Maryland star reflects on Westmeath football career

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do” - Steve Jobs.

A quote that epitomises the playing career of former Westmeath senior footballer Kieran Martin.

The Maryland clubman confirmed his retirement from the intercounty scene in November, an announcement that was met with an outpouring of public admiration in recognition of his time wearing the Westmeath jersey.

Since 2009 Martin has donned the maroon and white jersey with immense passion and pride, becoming a key figure in the Lake County team for 17 seasons and making significant contributions to many memorable moments for Westmeath during this time.

Sitting in the foyer of the Sheraton Athlone Hotel, Martin is in reflective mode on a playing career that brought him great reward from both a personal and collective perspective.

But first to a decision “not taken lightly” to step away from the Westmeath senior football panel ahead of the 2026 season.

“I actually returned to pre-season training under Mark (McHugh), but I found it mentally difficult to start preparing my body for the levels required to compete on the intercounty stage. I also have a partner and young son at home who have been extremely supportive of my playing career, but now I feel is the right time to give back to them,” Martin said.

An intercounty journey which ended with a substitute appearance in the Tailteann Cup against London last May, Martin started his senior playing journey with the Lake County while studying for his Leaving Certificate in 2009, the call coming from then manager Tomás Ó Flatharta.

Martin made his debut against Meath in the O’Byrne Cup and he was retained by the management team for that year’s National Football League campaign. His season was curtailed as his exams took priority that summer but sitting in a dressing room with a number of the heroes of 2004 was a “pinch me” moment for Martin.

“Walking into a dressing room that still had some of the players from that successful Leinster championship winning team from 2004 was surreal. “I was sitting alongside Dessie Dolan, Gary Connaughton, Derek Heavin, John Keane and Damien Healy and was in awe of what they had achieved for Westmeath football. They set the tone and gave me an idea of the standards I needed to reach to become a consistent performer for Westmeath at senior level,” Martin said.

Martin returned to the fold for the 2010 season and also featured on the Westmeath U21 team defeated by Dublin in that year’s provincial final. That Lake County team produced a number of players with whom Martin played at senior level such as Kevin Maguire, John Heslin, Ger Egan, James, Dolan, Paul Sharry and Denis Corroon.

The sextet, alongside Martin, would feature in one of the county’s most memorable days in Croke Park on June 28 2015, when Westmeath defeated Meath in a Leinster SFC semi-final. It was Westmeath’s first and thus far only win over Meath in a senior championship game.

A day that remains firmly etched in the minds of all Westmeath supporters, Martin’s scoring contribution (2-3) played a crucial part in Tom Cribbin’s charges reeling in a nine-point deficit.

Starting the game at centre back, Martin was relocated to the edge of the square in the second half, his second goal sparking a late revival. Predominantly known as a forward in the Westmeath jersey, Martin had been repositioned to centre back by Brendan Hackett who replaced Ó Flatharta as manager in September 2009.

“Each manager comes into the intercounty set up with their own set of ideas. Brendan believed I would be an asset to the team at centre back. At a time when forwards were dropping back to fill defensive areas, it was a role I enjoyed as you had the freedom to burst forward and cause problems for opposing defenders. While many know me as a forward player, I had no preferred role in the team, I was always happy to be on the pitch representing my county,” Martin added.

While consecutive Leinster senior final places were achieved in 2015 and 2016, Westmeath came up against a “juggernaut” in Dublin.

“We just had the misfortune to come up against a team who were on a different level to all other teams in Leinster. Dublin were so well conditioned and just moved to a different level when they needed to. I recall turning to Ger Egan during the 2017 Leinster semi-final when we trailed heavily and asking him ‘what can we do here?’. In hindsight, they were just so driven and focused. Winning six successive All-Ireland titles just proved that,” Martin stated.

Despite the provincial final losses in 2015 and 2016, Martin felt that it was during this period that he “arrived” as a senior intercounty footballer.

“2015 in particular was a year when I played a central role in the team. It was a year when I felt all went right for me but I worked hard to get to that position. I always remember Tom Cribbin saying to us in the dressing room, ‘the harder you work the more luck you’ll get’,” Martin said.

Despite the defeats to Dublin, Martin refused to lose heart. He described himself and a core group of players as “headstrong” and they were determined to bring success to the county.

