AFTER MAKING THEIR first-ever visit to Croke Park one to remember by lifting their first All-Ireland title in the 2017 Premier Junior final, Westmeath are primed for a return to HQ on the biggest day of the camogie calendar.
Just two years later, Mairéad McCormack’s side find themselves one step away from senior status as they go head-to-head with Galway in the intermediate decider on Sunday [throw-in 2pm, live on RTÉ].
But first, a look back on that historic day. 10 September 2017.
McCormack laughs when she’s asked for her memories of that day.
“I’ll never forget it,” the Castletown Geogeghan star smiles. “Especially when I had two sisters playing. Mam and Dad dropped us in that morning and got onto the bus… the embarrassment!”
28-year-old Mairéad, now captain, lined out at wing forward that day, Edel (32) stood firm at full-back and Joanne (30) led the charge in midfield. A full on Sister Act, they’ll all tog out again on Sunday but hopefully there won’t be as much drama, or as many nerves, before a ball is pucked this time around.
Even prior to their proud parents landing on the bus, there were a few touch-and-go moments.
“She’ll kill me for saying it,” McCormack laughs, “but that morning, we all met up in the home house before we left and poor old Joanne forgot her jacket. Myself and Edel were sitting in the jeep ready to go off and Joanne started crying because she didn’t have the correct gear. That was just pure nerves.”
For Mairéad, they disappeared shortly after she graced the hallowed turf of Croke Park for the first time, however.
There is, of course, another laugh as she remembers what happened trying to imitate a Westmeath great just after running out on the battlefield.
“Gary Connaughton was renowned for jumping over the bench out in Croke Park,” McCormack explains. “I told the girls I’d give it a go anyway and caught the foot going over…
“I didn’t fall, I managed to brush it off so that was my nerves gone out the window! I’ll walk over it this time. I’m two years older, I definitely won’t make it!
“It was an extremely exciting day.”
A camogie-mad family now, the parents and their other sister travel the length and breadth of the country to support their pride and joy, even in challenge matches. But it wasn’t always camogie.
Not for Mairéad, anyway.
“Football was always my number one sport,” the Streamstown native says. “I played county football from U12 up to senior but then I had a few injuries. I tore my cruciate twice, the same one.”
She was 16 the first time and 18 the second, and of course, two surgeries followed. The first time around, she admits she didn’t do near enough rehab: “I didn’t do anything with it the first time. I suppose I just thought, ‘I’ll hop up on the bike once or twice and I’ll be grand.’”
She wasn’t exactly grand when she suffered the dreaded injury again just two years later, but she learned from her past mistakes and did her rehab by the book.
“I’m all good now, but I still strap it up very tightly,” she assures. “I hurt my knee; not the cruciate but in general, in the championship this year so mentally, I like to have it set.”
Since switching to the small ball code, McCormack hasn’t looked back. Just like this brilliant Westmeath outfit over the past few years. Their progress has been something else, and she says Johnny Greville holds most of the responsibility for that.
This year, Raharney man Greville juggled the top job with his selector duties for the Westmeath senior hurlers and management commitments with the county’s U20 side.
“It’s unbelievable,” McCormack smiles. “The last few years, even before Johnny came on board, there was a little bit of belief. Players are getting a little bit older, I’d say we were waiting for some of the underage to come through and now they have.
“Johnny Greville has really brought this county to another level though. I’m not even sure if Pamela [his sister and star forward] would still be around if it wasn’t for Johnny. She has such a mature head on the pitch and she’s playing so well, there’s no stopping her.
“Johnny has brought on a huge panel of selectors; his brother Jimmy, Frank Mullan and Darren McCormack from Castlepollard who was a hero for Westmeath himself. We have extremely good management. Sometimes you mightn’t listen to a manager but when you know that they know what they’re on about and have played themselves, you do.”
From Premier Junior to 60 minutes away from the senior ranks in two years, it’s been a remarkable rise. And a very quick one, at that.
The ingredients? Pure hard work, testing themselves against the best and self-belief are the main few.
“The year we won the junior, we were intermediate in Leinster so playing those stronger teams really stood to us,” McCormack, who works in Esker Rí Nursing Home in Offaly as a receptionist, explains.
“Then, we knew in our heads we weren’t far off winning intermediate. To be honest I was disappointed last year not to make the knockout stages, and that was our first year up. We have that real belief in the team that we could make this.”
She doesn’t have to look far for a perfect example.
“My sister Joanne came back after having a child this year. That just shows that she knew we were getting to Croke Park. She wouldn’t have done it only that she knew. We just have to finish it out now and hopefully lift the cup.”
That’s the focus now after an extremely hard-fought, and important, semi-final win over 2018 finalists Down. That was a massive test, the toughest team Westmeath have faced this year apart from the Kilkenny seniors they locked horns with in a challenge match, she reckons.
