Lake County's minor heroes of '95 to be honoured
The Westmeath minor football side of 1995 are planning an anniversary celebration on March 14 in Bloomfield House Hotel, Mullingar.
To date, the side that won the county’s first and only All-Ireland minor football title has not been honoured by Westmeath GAA, so the players and management from that time are coming together to celebrate what was a major achievement for the county. Darren Frehill of RTE Sport will be the MC for the celebration and it will be an opportunity to relive an unforgettable year.
There will be footage of the season to enjoy and memorabilia to appreciate. They are faced with funding this small, low-key celebration and to that extent, are hoping to garner what support they can from business people, friends and connections, as well as the clubs which were involved at the time.
Westmeath’s historic minor football All-Ireland triumph of 1995 remains a landmark moment for the county, a breakthrough that still stands as its first and only title at that level. For captain Damien Gavin, it was a season built on belief, unity and a carefree spirit fostered by manager Luke Dempsey.
Speaking about the origins of that unforgettable year, Gavin recalled how confidence quietly grew within the group as the campaign unfolded. Westmeath tested themselves against teams from around the country and, crucially, were never overawed.
“We were never afraid of any team we would play against,” Gavin said. “That wasn’t cockiness, it was just a confidence that Luke bred into the group.”
That belief crystallised early in the championship against Wexford, whose colleges St Peter’s and Good Counsel, New Ross were regarded as major forces at the time.
“We weren’t expected to get over them,” Gavin explained. “So once we beat them in the first round, we probably thought we had a good chance. That was when we knew something could happen.”
As the summer progressed, the bond within the panel strengthened, something Gavin believes is common to all successful teams. Hard work played its part, but so too did momentum and a strong backroom presence.
“Even to this day, we’re still great friends,” he said. “There was a great togetherness with the people involved.”
Gavin recalled the relaxed but focused environment created by Dempsey, with training sessions that struck the right balance between enjoyment and discipline.
“There were no mobile phones at the time,” he said. “Luke was coming home from Sligo and picked up lads at Lough Owel on the way to training. It was carefree, but when the work needed to be done, it was.”
That unity was tested in the Leinster final trilogy against Laois, three games that would harden the group and stand to them as they advanced to the All-Ireland stage.
The journey culminated in Croke Park, where an estimated 10,000 Westmeath supporters, many gathered on Hill 16, turned the day into a sea of maroon. For Gavin, leading the team up the steps of the Hogan Stand to collect the cup remains an enduring memory.
“It’s every young lad’s dream,” he said. “To this day it’s still special.”
Nearly 30 years on, it is not the scores or passages of play that linger most vividly, but the moments around the matches.
“I remember very little about games,” Gavin admitted. “But I remember the fun we had, Ballinagore where we trained, the buns and cakes afterwards, the time spent together before matches.”
For an 18-year-old captain, lifting the All-Ireland minor cup represented the fulfilment of a dream - and for Westmeath, it marked a breakthrough that has yet to be matched.
“It’s hard to believe it’s over 30 years,” Gavin said. “But I still look back on it very fondly. Those were special times.”
Manager Luke Dempsey said the team of ‘95 lifted the spirits of the people of Westmeath and brought football fans on an unforgettable journey. More than three decades later, it’s still a landmark moment.
“The Leinster final that year against Laois went on for three and a half hours. In Croke Park it was a draw and in Tullamore, the replay finished level. It returned to Tullamore, and we won it in extra-time,” recalled Dempsey.
“It captured the imagination of the Westmeath people, and there was a big gap between matches at the time, not like now. We started in May, we had two matches, and then July, August, September. So as time went on, the players, who were a very, very talented group, got more belief in themselves, and nothing could stop them.”
He paid tribute to the players of that era, praising their talent and dedication and recalled the huge number of supporters who turned out to show their appreciation. It was the precursor to brighter times for Westmeath football.
“We had some marvellous footballers, with Damien Gavin and Joe Casey at midfield, and with an exceptional centre-half forward in Tommy Cleary. Other players like Shane Deering. It was just a very balanced 15, plus the subs that came on.
“I don't think I'll ever forget the crowds that came to the Mullingar Town Park the day after we won the All-Ireland. It was phenomenal, it was akin to really winning a Leinster senior title. And then to take that on a bit further, the ‘95 success, the belief that it brought to different groups, that went to the under-21 All-Ireland in 99.
“The minors won a Leinster title in 2000 under Ambrose McGowan. Winning Leinster titles at underage suddenly became the norm. That followed on to senior level and culminated in the 2004 first ever Leinster senior football title, when the late Páidí Ó Sé brought that success,” he recalled.
Dempsey feels minor success remains key to the county’s future.
“There was a period there, back in the 1990s and noughties, of roughly 10 to 15 years that we were competing with the best.
“And it's a matter of getting that back now to where it was, which will come about with the talent that I’ve seen at underage level, especially with Coláiste Mhuire making such an impact in Leinster senior ‘A’ football in the past two years,” he added.
Feel free to contact Tom Stuart-Trainor on 086 8360150 or Kevin Hickey on 087 9931703 to lend your support to the 1995 All-Ireland minor winning heroes.