Inside Track: Durnin’s return a boost to Westerns’ chances
Inside Track with Joe Carroll
It was said here a while back that if Westerns were able to call on all the players they had put through their underage ranks before they tasted adult football, they’d be a formidable bunch, good enough to mount a serious championship challenge.
But they weren’t. Tommy Durnin broke his association with his boyhood club transferring to Inniskeen Grattans. And while Tom Maguire, a leading county minor, remained with the team in the Offaly colours, his brother, James, also broke for the border between this county and Monaghan, heading to Carrickmacross Emmets.
This was a good capture of Emmets. The elder of the siblings had starred for the Louth minors before making his mark at under-20, lining out in last year’s All-Ireland final.
Since then, Maguire’s featured on the senior side, playing against Mayo in this year’s All-Ireland semi-final. He’s having a good senior championship so far in his new surroundings, Carrick claiming a significant win over the highly-rated Inniskeen.
But Durnin is back with his former club having made a brief stop-off in Ardee on his way from Inniskeen. And taking his place in his familiar centre-field spot, he has been more than a bit-player in Westerns making it to this year’s junior semi-final.
Tom Maguire is playing his part as well, and linking with another underage county player, Jack Martin – he figured in last year’s Leinster under-17 final and All-Ireland quarter-final – adds potency to the forward-line.
Westerns came from the proverbial mile behind to pip a fancied O’Connell’s in the quarter-finals. They were seven points down coming towards the final whistle, but fought to the end, with that man Durnin connecting with a two-point effort to decide the issue.
There’s a serious challenge facing Westerns as they bid to give their Reaghstown club a place in the final for the first time this century. Young Irelands are their opponents, and here’s a side that has worn the favourite tag with ease since the competition began.
The town team had an answer to everything John Mitchel’s threw at them in the quarter-finals. Veteran forward, Derek Maguire, showed he has still lots to offer, while Ruairí Kelly took most from the 3-15 score.
St Nicholas’ will be attempting to make it three-in-a-row for Drogheda clubs by winning the Christy Bellew Cup. Wolfe Tones caused more than a ripple in the pond when they won out in 2024, and they were followed on to the podium last year by Oliver Plunkets.
To make it to the final, the Nicks didn’t really have to break a sweat in their first knock-out tie, playing against Annaghminnon Rovers. They’ll have a harder task against Naomh Finbarra, who ran riot against Naomh Malachí last time out.
The form guide reads in favour of an Irelands/ Finbarra final, the former likely to face the sterner test against the rejuvenated Westerns.
The intermediate championship is at the quarter-final stage, and the picture is no clearer than it was before the competition got underway. A case can be made for each of the octet still in with a chance.
Former parish neighbours, Geraldines and Kilkerley Emmets meet, and the nearby St Bride’s have St Kevin’s to beat.
Mattock Rangers, like Gers, contestants in this year’s senior league, are out against O’Rahilly’s, while the aforementioned Wolfe Tones must beat Stabannon Parnells to make it through to the last four.
This latter tie brings together two names that, in eras separated by many decades, were the county’s best. Tones won the senior title six times in the 1920s leading into the 1930s, while Stabannon, also the winners of the same title six times, were first to be presented with the Joe Ward Cup, in 1949.