 368 - 11/08/2025 18:20:29    2631191

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Yes, I wrote we're struggling at moment. Considering our overall population and then our hurling population we regularly punch at our weight. Similar to Carlow, Laois, just outside top 12 or thereabouts. Considering the millions pumped into your hurlers over the past 25 years through GPOs, Grants, sponsors etc, to still be outside the elite 7-8 counties is pretty abysmal. Zero progress in reality over last 25 years. Reckon ye will win an All Ireland by 2040?? Not a fear. Never will with the manufactured players ye produce

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 2324 - 11/08/2025 18:29:46    2631192

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Replying To COYBIY:  "If the Westmeath hurlers weren't so poor he wouldn't have got the job. Can't see them getting any better soon either. He will fill a gap for a while.
The fact there was little interest in the job proves this. Leo O Connor would have used it as a gap before he takes over at Offaly and no chance of shiel, how could you appoint a lad that gets Sligo relegated. Reality is no one wants to have their name linked to a poor hurling team with very little coming through, same players every year relying on and they are only getting older."
Who pulled your cord?

Darragh (Westmeath) - Posts: 343 - 11/08/2025 19:34:45    2631200

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Great appointment, and KOB fully deserves the opportunity.

I have to give some credit to the CB and the selection committee here. They're putting trust in someone who's been a big part of Westmeath hurling and also got this over the line quickly.

Hopefully, the players, clubs, CB and fans will row in behind with full support for the year ahead.

gedupoutofit (Westmeath) - Posts: 200 - 11/08/2025 20:04:47    2631204

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Replying To Gaaforlife2023:  "Club level westmeath isn't bad particularly senior a"
Ya can't really say that after the last round. Senior games were shocking. Maybe 2 or 3 decent games after 5 rounds, a semi and a final.

COYBIY (Dublin) - Posts: 5 - 11/08/2025 22:13:19    2631228

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Replying To CleanShoulder:  "You're probably right"
Whats your solution sit back and be hurler on ditch wesstmeath are not that hopeless wasnt long ago winning mc donagh and club top clubs are fairly competitive against most in leinster. its bad when county men rather slate them and agree with dublin poster.

Gaaforlife2023 (Longford) - Posts: 907 - 11/08/2025 22:40:55    2631235

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Replying To CleanShoulder:  "You're probably right"
Can i ask do you love when the hurlers lose

Gaaforlife2023 (Longford) - Posts: 907 - 11/08/2025 22:42:48    2631238

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Replying To COYBIY:  "Ya can't really say that after the last round. Senior games were shocking. Maybe 2 or 3 decent games after 5 rounds, a semi and a final."
Give it a rest lad, you're like a broken record. We only have 3 good senior club sides and sometimes a fourth. You're not going to have something akin to the level of the Kilkenny or Cork c'ship. This is a county with 15 hurling clubs and amalgamations are likely not too far away. There are probably more clubs in some Dublin post codes than hurling clubs in Westmeath.

Our senior club champions in both codes are competitive when they represent the county in Leinster. We don't do too bad for a small dual county where half the county is football dominated.

gedupoutofit (Westmeath) - Posts: 200 - 11/08/2025 22:43:24    2631239

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Replying To Claretandblue:  "Yes, I wrote we're struggling at moment. Considering our overall population and then our hurling population we regularly punch at our weight. Similar to Carlow, Laois, just outside top 12 or thereabouts. Considering the millions pumped into your hurlers over the past 25 years through GPOs, Grants, sponsors etc, to still be outside the elite 7-8 counties is pretty abysmal. Zero progress in reality over last 25 years. Reckon ye will win an All Ireland by 2040?? Not a fear. Never will with the manufactured players ye produce"
I wouldn't bother biting, they're just looking to wind you up. But saying Dublin hurling has made zero progress isn't quite right.

In the last 20 years, Dublin have won a Leinster senior title, a Division 1 National League, several Leinster minor and U21 titles, and three All-Ireland senior club championships. That's solid progress and success by any standard.

Still not quite breaking into the top elite at senior All-Ireland level, but far from abysmal. It's actually more than we've achieved in the same time, which is disappointing given that hurling is by far the number one sport in our county.

Low2Joe (Wexford) - Posts: 59 - 12/08/2025 01:03:55    2631266

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Replying To gedupoutofit:  "Great appointment, and KOB fully deserves the opportunity.

I have to give some credit to the CB and the selection committee here. They're putting trust in someone who's been a big part of Westmeath hurling and also got this over the line quickly.

Hopefully, the players, clubs, CB and fans will row in behind with full support for the year ahead."
Totally agree.The board had made good call and made it quickly.Now unlike last year the public mut get behind the team.O Brien has worked with a lot of young players over the years,so I expect to see fairly big changes on the panel.Hopefully he has some serious coaches and id say its a certainty Brendan Murtagh will be with him.

jobber (Westmeath) - Posts: 1777 - 12/08/2025 07:29:24    2631276

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Congrats Kevin and best of luck. Interesting to see who's with him and the players need to buy in fully.

Can we leave the replies to the Dublin commenter out and discuss the good news. He's appointed early aswell which is good.

Gaawestmeath (Westmeath) - Posts: 110 - 12/08/2025 08:43:12    2631286

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Replying To gedupoutofit:  "Give it a rest lad, you're like a broken record. We only have 3 good senior club sides and sometimes a fourth. You're not going to have something akin to the level of the Kilkenny or Cork c'ship. This is a county with 15 hurling clubs and amalgamations are likely not too far away. There are probably more clubs in some Dublin post codes than hurling clubs in Westmeath.

Our senior club champions in both codes are competitive when they represent the county in Leinster. We don't do too bad for a small dual county where half the county is football dominated."
Only 3? I think the Gaels are here and here to stay

westmeathgaa11 (Westmeath) - Posts: 327 - 12/08/2025 08:47:41    2631287

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Replying To COYBIY:  "If the Westmeath hurlers weren't so poor he wouldn't have got the job. Can't see them getting any better soon either. He will fill a gap for a while.
The fact there was little interest in the job proves this. Leo O Connor would have used it as a gap before he takes over at Offaly and no chance of shiel, how could you appoint a lad that gets Sligo relegated. Reality is no one wants to have their name linked to a poor hurling team with very little coming through, same players every year relying on and they are only getting older."
Plenty lads coming through, in 2023 their u20s beat Laois and Antrim, and lost narrowly to us in the QF. TBH they were as good as Kilkenny were in the SF that year, I was at both games. They hammered Carlows u20s last year. At minor this year they beat Antrim, Offaly and Carlow pretty well.
All pretty good considering their hurling population.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16839 - 12/08/2025 08:50:05    2631289

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