By John Harrington

Tommy Doyle is modest enough to say he was surprised to be chosen as the 2021 Joe McDonagh Cup Hurler of the Year, but the fact his fellow players had an input into choosing the recipient of the award underlines how worthy a winner the Westmeath centre-back is.

The Lough Lene Gaels club-man was a powerful presence at centre-back throughout a campaign that culminated with a flourish when Westmeath produced their best performance of the year in the Joe McDonagh Cup Final against Kerry.

The memory of that day still dances happily in Doyle’s mind’s eye, and he believes that him winning the Joe McDonagh Cup Hurler of the Year and being one of seven Westmeath players named in the Joe McDonagh Team of the Year is a recognition for the efforts of the entire panel rather than anyone as an individual.

“To be honest, I was a bit surprised it was me,” Doyle told GAA.ie “I know it could have been a lot of us. But, look, delighted and proud to have those awards for Westmeath. I think all the lads are. I'm happy out.

“It's probably the icing on the cake. When the news came out all the lads would just remind you of that day (Joe McDonagh Cup Final) in Croke Park. We had two days there we didn't enjoy as much in other years and I just remember back to that summer's day with the family there, I was just delighted to give them that day.

“Yeah, it brings back good memories of the year and it'll be fondly remembered. To be honest, last year was probably my most enjoyable year in hurling.”

A good deal of that enjoyment was sourced from the challenge of competing in Division 1 of the Allianz Hurling League against Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford, Galway and Cork.

Westmeath lost all five matches, but Doyle loved every minute of them. They improved with every match they played and gave reigning All-Ireland champions Limerick a really good contest in the final round.

That experience of being forced to elevate their game to a higher level ultimately served them well for their Joe McDonagh Cup campaign.

“That definitely stood to us,” says Doyle. “I remember walking around Mullingar one day and going in for a coffee and the person behind the counter didn't know who I was and mentioned something about Westmeath getting hammered in the hurling against Cork.

“A lot of people on the outside thought we were suffering, but if you walked into the dressing-room we were buzzing. We knew this was preparation against the best, knowing what our end goal was, a Joe McDonagh Cup

“It's probably difficult to see that from the outside in, but the people that were there last year on the pitch and in the backroom team, I just remember every Tuesday going back to training and the attitude was, 'Lets take on the next All-Ireland champions'.

“That was the way we had it. The only disappointing part of it was my parents not getting to go to the games. I think my Dad suffered big time with that, the League matches especially.

“It definitely stood to us. We struggled a bit at the start with our pace of hurling, but I think we were convinced by management and the lads around us that things would come good and they did in the end.”

The dream for every team is to produce a big performance on the biggest of days, and that’s what Westmeath did against Kerry in the 2021 Joe McDonagh Cup Final when they triumphed by 2-29 to 1-24.

The experience of finally winning it was all the sweeter for Doyle and his team-mates having previously come up short in 2018 and 2019.

“There was that hoodoo over us, the last two Joe McDonagh Finals that we got into and then we didn't perform,” he says.

“We’d a lot to repay back to the people who travel with us every time and I think we gave it back to them that day. Being on the pitch, the game flies by, to be honest, and you don't remember that much you're so focused on it.

“When the final whistle went it was the feeling of relief that we'd finally done it, that was the biggest thing for me.

“Especially for the lads that have been there the best part of a decade. Myself and Aonghus (Clarke) and Joey Boyle have been on the same county team since U-13. Aaron Craig, Niall O’Brien and Robbie Greville from minor level up and Killian Doyle, Conor Shaw and Niall Mitchell have been there with us for the last five years after coming from that strong U21 side that defeated Kilkenny.

“So for that group to finally get to celebrate together was a very nice feeling.

Doyle and his team-mates had a lot of respect for manager Shane O’Brien and his backroom team, particularly the influence of Noel Larkin and Declan Coyle, who stepped down after the victorious McDonagh Cup campaign.

But they’re already looking forward to the challenge of starting with a clean slate under new manager Joe Fortune, who himself has an impressive managerial CV that includes successful stints with the Dublin U-21 hurlers and Ballyboden St. Enda’s.

There’s a lot to look forward to, most obviously a Leinster SHC campaign that begins with a first-round match against Kilkenny in Mullingar.

“When I was growing up Kilkenny were top dogs and they still are one of the top dogs,” says Doyle. “That team from '05 to '10 were dominating when I was growing up and I remember watching my first few All-Ireland Finals and DJ Carey and the likes were there.

“I never played Kilkenny at senior level. I missed out on Walsh Cup games against them either through injury or being involved with the Colleges.

“So not having played Kilkenny previously, that being the first game is a very exciting factor for me personally and I'm sure all Westmeath folk are looking forward to seeing Kilkenny in Mullingar. We'll hopefully enjoy that game and see what we can offer to the Leinster Championship.

“Definitely looking forward to that, especially the home games over the summer. We have some tough ones, they're all tough.

“Over the past few years you probably only get one or two big games in Mullingar and we didn't get the crowds last year for the League matches because of the pandemic. This summer you're hopefully going to get all the Westmeath support in behind you.

“Definitely looking forward to that first game against Kilkenny. But, look, we've a lot of work to do before that in the National Hurling League and trying to get back to Division 1.”