Years ending in six have been recently eventful for Westmeath hurling. Next Sunday the county take on All-Ireland finalists Galway in the Leinster quarter-final, having topped the qualification group over the past few weeks.
That wasn’t the chief talking point in Westmeath hurling circles during the past week, as the county under-21s defeated Kilkenny in championship for the first time, which will mark 2016 as a notable year regardless of how the Leinster semi-final against Dublin or Wexford goes.
Other milestones for the years in question include the county's only hurling All Star when David Kilcoyne was honoured in 1986 and the largest crowd ever to watch a hurling match when Kilkenny came to Mullingar 10 years ago and won in front of 7,000.
Westmeath played Galway four years ago – the season that the Westerners won Leinster for the first time – and gave a feisty account of themselves, putting four goals past their opponents even if they lost by 10.
Senior manager Michael Ryan is one of the under-21 selectors along with Darren McCormack and former Kilkenny All-Ireland winner Michael Walsh.
"Last year I felt the under-21s weren't getting enough attention," says Ryan, "and I asked Adrian Moran, one of the senior selectors, to take on the job and he said he would but we all worked away on it.
“There were good attendances at training and the attitude was very good. I think if under-21s are training with seniors it will definitely bring them on.
“If you take Westmeath there’s 13 or 14 hurling clubs there, full stop. That’s only as big as the West Waterford division. That’s the size of the hurling fraternity. It’s a huge achievement and a huge effort by a lot of people.”
He knows the odds are stacked against the team next weekend but already there is enough optimism in the air for Westmeath to make the best of what they have.
“If we can give a performance and see where it takes us. Remember Galway were ahead in the All-Ireland final last year. But we’ll embrace the challenge and take it on. It’s why we’re all involved in sport.”
