'Surreal' Leinster Final win still hasn't sunk in for McCartan

By John Harrington

It’s the morning after the night before and Sam McCartan is looking remarkably fresh considering the celebrations that took place in Mullingar after Westmeath’s epic Leinster Senior Football Final win over Dublin on Sunday.

It’s only the second time in their history that the Lake County have taken the provincial honours, and the smile that rarely leaves McCartan’s face is as much one of giddy disbelief as it is satisfaction.

“It probably hasn't really sunk in yet,” admitted McCartan at the announcement of a five-year extension of Avonmore Protein Milk’s partnership with the GAA/GPA.

“It was a bit of a surreal thing, even leaving the pitch and seeing everyone staying around for so long. It was unbelievable. And then you come home, obviously, to the crowd.

“There was people hanging out of the windows of the hotels and people standing in the rain for an hour before we even arrived. It meant a lot and seeing how happy people were, it really put in perspective what we did.

“I think it's just really something that we probably hoped for but didn't really think was coming down the tracks during the League. But then once we got the momentum, it really picked up.”

It was an incredible weekend for McCartan family. Sam and his brother Danny won Leinster senior medals on the Sunday and the previous day their sisters Lucy and Lara were part of the Westmeath LGFA team that won the Leinster Intermediate Final

“It’s unreal,” says McCartan. “After the final whistle, I went looking around in the crowd and I couldn't find Mam and Dad for ages and they were waving and waving.

“But I got to see them eventually and they're just nearly in a state of euphoria where they just can't believe it and they just can't stop smiling. They never saw it as a chore to bring us to training.

“But, in some little part, I think it definitely was paid off there at the weekend with the girls piling the pressure on to us and then getting the result yesterday.”

The poise and self-belief that Westmeath played with on Sunday was one of the most impressive aspects of their win considering how relatively young a team they are.

“I think the lads that have come in are brilliant because they don't really let anything faze them,” says McCartan.

“I suppose they really enjoy their football and they really enjoy the hard work that comes with it.

“You can see a fella like Jack Duncan who started there. First ever start for Westmeath in the Leinster Final, it's unbelievable stuff, and he really performed well. And then another fella like Senan (Baker), relatively new, and then Shane Ormsby.

“All these fellas that have really kicked on this year. Eve losing Danny Scahill (on Sunday)who has been a massive part of what we've been doing this year at the early stages but that's credit to our panel, Adam Treanor came in there in probably the toughest of circumstances.

“Marking a fella who's been an All-Star before and really put in a great shift. So I think that's really benefitting us.”

One of the stories of the day was the impact that John Heslin made off the bench less than two weeks after making an unexpected return to the panel having retired from senior inter-county football in January 2025.

Some had suggested his comeback might upset players he’d bump down the pecking order, but McCartan was thrilled to see his fellow St Loman’s man return to the fold and knew he’d have the positive impact on the group that he did.

“The lads had said it to a few of us kind of floating the idea,” says McCartan. “I'd been watching John for the club and he was still playing at a speed above everyone else.

“You can just see his thinking is above what everyone else is doing, so I knew there would be no issue with him playing the game. It's different coming in at a later stage, but John is just a great lad and he knows how to be around the group.

“He knows that he can help the group and I think that was a big part in his decision to come back. Having that kind of leadership there to go with the leadership that was already in place was a big boost.

“John is a fellow who, if he plays for any team around the country that's winning all-Irelands or winning provincial medals, he's going to be a multiple All Star.

“Unfortunately, he came up in a Leinster campaign that faced probably the best team that ever played the game. So it was some lift to get a lad like that in, and even his composure in the dressing room beforehand, talking to lads that had never played in Croke Park or played in finals before, you can really see he's just settled their nerves.

“Just even looking over at him, seeing that fellow, we have him to spring at any stage, it really gives you a bit of hope.”

Heslin’s return has helped to mitigate the loss of star forward Luke Loughlin who has been ruled out for the year by a hamstring tear and tendon rupture which has required surgery.

Does McCartan feel sorry for his team-mate for missing out on a day like Sunday?

“No, I wouldn't say I feel sorry because Luke is still a part of our team,” he says.

“Nothing really changes barring that he's not playing and that is really tough for a fella like him, but you could never say you feel sorry for him because he brings the same energy on or off the pitch and he's a massive part in driving us on.

“He was less than a day out of surgery and he saw us off from the Annebrook, it was probably against all orders from the doctor!

“He comes through the door on the crutches and we were like, ‘oh lad, you need to get back to bed here now.’

“I think he'd been told he was to be very easy with himself the next few days, but that's not the type of fella he is. He'd be mad to give us any kind of lift he can at any time.

“It means everything to him. The medal in his pocket is the same as everyone else's and he's a massive part of it.”

The question now is what can Westmeath achieve from here with an All-Ireland SFC Round 1 clash with Cavan appearing quickly over the horizon? Will a Leinster title satisfy their ambition, or do they have the self-belief and ability to have a really good cut off winning the Sam Maguire Cup now?

“We'll be back to training there on Wednesday and there'll be a bit of a debrief on the game and a bit of a discussion in general but we'll take it as we've been taking it all year, just one game at a time," says McCartan.

“We didn't look ahead of Longford, then Meath, then Kildare. I think it's the kind of game now that if you're thinking too far ahead, you're going to get caught because you can't switch off at all.

“The only focus now will be on Cavan and that's it.”