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Westmeath Football thread

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With the defending team having to have 3 players in the opposing half it gives the attacking team the option of having 12 v 11 in attack with the fly keeper the extra man-he can only recieve the ball in tje opposing half so following his kick out to beat the press hrs got to get to the half way line to join in-so he must be quick and a good kicker of the ball!! Bruno@1 (Westmeath) - Posts: 214 - 03/01/2025 17:47:56 2584462 Link
It's worth considering and it wouldn't be considered a strength of Jason Daly's to be playing as an outfield player, he's a traditional type keeper who has been consistently very good for club and county over past 6-7 years, the new rules will encourage different types of thinking. Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1954 - 03/01/2025 18:10:40 2584464 Link
Its official Westmeath GAA announce the retirement of John Heslin.The Lomans man has been a great servant to the county and gave us some great days. jobber (Westmeath) - Posts: 1616 - 04/01/2025 19:57:26 2584629 Link
Replying To jobber: "Its official Westmeath GAA announce the retirement of John Heslin.The Lomans man has been a great servant to the county and gave us some great days." What a player and gentleman to boot. His experience will be greatly missed this year . Thanks for everything John A_Chairde (Westmeath) - Posts: 252 - 04/01/2025 20:05:27 2584632 Link
Obviously I have blue tinted glasses on but Heslin is the best I've ever seen from this county. Bluelake (Westmeath) - Posts: 189 - 04/01/2025 20:34:05 2584639 Link
Replying To dickie10: "as a kid in the 90s, i dont really remember a time when westmeath as a county team were very poor. i was 17 in 2001 as a meath fan, but i was always so impressed how westmeath turned themselves from what i used to hear them called a minnow in early 90s to a proper good footballing county they are now. they seemed to get their act together around mid 90s getting to league semi final, winning minor and u21 and have never looked back. as westmeath football fans, how do you think it was achieved? is thier a lesson for likes of wicklow or louth to do similar? did somethiing major happen in late 80s as the mid 90s team was coming through? like from what i heard and the record westmeath were equivilant of wicklow or carlow or fermanagh... its some achievement i always think but never seems to get any credit, plus westmeath never talk themselves up half enough" I remember Westmeath took a few battering on the Sunday Game on the late 80's. None more so when our subs were videoed smoking during a hammering in an opening round of the championship. As a county we always had a good school's system and I think the involvement of Luke Dempsey in the schools system and in early 90's should not go unnoticed. Maroon Heaven (Westmeath) - Posts: 38 - 04/01/2025 23:02:11 2584654 Link
Replying To jobber: "Its official Westmeath GAA announce the retirement of John Heslin.The Lomans man has been a great servant to the county and gave us some great days." I saw him give an unbelievable display of high fielding in an U21 match v Dublin many years ago… He totally dominated midfield that evening and I think he was only 17 at the time… He was a wonderful footballer..! ForeverBlue2 (Cavan) - Posts: 3169 - 04/01/2025 23:26:15 2584657 Link
Replying To jobber: "Its official Westmeath GAA announce the retirement of John Heslin.The Lomans man has been a great servant to the county and gave us some great days." Magnificent player! He had it all. Any county would have been glad to have him. May John Heslin enjoy his retirement! foreveryoung (USA) - Posts: 2116 - 05/01/2025 04:05:23 2584664 Link
St Loman's - P. Dowdall The Downs - D. Power Coralstown Kinnegad - J. Cooney Tyrellspass - E. Kinsella Moate - ? Caulry - P. Flanagan Mullingar Shamrocks - M. Burke Killucan - C. Cleary Athlone - E. Jordan Garrycastle - G. Dolan Tang - S. Coy St Malachy's - T. Browne Kinnegad and The Downs recently confirmed. Are the rest correct ? BigSur (Westmeath) - Posts: 1176 - 05/01/2025 10:38:47 2584673 Link
Replying To Bluelake: "Obviously I have blue tinted glasses on but Heslin is the best I've ever seen from this county." blue tinted or not you are not far wrong . im probaly older than you so i would add willie lowry to the mix . in the more modern era martin flanagan and dessie dolan are up there . but john heslin has been a shining light both on and off the field mickcunningham (Westmeath) - Posts: 1875 - 05/01/2025 11:40:06 2584680 Link
