Westmeath County Council Cathaoirleach, Cllr Aengus O’Rourke, has lauded the historic achievements of the Lake County senior footballers following their merited success over Cavan in the Tailteann Cup final in Croke Park on Saturday.
“What an amazing weekend it turned out to be, Westmeath in a final in Croke Park and coming away with the silverware. My only regret is that I was out of the country and could only tune in via radio, but that did not matter, all that matters is that Westmeath are champions and deserved champions at that!
“This was not just about the final as Westmeath had to earn their place in this showpiece occasion and did so by showing great form and promise throughout the campaign. Cooney had this team well tuned and ready to take on any team and I want to congratulate the manager and his backroom team for guiding these players to victory.
“The team were immense against Offaly and in the final against Cavan, you could tell they wanted it more than any other team they had played and got their due reward. What a great honour it must have been for captain Kevin Maguire to lift the inaugural Tailteann Cup, a huge moment for him and of course the team.
“The tour of the county on Sunday evening was definitely one to remember with hundreds of people turning out at each of the town and village stops throughout the county - men, women and children spilling out onto the streets to show their appreciation for the team and to join in the celebrations and in that regard I want to also pay tribute to the Westweath supporters. Croke Park has not always been a happy hunting ground for us, but through ‘thick and thin’ our supporters have been loyal, dedicated and enthusiastic. This loyalty was returned with interest on Saturday and I have no doubt the celebrations will continue for more days to come and rightly so!
“I thought the post match interview with Jack Cooney was very moving, and a mark of the man. Despite all the celebrations going on around him, he took time to dedicate the win to the two GAA stalwarts who passed away recently, Eoin Farrell and Enda Mulvihill. It was a very emotional moment for many, none moreso for their families I am sure. It was a very touching and appropriate tribute to two wonderful men, both of whom were taken too early. Iarmhi Abu,” Cllr O’Rourke enthused.
