Intriguing All-Ireland tie generates storylines

Preview

Damien Donohoe

No matter which way you look at it, Saturday evening’s All-Ireland SFC preliminary quarter-final between Cavan and Westmeath is absolutely box office. It is the type of occasion every player wants to be involved in and, for the first time since 2004, Cusack Park is set to be packed to capacity for a home Westmeath championship game.

The reigning Leinster champions welcome the Breffni Blues to Mullingar on the back of their remarkable provincial triumph over Dublin in Croke Park a few weeks ago. Reports from that final suggested Westmeath supporters outnumbered Dublin fans among the crowd of 36,500 and, with Cusack Park holding just 11,500, it is no surprise that the homecoming tie sold out rapidly. The atmosphere awaiting Cavan on Saturday evening promises to be one of the best seen in Mullingar in decades.

Add into the mix the Dermot McCabe factor and the intrigue only deepens. The Gowna man spent one season managing Westmeath before deciding to apply for the Cavan senior job. Once appointed, he brought Diarmuid Scullion and Chris Collins with him to the Breffni County set-up.

One notable absentee from that move was Mark McHugh, who either opted not to join the Cavan ticket or was not approached to do so. Either way, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility to say someone has a point to prove. McHugh stayed on with Westmeath and has since masterminded one of the most remarkable turnarounds in recent provincial football history.

The contrast between Westmeath’s fortunes in 2025 and 2026 could hardly be more dramatic. Last year they endured a miserable Division 2 campaign, suffering six defeats - four of them in one-score games - and managing just one draw as relegation followed. Their Leinster Championship campaign ended at the first hurdle against Kildare before they entered the Tailteann Cup, where wins over London and Antrim helped them qualify for the knock-out stages. They defeated Laois in the preliminary quarter-final before eventually losing to Wicklow in the last eight.

This season, however, Westmeath have become one of the stories of the championship. Operating in Division 3, they won four league games and lost three. Promotion slipped agonisingly from their grasp in the final round when a last-gasp rebound goal from Wexford’s Sean Ryan denied them a place back in Division 2 for 2027.

But if the league campaign ended in disappointment, the championship more than made up for it. Westmeath defeated Longford before seeing off Division 2 opposition in Meath and Kildare and then produced the shock of the summer by beating Division 1 side Dublin in the Leinster final. The significance of that triumph cannot be over-stated and it changed the mood around the county completely and transformed this group into genuine believers.

The numbers highlight that transformation. In 2025, Westmeath won just three of their 13 competitive matches. So far in 2026 they have already recorded eight victories from 11 outings.

A major blow for the hosts has been the loss of star attacker Luke Loughlin, who suffered an injury before the Leinster semi-final and is not expected back in time to line out against Cavan. Nevertheless, Westmeath still possess a very dangerous attacking unit with 13 different scorers in the Leinster final. They are playing like a team that has no fear.

Their ability to break at pace and commit numbers forward has been central to their success under McHugh and they will look to attack Cavan aggressively from the outset.

Cavan, meanwhile, arrive in Mullingar carrying injury concerns of their own. Gearóid McKiernan, Jason McLaughlin and Oisín Brady all appear unlikely to feature due to soft-tissue injuries. Questions also remain over Gerard Smith, who suffered a setback during the warm-up ahead of the Ulster championship clash with Monaghan.

Hamstring injuries to Cian Reilly, who had only recently returned from a meniscus problem, and  Favour Shehu have added further complications for the Breffni management team.

There has at least been some positive news for McCabe. Barry Donnelly recently returned to action after recovering from the cruciate injury that sidelined him for the past 12 months, featuring in a challenge game against Louth. Cavan have also moved to strengthen the panel with the additions of Conor Casey from Gowna, and Jensen Tynan from Ramor United among those brought in to bolster the injury-hit squad.

Historically, Cavan hold the upper hand in this fixture. The counties met in the All-Ireland qualifiers in 2014 when Cavan edged a dramatic one-point victory. Remarkably, John Heslin accounted for four points for Westmeath that day while Gearóid McKiernan scored one for Cavan as the Ulster side survived by the narrowest of margins.

The only other championship meeting between the counties came in the 2022 Tailteann Cup final when Westmeath stunned the favourites to capture the inaugural title in Croke Park. That result still lingers in the memory for many Cavan supporters and adds another layer of intrigue to Saturday’s showdown.

Across the last 20 seasons, the counties have met nine times in competitive football, with Cavan winning six, drawing one and losing two. The other defeat came back in Division 3 of the National League in 2008 when Westmeath claimed a four-point victory. Their most recent meeting was last year’s Division 2 clash. On that occasion, Cavan produced a superb wind-assisted second-half comeback to emerge four-point winners.

For all the momentum behind Westmeath, this still represents a huge opportunity for Cavan. Leinster champions or not, they should hold no fear for McCabe’s men and the inside knowledge the Cavan management possess of many of the Westmeath players could prove invaluable.

However, Cavan will need a major improvement on the flat opening quarter they produced against Monaghan in the Ulster championship. A repeat of that sluggish start would play directly into Westmeath’s hands. The hosts thrive on tempo, direct running and quick transitions, and Cavan must find a way to slow that momentum.

At the opposite end, the absence of Oisín Brady cannot be underestimated. His form throughout 2026 has placed him firmly in the conversation for Cavan Player of the Year, while McKiernan’s impact, starting or from the bench, has often changed games. Winning primary possession and controlling restarts could be the key to taking the sting out of Westmeath’s attacking game.

There is little doubt the home support will vastly outnumber the travelling Cavan contingent on Saturday evening. Yet that may provide the perfect backdrop for the Breffni men to spoil the celebrations. Westmeath’s Leinster triumph was historic, but whether they can do what neither Roscommon or Kerry could do and quickly refocus after weeks of celebration may ultimately decide this fascinating championship encounter.