With that game also streamed live, McCormack says it will stand to them considering the fact that younger players may get nervous about being on TV.
Another huge step for the younger contingent, headed by the likes of 18-year-old Megan Dowdall — “a key player who steps up as much as any senior player” — ahead of the big day is them coming up for a look around Croke Park on Saturday.
With it all becoming real after a Meet and Greet at Cusack Park last Friday, it’s all eyes on the Tribeswomen on Sunday now. At the time of our conversation, there was the slight downer of club matches on the Tuesday and Wednesday after the decider, but that didn’t bother McCormack too much.
“It’s a pity but we’ll get on with it and face it when it comes,” she said, shaking off any concern with her entire attention on the Westerners.
Contesting both the intermediate and senior finals, Galway were stern opposition for Westmeath through the year.
“We played them in the league,” McCormack says. “We were winning until the last puck of the ball and they got a goal to draw the game, and then we lost by a point in the Championship.”
So could it be a case of third time lucky in 2019? Who knows.
“It’ll be extremely tight again.” she concludes. “Personally I think we’re probably in the best position. Underdogs, and they have the ‘double’ pressure too.”
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
Think it’s worth mentioning that Spain are currently European champions U21, U19, U17 and now the senior champions.
Holyyyyyyyyyy shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh………………..
Speaks of the state of other countries football…massive disaster and fail.
Glad they don’t play hurling
The beautiful game , played beautifully.
Well Done Spain.
Congrats Miguel, a well deserved win for Spain,.
Where are the detractors now? Feel privileged you have seen just one of the greatest teams of all time if not the greatest. .As for the Liverpool team of 88 a good side but not in Spain’s class.
Agree Tom the reds were far higher ☺
What a great game of football, and the refs were good too
The liverpool team of ’88 would have beaten them.
Jesus people really do love Liverpool.
only team i would put with them is Brazil 1970.
delighted the Italians were crazy/brave enough to play that way as it afforded us all the opportunity to see an all time great team with some all time greats do the absolute business. magnificent, all of it, 4 goals in the euro final. we may never see the likes of it again. these guys are why i love football, and it is a beautiful game once more. viva espana!!!
It’s actually worrying there is 1 team in Europe that is so much above anybody else.
I very much like in football spirit of competition and head to head rivalry. This final was just one team show and brutal execution on Italians. No matter how much I can admire Spanish football master class this game was IMHO boring, boring because of lack of real connection between teams, bit of spark, the competition, emotions..
Also 4:0 in the final where two equal teams should meet is a lot, that should make all of them think what they’re doing playing football, England, France, Germany, Italy… those teams look like last decade amateurs next to today’s Spain. Hopefully this can change as I have no problem watching one team winning spree, but really can’t enjoy watching one team outclassing everyone else.
But in the long run it is a good thing. It forces other F.A to look at the way they run themselves, their methods and ways in which they nuture their young players.Therefore in the end football wins.
We can only dream our FA will implement a proper player and management development system
It’s a Barcelona thing , they might be the best ever if they had Messi.
I really expected a closer match, switched off after Italy went to 10 men
Very disappointing final contest to an overall excellent tournament
Not a football fan obviously…
It’s not even midnight yet and this already happened last night? Did I lost a day? ;)
I’m going to guess that he was at the game and with the time difference, he made the mistake.
I was indeed at the game, aye! To really stretch my defence it is intended for people reading after 12am… I suppose, ha! It’s 3am here. Spanish team just all left stadium. Sergio Ramos came through with the trophy at the end.
Thanks for the updates Miguel, I’d say you will have a sore ceann in the morning
last night history was made, great team, hopefully they can continue from last night, have I stressed enough yet that it was last night.
Without doubt da best team ever, even without their captain and their first choice striker they still walked it, world class players on bench didn’t even get a game
Why can’t TV pundits not admit that sometimes, just sometimes, teams come alone that are better than the past greats. It’s as if they feel admitting it, results in driving Pele and company a kick in the rox. Personally, this is the best all round team I have had the pleasure of witnessing past/present. New things CAN be better……..well except hangovers and monster munch!
That headline is way off the mark if you’ve been watching it on bbc or ITV.
He’s a bad writer is Mr. Miguel.
Had the privilege of watching almost every tournament match this Spanish team have played since Euro 2008 in the actual stadiums, including tonight. As such, wasn’t watching BBC or ITV and they’re way off the mark for me!
You can only argue that they are the greatest European team of all time. They have after all only won one World Cup. Only beating the best that South America has to offer only the once is not nearly enough to justify your claim as best of all time.
Also, the European Championship only started in 1960, so previous European teams that won the World Cup never had the opportunity to win something else in between them.
In short, it’s a ridiculous claim.
By all measurable criteria, they’re the greatest. That’s certainly fair to say.
