Tailteann Cup final: Cavan v Westmeath, Croke Park, Saturday, 3pm
It’s a tribute to the seriousness with which the Tailteann Cup has be taken – in the vernacular the “buy-in” – that the two counties who started the competition as favourites are now contesting the first final of the GAA’s most significant attempt at a tiered football championship.
Cavan’s long history as a power in the game, right up to winning the 2020 Ulster title, speaks for itself, but Westmeath wrote the most resonant chapters in its own history as recently as during the last quarter-century or so. From minor All-Ireland in 1995 to the under-21 – with a largely different cohort – four years later, the county went on to take itself off one of the game’s least desirable lists – counties yet to win a senior provincial title.
Westmeath used to be, alphabetically, stuck between Fermanagh and Wicklow, but in 2004 they left the other two to it.
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Fergal Murray has a unique place in the county’s history. Despite the three great achievements spanning just 10 seasons, he’s the only player to be involved in all three, starting the minor and under-21 finals and as a panellist for the Leinster win.
He sees parallels between the evolution of his senior team and that of current manager Jack Cooney’s.
“I’m inclined to compare it to the qualifiers when they were introduced in 2001. That meant we got a six- or seven-game run in the championship. It was character-building for the squad to get so many games in the championship. That’s what Westmeath are using the Tailteann for – to develop a new squad.
“We kicked on from 2001 and won a senior Leinster three years later as well as having a few good league campaigns on the back of it. It’s positive the more championship games you have.”
Murray can trace the evolution from minor to senior, taking into account the pitfalls of teenagers becoming lionised as trailblazers for their county.
“Back in 1995, it was an unprecedented breakthrough. We’d never won an All-Ireland at any level before so it was huge for the county, like a senior success at the time. The problem was that not many came through to senior level and that would be for a multitude of issues. Even when we won the All-Ireland under-21 four years later it was a different group, and of the starters just myself and Shane Deering were left from the minor team.
“When 2004 came along it just needed the gold dust of Páidí [Ó Sé] to get us over the line. I mean if you couldn’t learn about winning from an eight-time All-Ireland winner, who could you learn from? We got him on the rebound. He was making a point to the Kerry County Board as much as to us. I don’t think he fully tuned in until the league was over. As he said himself, ‘when the cuckoo calls, Páidí is clued in’. When championship came around he was fairly clued in and we got the benefit of all that winning experience.”
A memory that sticks out for him is the 2001 qualifier victory over Mayo in Dr Hyde Park as Westmeath closed in on an All-Ireland quarter-final against Meath, which was lost after a replay.
“That possibly ranks up there as one of the best days I even had on the pitch outside of winning the titles. That was one of my favourites.”
The current team spent an inconsistent league campaign in Division Three, and ironically, as they failed to get promotion ended up in the Tailteann Cup. For Murray this has been a great benefit as “they are now playing right into July” – which would probably not have been the case had they got into the All-Ireland qualifiers.
He believes Westmeath have the physicality to take on a Cavan side who have greater top-level experience, and also the forwards to make an impact.
“John Heslin has been around a while and would be starting with 90 per cent of county teams. Ronan O’Toole has been orchestrating everything at centre forward, and Sam McCartan is a really exciting young talent. It’s been such a positive experience. The buzz is back around the county. Flags are out and people everywhere are talking about it.”
Tailteann Cup final: Cavan v Westmeath, Croke Park, Saturday, 3pm
