Looking back on when Westmeath downed the Dubs

There are several reasons to be pessimistic about Westmeath’s prospects in this evening’s Leinster SFC quarter-final against Dublin in Portlaoise (Saturday, 6.15pm).

After all, Dublin have been All-Ireland champions for the past five years and Westmeath’s last championship meeting against the Dubs ended in a 31-point annihilation (2017).

In addition, unlike other years there is no ‘back door’ in this year’s championship, so if Westmeath suffer the defeat that is universally expected, there will be no opportunity to pick up the pieces in the All-Ireland qualifiers.

Therefore, in an effort to look on the positive side, here we reflect on the last two of Westmeath’s three senior championship wins over Dublin – those achieved in 1967 and 2004.

The only other Westmeath victory was all the way back in 1931 when the Lake County men won by 2-4 to 1-4 in Tullamore.

In advance of the 1967 Leinster quarter-final, few people gave Westmeath much chance (sounds very familiar). Dublin had pushed Galway, All-Ireland champions from 1964 to 1966, close in the ‘home final’ of the National Football League, and they were expected to be make a strong bid for Leinster honours.

In the Irish Independent before the Westmeath v Dublin clash, John D. Hickey wrote: “Against Galway, Dublin proved themselves a side of top class and by no stretch of the imagination could Westmeath be similarly rated. Indeed, I expect Dublin to win without ever causing their supporters any anxiety.”

Afterwards, the Westmeath Examiner (see newspaper clipping above) noted that “even the most optimistic of Westmeath’s followers went to Tullamore with little except hopes of a good display,” adding that a Dublin victory had been generally regarded as “a foregone conclusion”.

An upset looked highly unlikely during the first half, with Westmeath trailing 0-5 to 0-2 at half-time.

However, a late goal from Athlone’s Tommy Dolan proved the decisive score in Westmeath’s 1-6 to 0-8 victory.

Dolan’s goal came after Maryland’s Paddy Buckley (RIP, having passed away this year) delivered a lineball towards the goalmouth, with the Athlone man managing to get a fist to the ball to guide it to the net. According to the Westmeath Examiner, “a cheer, the like of which has not been heard since Westmeath minor footballers defeated Down (in the All-Ireland semi-final four years previously) resounded through O’Connor Park” after Dolan struck for the vital goal.

Westmeath’s win was seen as “one of the biggest upsets of the form-book for quite some time”.

Westmeath’s other scorers on the day were the aforementioned Paddy Buckley, Moate’s John McKenna and influential substitute Vinny Murray.

But it was the Westmeath defence which received considerable acclaim, with Paddy Cole described as “outstanding”. Goalkeeper Kevin ‘Chuck’ Higgins was also hailed for a superb save which denied Mickey Whelan.

The Westmeath team also included such renowned names as Dom Murtagh, Mick Carley and Dessie Dolan Snr.

Ironically, the Westmeath trainer was a Dubliner, Brendan Quinn.

The Dublin side contained the likes of Paddy Cullen, Des Foley and Jimmy Keaveney.

Westmeath’s hopes of making the Leinster final were subsequently ended by old rivals Meath on a 0-12 to 0-6 scoreline. Indeed, the Royals went on to win to lift the Sam Maguire Cup later in the year.

Day of deliverance

The 2004 victory over Dublin proved more significant in that Westmeath went on to win the Leinster title for the first, and thus far, only time.

The Westmeath Independent report opened as follows: “On the 60th anniversary of D-Day, Westmeath enjoyed their own day of deliverance”, with the report going on to describe it as one of Westmeath’s “greatest ever victories”. Westmeath went into the game on the back of their first SFC win over Offaly in 55 years but Dublin, under the management of Tommy Lyons, were still expected to come out on top.

An interesting link between the two wins was that Dessie and Gary Dolan were on the 2004 side, with their father, Dessie Snr, having been part of the victorious 1967 team.

Indeed, Dessie was chosen as man of the match in 2004 by the Westmeath Independent, just ahead of Castledaly’s Derek Heavin.

In front of an attendance of over 60,000 at Croke Park, Westmeath endured a torrid start to the game. The Dubs, with Jason Sherlock and Alan Brogan to the fore, threatened to run riot in the early stages.

But some astute positional switches and substitutions, combined with an unquenchable never-say-die spirit, eventually saw Páidí Ó Sé’s charges claim a momentous victory.

Substitute Joe Fallon (Athlone) gave Westmeath the lead in the closing stages, and Tang’s Paul Conway added the ‘insurance point’, sparking delirium among Westmeath supporters.

The introduction of David Mitchell at centre-forward was seen as pivotal. Mitchell, who had played for Westmeath as full-back and goalkeeper, even chipped in with a terrific point.

In the vicinity of the Westmeath dressing room afterwards, a Westmeath player was heard to quip: “You’re definitely going to win when Mitch’ scores!”

The victory was all the more laudable considering the absence through suspension of influential midfielder Rory O’Connell, who was, at that stage, Westmeath’s only football All-Star.

The Dublin team featured Darren Magee who has joined up with Athlone GAA club in recent years, in addition to having a coaching and games role with the Westmeath County Board.

Westmeath went on to overcome Wexford in their Leinster semi-final before claiming a historic victory over Laois in the provincial decider (following a replay).

The teams and scorers from the 1967 and 2004 games are listed below.

1967: Westmeath 1-6 Dublin 0-8

(June 11, Tullamore)

Westmeath: Kevin Higgins; Paddy Cole, Mal Guilfoyle, Paddy Lennon; Andy ‘Doll’ Gillivan, TJ Finneran, Mick Murphy; Dom Murtagh, John McKenna (0-1); Tommy Dolan (1-0), Mick Carley, Seamus Mulligan; Paddy Buckley (0-3), Paddy Murray, Dessie Dolan. Subs used: Mickey Fagan for Murphy; Vinny Murray (0-2) for Finneran; Ray Smyth for Gillivan.

Dublin: Paddy Cullen; Bill Casey, Sean Lee, Eugene Mullen; Mick Kelleher, Des Foley, Gerry Davey; Shay O’Connor (0-1), Tony Donnelly (0-1); Mickey Whelan, Jimmy Keaveney (0-6, 5), Mick Cranny; Jim Eivers, Brian McDonald, Leslie Deegan. Subs used: Jimmy Henry for Eivers; Christy Kane for Henry.

Referee: Jimmy Hatton (Wicklow).

2004: Westmeath 0-14 Dublin 0-12

(June 6, Croke Park)

Westmeath: Gary Connaughton; Michael Ennis, John Keane, James Davitt; Derek Heavin, Damien Healy, Donal O’Donoghue; Gary Dolan (0-1), David O’Shaughnessy (captain); Brian Morley (0-1), Paul Conway (0-2), Alan Mangan (0-2); Fergal Wilson (0-1f), Denis Glennon (0-2), Dessie Dolan (0-3, 1f). Subs used: David Kilmartin for Davitt; David Mitchell (0-1) for Wilson; Joe Fallon (0-1) for Glennon.

Dublin: Bryan Murphy; Barry Cahill, Paddy Christie, Paul Griffin; Shane Ryan, Darren Magee, Peadar Andrews; Ciaran Whelan (captain), Darren Homan; Conal Keaney, Bryan Cullen (0-1), Colin Moran (0-1); Alan Brogan (0-4), Jason Sherlock (0-4), Senan Connell (0-2, 2f). Subs used: Ray Cosgrove for Keaney; Coman Goggins for Homan (inj.); Declan Lally for Cullen; Tomás Quinn for Moran.

Referee: Michael Collins (Cork).