I wouldn’t call it a ridiculous claim Anthony,
take a look back at their results from 2008 to today, what’s ridiculous is their record in competitive games:
33 wins
3 draws
1 defeat
http://www.soccerway.com/teams/spain/spain
And if you still want to filter that down to the bigger occasion competitive games, well that’s 3 tournaments in a row (10 matches) where they’ve not even conceded a goal in the knock-out stages.
As for the Euro Championships only starting in 1960, well the only European team to win the World Cup in the previous two decades to that was West Germany in 1954, a shock result against the best team in Europe at the time, Puskas’ Hungary.
I think the only valid debate would be the Brazil team of 1970 but they didn’t do much in any of the years either side of that tournament. This Spanish team certainly have either side of their World Cup in 2010
If there was no such thing as time there would be ppl out there who’d say Ronnie Delaney was the greatest miler or Carl Lewis the greatest 100mtrs of all time. The greatest is the one who holds the present record. When it comes to football the Brazil of ’70 wouldn’t be in the same class as that Spanish team we’ve witnessed today. At that pace they’d be lucky to last 60 mins, and comparing the’88 Liverpool, they would be mid table Spanish premier, and I follow the Pool. How many times a country won the W/C is irrelevant as to who is the greatest team to walk on a football pitch. Barca are going to dominate Europe for at least the next 5years.
Great performance from Spain this afternoon now for a walk before dinner.
Undeniably accurate headline miguel. The greatest team of all time. This victory proves that reaching the top like Brazil In 1970 is one thing sustaining it like Spain have shows that they are the greatest VAMOS TOTAL FOOTBALL!!
Rodger your dead right Vamos Las Rojas
I actually agree that this makes football that bit more boring. Although its unbelievable to watch, one teams utter dominance takes away the attraction of football. The Scottish league next year will not be worth watching, they should give Celtic the trophy now. And F1 ratings a few years back struggled because schumacher was unbeatable. I’d prefer to see a tight, end to end game between two very good teams, than see one outstanding team dominate their opponents. Eg Man United 4:3 Man City, or Liverpool 4:3 Newcastle, unbelievable football games because they were so tight. 4:0 win against the second best team in Europe makes a bit of a mockery of the competition, even though it was good overall. The only sport were outright dominance is enjoyable is horse racing.
If Spain played hurling they would be Kilkenny in a class of their own if Irish team played hurling they would be ..think better leave that blank.
They have beaten Germany, holland and Italy in last 3 finals, do they not count as great footballing teams/countries. Who are these great south American teams? Brazil and Argentina are no world beaters these days.
The whole ‘of all time’ tag is bit sensationalist and simplistic. There’s no way to verify it, so why even put it on the table? Okay, for the sake of the debate maybe, but then sticking ‘undeniably’ in there is just dictatorial.
Football has evolved, like anything else, over time. Things improve. Undoubtedly, most international teams’ fitness, mentality, strategy, youth development, technical application etc, have improved since the 70s, because of the resources invested into improving these elements, so naturally, the reliance on natural talent and physicality has lessened.
To compare Spain 2012 and Brazil 1970 is to compare Messi and Richard Dunne. Different environments, different methods, different level of hype.
Niall, you can’t compare teams across different eras. But the key point I’ve always made in this debate is that you can compare the extent of dominance a team enjoyed across their cycle.
For example, Hungary had an 85% win record between 1951 and 1955. They didn’t however win every trophy they came across. They lost when it mattered. That is a mark against them.
Over four years, Spain have produced the longest winning run in international history, the longest unbeaten run in international history, have won 90% of all games, have produced the best defence in any tournament and, in two of three tournaments, been the most prolific scorers.
Most importantly of all, they’ve won all three major trophies they’ve entered.
No team has ever matched that level of utter domination.
I just think too much emphasis is placed on their domination of Europe. They’re kicking major European butt and it’s teams like ourselves that make up the vast majority of their stats. How many times have they played the other great nations of the world?
Honestly, how can a team be called the best after only beating the best of South America once? They’ve demolished everyone in Europe for 3 tournaments, so they’re arguably the best ever here. But, for me, they have to win the next World Cup to “undeniably” claim best ever.
Italy and Brazil have both won the World Cup twice in a row. Surely that’s a better achievement than one World Cup and two continental cups?
Probably because the (usual) best of South America wasn’t good enough to reach as far as Spain did in the last World Cup:
- Germany beat Argentina 4-0 in the quarters (who then got beaten by Spain in the semis)
- Holland beat Germany 2-1 in the quarters ( who then got beaten by Spain in the final)
Italy 34-38 isn’t even worth considering when only a small number of nations competed in the qualifiers to the finals
Huh? Please re-read my comment. You’ve obviously misunderstood it. All I’m saying is that you can’t say they’re undeniably the best, when they’ve only won one World Cup.
The South Americans have only had one crack at them (even if they didn’t meet) . Hardly enough to run around claiming to be the best ever.
No Ireland team 88-94 the Jackie chartlon years