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Championship football often throws up its fair share of surprises but there were no major shocks to report after round one of the Shay Murtagh senior football championship. Athlone’s three point win over last year’s beaten finalists will have taken some by surprise but would hardly register as a shock. St Malachy’s came very close to pulling off a major upset over hot favourites Mullingar Shamrocks, losing out by a single point. Tubberclare marked their return to senior ranks with a one point win over Killucan while Castledaly and the Downs played out a draw. Meanwhile reigning champions Garrycastle got their title defence off to a winning start with three points to spare over Tyrrellspass.

It is better to have tried and failed than not to have tried at all. While the footballers of Garrycastle and Tubberclair will be disappointed this week to have fallen short at the final hurdle in Leinster, they can take solace in the fact that they did what very few club players ever get the chance to do - represent their club in a provincial final. In doing so they put Westmeath football back in the spotlight after an eminently forgettable year on the county scene.

We may still have a few weeks to wait before we reach the full height of the festive season but the football community of south Westmeath and indeed beyond will be hoping that both Garrycastle and Tubberclair can deliver an early Christmas present to the county. A Leinster title for either side would be a momentous achievement and, should they complete an unprecedented Leinster senior and intermediate club double, celebrations in south Westmeath would last well into the new year.