“The next training session is always the one that matters after a championship defeat. You either arrive prepared and ready to go or go into a corner and mope. Thankfully, we had a group who believed in moving forward and once you are back on the training field, the defeat is soon forgotten and you move onto your next challenge,” Martin said.

Martin had the honour of captaining Westmeath to National Football League Division 3 final success over Laois in 2019. In 2022, Martin enjoyed one of his standout moments as a Westmeath footballer, his introduction to an evenly contested inaugural Tailteann Cup final proving pivotal to the outcome. The vision of Martin picking up the ball around the 45-metre line and slaloming his way towards the Cavan goal is one that will forever resonate amongst the Westmeath faithful.

“I actually think it was my first touch after coming on as a substitute. I remember picking up the ball with a point on my mind but the space opened up before me and I just took on the goal opportunity. Thankfully, it all worked out,” Martin said modestly.

That feeling of elation and those “five, ten minutes celebrating with teammates, family and friends” in the immediate aftermath of victory is one of the facets which Martin will miss most in his intercounty retirement.

“I was lucky enough to win trophies in Croke Park. Not many players have that privilege. There are so many who play a role in realising these memorable moments - the training you received at underage level with your club and the support received from family and friends along the way,” Martin stated.

Martin reflects on the bond built with teammates over a 16-year playing career that saw him become a leader for his county in the dressing room.

“Some of the best friendships have been formed during my time with Westmeath. You see your teammates more than your family and friends. Travelling to and from games together there’s an opportunity to really get to know one another. I’ll really miss that aspect of representing my county as I am a very sociable person by nature,” Martin continued.

Having decided to step away from the intercounty scene, Martin won’t have another opportunity to display his talents on a national setting under the new Gaelic football rules which have been solidified for a second league and championship season.

Martin said the introduction of the new rules have been enjoyable for “supporters and players”.

“Players now have the freedom to express themselves on the pitch. The game had gone too robotic. We now have more one on one duels which supporters want to see. While there is still that element of retaining possession, the new rules have brought a new lease of life to Gaelic football,” Martin added.

His much lauded intercounty career now at an end, Martin will return his full focus to his club Maryland who “provided me with an opportunity to represent Westmeath”.

“I haven’t played a league game for Maryland in 15 or 16 years so I am looking forward to what is to come early next year. As a rural club we are not blessed with a high volume of players so it is crucial that I stay on to help the next group of young footballers adapt to senior football,” Martin stated.

With rural depopulation a major cause of concern in the GAA, does Martin envisage a time when Maryland will have to amalgamate with a neighbouring club to compete at adult level?

“There are positives and negatives to amalgamating clubs at senior level, but who knows how the situation will look in ten years time? The rural demographics could be completely different. There might be a population shift towards rural communities, who knows?

“At the moment, as a club I think we are fine. We have another group of minor footballers coming through so hopefully, they’ll be in a position to play senior football in due course. However, we still have seven or eight players from our intermediate championship winning team of 2008, so we could do with some new blood!” Martin added with a smile.

His clearly evident passion for GAA is fused with his day-to-day job working as Games Development Administrator in TUS Midlands, Athlone. It is a role which requires Martin to oversee all GAA activity in the university.

“I am going into my sixth year now in the role. I co-ordinate all GAA activities on campus. We have seven or eight teams in the college competing in various Gaelic football, hurling and camogie competitions so I have to ensure that all the players’ needs are met. Of course there are challenges with the split season, but if there was ever a job that suited, this is most definitely it,” Martin said.

Martin continuously references the support he has received along his intercounty journey and allowed him to flourish in the Westmeath jersey. His mother and father (Denise and Paddy) hardly ever missed a game in which Martin was involved “even challenge matches”, while his partner Liz and three year-old son Charlie have been a source of much “love and understanding” during his intercounty career.

“Charlie was born shortly after the Tailteann Cup win in 2022. Being a father has given me a completely different outlook on life, and also played a role in my decision to step away from the intercounty scene. Liz has been extremely supportive during my time with Westmeath and encouraged me to go back this year.

“She has been very understanding, but now it’s time to return that love and support and move on to the next chapter of my life,” Martin said.