Whittaker's pivotal role in Westmeath’s march to Leinster glory
Westmeath Independent Community & Sports Awards in association with Westmeath County Council
Outstanding Achievement Finalist: Matthew Whittaker
Matthew Whittaker played an absolutely pivotal role in Westmeath’s march to Leinster SFC glory this year.
The Tubberclair man was nominated for an All-Star award at the end of the 2026 season, in recognition of the sensational he made impact with the Westmeath senior footballers. He was one of four Westmeath players nominated for an All-Star and Whittaker was also picked on the Sunday Game Team of the Year.
Westmeath secured the county’s second ever Leinster title this year with wins over Longford, Meath, Kildare and Dublin, the latter two victories coming after extra-time.
It could be said that Whittaker’s audacious goal in the Leinster quarter-final against Meath lit the touch paper on Westmeath’s season. In the Leinster final victory over Dublin, Whittaker scored four points, including memorable a two-pointer during the second half which infused players and supporters alike with belief.
Operating as an attacking wing-back, Whittaker also scored a goal on the day when Westmeath’s odyssey came to an end with defeat to Monaghan on a memorable occasion in Clones.
Whittaker’s displays were all the more laudable considering he had to play through the pain barrier for most of Westmeath’s championship campaign, having been forced off with an ankle injury in the Leinster semi-final against Kildare.
At club level, Whittaker’s best moment was helping Tubberclair to win the 2025 Westmeath intermediate championship. Tubberclair performed very commendably in this senior’s championship, reaching the quarter-finals where they took St Loman’s, Mullingar to extra-time. However, the aforementioned injury meant Whittaker missed most of the campaign.
A past pupil of Marist College, Whittaker has also excelled on the field for the Athlone school and for TUS Midlands, where he recently graduated.
A son of Denise (née Connaughton) and Graham Whittaker, Matthew is a cousin of former Westmeath goalkeeper Gary Connaughton, who was an All-Star winner in 2008. Matthew’s younger brother Sean is also a talented footballer with Tubberclair and he has represented Westmeath at underage level.
The Outstanding Achievement finalists are Matthew Whittaker, Oisin Lane, and Conor Hand.
The Outstanding Achievement category is sponsored by DPD Ireland.