When the premise of the Tailteann Cup was first suggested in the GAA, it received a mixed response. While the idea of giving more counties a deeper championship run each summer was a good idea, there was a fear that the competition would not be taken all that seriously by those involved.
After the inaugural final in the competition took place this afternoon, those concerns can now be put to bed.
Westmeath would run out as 2-13 to 1-13 winners over Cavan in the first ever Tailteann Cup final, with an excellent game of football being won in the most dramatic of circumstances. The long-serving Kieran Martin came off the bench to score a stunning goal and give his side the decisive lead.
Is this the score that decides the Tailteann Cup final? Kieran Martin comes in off the bench, slaloms his way through the Cavan defence and rifles the ball to the back of the net to put Westmeath firmly in charge. #RTEGAA pic.twitter.com/dSTgIDXVS9
— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) July 9, 2022
A goal deserving of winning an All-Ireland final.
Westmeath crowned Tailteann Cup winners
The scenes at the full-time whistle certainly showed what it meant to all those involved with Westmeath.
Full-time: Westmeath 2-14 Cavan 1-13 - Westmeath are the inaugural winners of the Tailteann Cup after a stirring victory over Cavan at Croke Park. #RTEGAA pic.twitter.com/MFrk2mv4P9
— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) July 9, 2022
There was no shortage of good performances across the pitch, with Ronan O'Toole perhaps the pick of them.
The St Loman's club man was in fine form all afternoon, and speaking after the match, he summed up what it meant to lift championship silverware for his county in Croke Park.
Westmeath's Ronan O'Toole pulled the strings for his side at Croke Park and helped them to glory in the Tailteann Cup. He's the man-of-the-match. #RTEGAA pic.twitter.com/OyETvMfuQR
— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) July 9, 2022
It's a bit surreal Marty to be honest. As a child I always dreamed about playing in Croke Park on a big stage and lift silverware. We're just delighted to do that today and have all these supporters were cheering us on...
I was seven years of age when our selectors John Keane and Dessie Dolan were here gracing the field and lifting the Leinster Cup. I always dreamed that I would lift silverware here and that dream has come true today...
We just wanted to keep chipping away at the scoreboard. We knew we had the legs, we knew we had a strong bench so we wanted to be within arms length for the last quarter so that the likes of Kieran Martin and Ger Egan coming off the bench could make a huge impact.
We're delighted to win today and bring the Tailteann Cup back to Mullingar...
We have progressively gotten better through the Tailteann Cup. We knew Cavan would be a great opposition and they showed that today. It was down to the last five minutes there, we got the goal and pulled away at the right time and won the game.
You're singing Joe Dolan!
John Keane and Dessie Dolan, who won All-Stars in 2004 after Westmeath's Leinster final triumph, were both brought in to Jack Cooney's backroom team for the 2022 campaign.
Both Westmeath and Cavan treated this competition with a huge amount of respect throughout the year, and while both will be hoping to compete at a high level in the All-Ireland series in the years ahead, they certainly gave it all to get their hands on the trophy this afternoon.
That's what the GAA should be all about.
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