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Westmeath Football thread

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I would like to see a Leinster minor club championship to see how our winners fare out compared to other counties.

Reality is our record at minor level for the vast majority of this millennium is woeful.

Probably in the bottom 3 of Leinster teams that compete. We've only been to one final in the last 20 years where we were outclassed while the last 2 years have seen our nearest neighbours Offaly and Longford lift the trophy.

Would be interesting to see where a very good Shamrocks minor team this year would compare with this other winners in different counties.

Blackjack (Westmeath) - Posts: 53 - 01/12/2025 12:27:31    2646616

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Hearing Tang are staying in house after a succession of outside managers with Paul Conway set to take over the senior team. Good appointment.

mintyfresh (Westmeath) - Posts: 284 - 01/12/2025 16:46:54    2646670

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Replying To Blackjack:  "I would like to see a Leinster minor club championship to see how our winners fare out compared to other counties.

Reality is our record at minor level for the vast majority of this millennium is woeful.

Probably in the bottom 3 of Leinster teams that compete. We've only been to one final in the last 20 years where we were outclassed while the last 2 years have seen our nearest neighbours Offaly and Longford lift the trophy.

Would be interesting to see where a very good Shamrocks minor team this year would compare with this other winners in different counties."
I've thought the same about a provincial and all Ireland minor championship, think it would be great. We generally do poor at minor and 20s/21s level even when we have strong teams for one reason or another, often looking physically insufficient.

We do however have the most schools in from a county in the preliminary qfs in the brother bosco cup and which seems to have been a trend in recent years (I'm aware some Marist players are from Roscommon and rochfortbridge may get a few from Offaly?).

Midlandsman (Westmeath) - Posts: 47 - 01/12/2025 17:46:19    2646685

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Replying To Blackjack:  "I would like to see a Leinster minor club championship to see how our winners fare out compared to other counties.

Reality is our record at minor level for the vast majority of this millennium is woeful.

Probably in the bottom 3 of Leinster teams that compete. We've only been to one final in the last 20 years where we were outclassed while the last 2 years have seen our nearest neighbours Offaly and Longford lift the trophy.

Would be interesting to see where a very good Shamrocks minor team this year would compare with this other winners in different counties."
They took the major out of minor when they changed the grades to Under 17. It's really just seen more and more as a development grade every year.

iarmhiabu (Westmeath) - Posts: 285 - 01/12/2025 19:02:37    2646693

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Replying To Midlandsman:  "I've thought the same about a provincial and all Ireland minor championship, think it would be great. We generally do poor at minor and 20s/21s level even when we have strong teams for one reason or another, often looking physically insufficient.

We do however have the most schools in from a county in the preliminary qfs in the brother bosco cup and which seems to have been a trend in recent years (I'm aware some Marist players are from Roscommon and rochfortbridge may get a few from Offaly?)."
CBS are really the only school fielding a fully Westmeath-based team. Marist draw heavily from Roscommon-players from Clann na nGael and St Brigid's in particular. Moate also have lads from Tubber and other clubs along the border, while Rochfortbridge usually feature a mix from Rhode, Croghan, St Brigid's and, at times, even Meath players from the likes of Ballinabrackey.
Ulster run their provincial minor competition every year, and it seems to work extremely well. I believe they play it over one weekend, and the Gowna/Lavey amalgamation won it this year. A similar approach could work in Leinster and would also put pressure on the county board not to be playing minor and U20 finals in the middle or end of November.

Fighting-Cocks69 (Westmeath) - Posts: 102 - 01/12/2025 22:08:20    2646715

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