Replying To BigSur: "St Loman's - P. Dowdall The Downs - D. Power Coralstown Kinnegad - J. Cooney Tyrellspass - E. Kinsella Moate - ? Caulry - P. Flanagan Mullingar Shamrocks - M. Burke Killucan - C. Cleary Athlone - E. Jordan Garrycastle - G. Dolan Tang - S. Coy St Malachy's - T. Browne Kinnegad and The Downs recently confirmed. Are the rest correct ?" The Cleary lad is training Kells, Killucan were looking for a manager until recently, think they thought the Cleary lad was coming back but he's not Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1954 - 05/01/2025 13:18:07 2584692 Link
As a Louth supporter I would like to wish John Heslin all the best in his retirement. He was my favourite Westmeath player of all time. He would get on in any County in Ireland. He had some great battles with Louth and especially Louths all star Paddy Keenan. Probably his finest performance was in 2015 when he inspired Westmeath to come back from 11 points down to beat Meath for the first time ever in the Championship after 23 attempts. He scored 1-09 that day with his goal in added time the icing on the cake. Ollie2 (Louth) - Posts: 941 - 05/01/2025 13:31:46 2584697 Link
Replying To Bluelake: "Obviously I have blue tinted glasses on but Heslin is the best I've ever seen from this county." He is up there anyway Gaaforlife2023 (Longford) - Posts: 542 - 05/01/2025 13:34:22 2584699 Link
Replying To Claretandblue: "The Cleary lad is training Kells, Killucan were looking for a manager until recently, think they thought the Cleary lad was coming back but he's not" Barry Downey confirmed at Killucan. Tallaght native living in Tuam with a good bit of experience as per the club's Insta post pre Christmas. BigSur (Westmeath) - Posts: 1176 - 05/01/2025 17:47:23 2584723 Link
Replying To BigSur: "Barry Downey confirmed at Killucan. Tallaght native living in Tuam with a good bit of experience as per the club's Insta post pre Christmas." Tuam to Killucan must be close to two hours drive? That's some commitment Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1954 - 05/01/2025 18:15:32 2584726 Link
Great player, great career. Best of luck John and thanks. Captainfantastic (Westmeath) - Posts: 50 - 05/01/2025 23:31:23 2584734 Link
Happy retirement to John Heslin one of the best we ever produced up there with Dolan in the modern era. Has been a star in the making since early age. Sadly not sure how many talents of that level are coming out now Heslin replaced Dolan nobody yet to replace heslin as an up and coming star. Will Scahill seems to be the most talked about player in westmeath still very young yet. Dazzler30 (Westmeath) - Posts: 38 - 06/01/2025 08:39:19 2584743 Link
John heslin, what can anyone say but one of the best ever. Was always a leader, set standards and took games to the opposition, westmeath have lost a few wise, conditioned players in last few weeks, mcguire, dolan, lynch, heslin to name a few, but who are the likely players to step up to the plate now. I personally think sam smyth can do a job, have been really impressed with him at club. Luke, o'toole and wallace obviously will have to take on a bigger leadership role. Connellan and lynam, gonoude still going well. Its in front of goal our biggest issue. Maybe Sam new captain. Still plenty of talented players available Upforthegame23 (Westmeath) - Posts: 112 - 06/01/2025 09:10:50 2584745 Link
John Heslin rose above the rest. He had huge physical strength and shovels for hands for winning his own primary possession and holding off opposition players. Heslin dictated the next move. He has to be Westmeath's greatest all rounder. The Senior Footballers are on a hiding to nothing in Division 2 this year. Too many players gone at once, too many starters gone at once. The new manager has inherited a squad that has been stripped down to the bare bones. Ronan O'Toole doing sprints out the Castlepollard Rd in an *Antrim* shirt on New Years Eve, I slowed down and was prepared to stop. iarmhiabu (Westmeath) - Posts: 109 - 06/01/2025 13:07:58 2584773 Link
Replying To iarmhiabu: "John Heslin rose above the rest. He had huge physical strength and shovels for hands for winning his own primary possession and holding off opposition players. Heslin dictated the next move. He has to be Westmeath's greatest all rounder. The Senior Footballers are on a hiding to nothing in Division 2 this year. Too many players gone at once, too many starters gone at once. The new manager has inherited a squad that has been stripped down to the bare bones. Ronan O'Toole doing sprints out the Castlepollard Rd in an *Antrim* shirt on New Years Eve, I slowed down and was prepared to stop." i dont agree i think a very strong management team has been assembled , and i would be confident of us remaining in division 2 . looking forward to it all mickcunningham (Westmeath) - Posts: 1875 - 06/01/2025 14:09:50 2584785 Link