The Westmeath team prior to defeating Dublin in the 2000 Leinster Minor Football Championship final at Croke Park. Photo: Sportsfile

Reunion planned for Westmeath minor heroes from 25 years ago

Published: Thu 13 Nov 2025, 2:06 PM

Last updated: Thu 13 Nov 2025, 2:27 PM

Back 25 years ago, a young Westmeath team embarked on a great journey that took them to the Leinster minor football final in Croke Park against Dublin.

Not much was expected of Ambrose McGowan’s talented side that day, the Dubs firm favourites to win at what was virtually a home ground for them, but Westmeath produced a great display to emerge with a 2-9 to 1-10 win, the goals coming from PJ Ward and Tom Browne.

Incredibly, Westmeath were down to 14 men in the last quarter but still found a way to win. Westmeath defender Finian Newman received the Bill Delaney award afterwards, having been chosen as player of the match.

Westmeath had played a couple of games already that year against Laois at Croke Park and this helped the team to grow and develop. They had seen the Westmeath U21 footballers win a Leinster title, defeating Meath, earlier that year. Westmeath football was on a high at the time.

Westmeath were held to a draw against Mayo in the All-Ireland semi-final and lost the replay in Carrick-on-Shannon.

The Leinster success will quite rightly be remembered this Saturday evening, November 15 in the Greville Arms Hotel, where members of the team gather for a trip down memory lane.

In a team captained by Alan Lambden of Mullingar Shamrocks, the Westmeath goalkeeper was the late Eoinie Farrell (Maryland), and everyone involved in the reunion will be thinking of Eoinie and the Farrell family as Saturday evening's event approaches.

Scorers for Westmeath: PJ Ward 1-4 (2f), P Leavy 0-2 (2f), T Browne 1-0, C Whyte, G McDonnell and G Flanagan 0-1 each.

Westmeath: Eoin Farrell (Maryland); Donal O’Donoghue (Mullingar Shamrocks), Ken Larkin (Castledaly), Finian Newman (Bunbrosna); Daniel McDermott (Castletown-Finea/Coole/Whitehall), Alan Lambden (Mullingar Shamrocks, captain), Gary Glennon (St Loman's, Mullingar); Padraig Leavy (Killucan), Niall Kilmartin (Coralstown/Kinnegad); Nigel Adamson (Moate All Whites), Colin Whyte (St Loman's), Ciaran Brennan (Bunbrosna); Liam O’Reilly (Ballynacargy), PJ Ward (Kilbeggan Shamrocks), Alan Hickey (Shandonagh). Subs used: Gary Flanagan (Caulry), Tom Browne (Maryland), Niall Duffy (Castledaly), Gordon McDonnell (Coralstown/Kinnegad), James Martin (Tubberclair).