SHANE CURRAN HAD just returned home from a training session in 2021 when his daughter Abby revealed that she had some news.
He had an inkling about what was coming. In fact, he had been picking up on some hints around the Caulry team in Westmeath which he had been managing for the last few months. The dressing room chatter seemed to revolve around one player, and as Abby continued to talk, Curran started connecting the dots.
He had a bit of fun with the moment, letting the string dangle a little longer as she tried to get the words out.
“I’m going out with Senan, now, so I don’t want you giving out to him,” she said with her mother nearby offering moral support.
“Well, as long as I’m not a Grandad, that’s not too bad,” came the reply from a father who was quietly proud to hear that his daughter was courting someone he rates highly as a footballer, and as a person.
Senan Baker was a key forward on Curran’s team. And when you see his face, the similarities with another great of Gaelic Games are striking. He even moves like his father, demonstrating that perfect balance of pace, power and skill that people of a certain vintage will be familiar with.
They first saw it in the 90s when Ollie Baker and the Clare hurlers illuminated our summers with a burst of All-Ireland victories in 1995 and 1997.
And now it’s Gaelic Football audiences who are getting the chance to appreciate the Baker style of play. Westmeath fans are especially grateful for what Senan can do with the ball as they stand on the verge of ending a provincial famine.
Westmeath's Tadhg Baker during their Leinster quarter-final win against Meath. Grace Halton / INPHO
Grace Halton / INPHO / INPHO
He’s not the only one with Baker blood on the Westmeath team, of course. His brother Tadhg is a utility player for manager Mark McHugh.
And should Westmeath end their 22-year wait for a Leinster senior title, Curran and the rest of the Roscommon folk in the Athlone area would be the first to congratulate their neighbours.
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Curran is still shaking off the effects of the previous night’s merriment when we speak on the phone. That giddiness is still there in his voice despite the fatigue. It’s the kind of mischievous tone that is captured by his famous nickname, ‘Cake.’
And Curran has plenty to be happy about. The former Roscommon goalkeeper watched his county conquer Galway in the Connacht final on Sunday, and the celebrations went long into the night. He’s hoping to have more to cheer about over the next few weeks as his beloved Arsenal chase trophies in the Premier League and Champions League. Curran is a season-ticket holder and is looking forward to attending Burnley at home, Crystal Palace away, before heading on to Budapest for the European final against PSG.
“Being an Arsenal fan is not simple, I’ll tell you that,” Curran laughs down the phone. ”We’ve a lot of former GAA players that go to the games and it’s another family.”
“Pat Jennings, [former Northern Ireland goalkeeper] would have been the main man that got me supporting. My dad loved Pat Jennings and that was enough.”
Shane Curran after winning the 2013 All-Ireland final with St Brigid's. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
A long awaited Leinster title for Westmeath would be another reason to keep the party going. His club St Brigid’s is situated in Kiltoom, on the outskirts of Athlone. The town stretches across into Leinster, and on the eastern side of the border, you’ll find clubs like Garrycastle, Maryland, Moate, Castledaly, and Tang. Caulry is part of that pocket too, and in 2021, they came looking for the man who won a club All-Ireland title in 2013.
Curran actually had some history with Caulry before his appointment as manager. He was part of the backroom team when they won the Westmeath junior championship in 2009, and after achieving promotion from the intermediate grade in 2019, Curran was coming back to a team that was hoping to progress once again as a senior side.
The Baker brothers were coming through to the senior team at that point. Their parents Ollie and Michelle are both Guards and are both active in the Caulry club, while Ollie is also a performance coach with the Westmeath hurlers.
“They’re an ambitious club,” Curran continues. “Caulry is very small and is punching above their weight in terms of competing in the senior championship and doing quite well. They have a very good youth system there as well, and are producing a lot of really good footballers at underage level.”
The club broke new ground during Curran’s three-year stint, ending a 77-year wait for a senior semi-final appearance in 2023 after a two-point win over Athlone. Kevin Maguire, who captained Westmeath to the inaugural Tailteann Cup in 2022, was Curran’s skipper for Caulry that season.
Senan Baker during Westmeath's Division 3 clash with Fermanagh earlier this year. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
And both Baker brothers left their imprint on that quarter-final victory, with Senan scoring four points while Tadhg added one point from half-back.
Tadhg was a Leaving Cert student at that stage and would go on to captain Westmeath to an All-Ireland U20 B title in 2025. These days, he’s switching seamlessly between defence and attack mode for the senior team.
He was corner-back for their shock Leinster quarter-final win over Meath last month, but was in a more advanced role around the half-forward line against Kildare.
(Skip to 2.13 for Senan’s point and 4.15 for Tadhg’s point)
“He can play anywhere,” says Curran. “He’s one of the best underage players I’ve ever seen. He’s an incredible young footballer.
“Very much like Jack McCaffrey when he plays at corner-back or wing-back. I would think number five, or number seven, is probably his better position, but he’s a terrific player. Very quiet, understated young man.
“And you know the bloodline, so what’s in the cat is in the kitten.”
Senan has a slightly different, but equally effective, approach. Given their personal ties, Curran has been able to study his form a bit more closely.
“He’s going quite well, and we’re delighted for him. We’ll work on maybe a transfer across to St Brigid’s. We do have a good bit of banter.
“[He] Struggled a small bit with injury this year. He hurt his shoulder, hurt his hamstring as well. But he seems to be back now.”
Another day of drama, and it is Westmeath who advance to the Leinster Football Final after securing the win in extra-time against Kildare 🏆‼️🥅
When Westmeath were rocked by the loss of Luke Loughlin ahead of their Leinster semi-final against Kildare, Senan was selected to take up Loughlin’s position at full-forward.
He proved to be a worthy reinforcement, finishing that tense extra-time battle with two points from play. He spoke to GAA+ after the game where he revealed that compensating for Loughlin’s loss up front wasn’t down to any individual display but was more of a collective effort.
“It wasn’t on me to make up the scores, it was about all the lads working as a team. We’re definitely not a one-man team and they all just put their shoulder to the wheel to get over the line.”
****
Curran doesn’t get much intel from Senan about the Westmeath footballers. Very little detail is offered about the impact of Mark McHugh either. But Curran can still get a read on how the wider county has received the 2012 All-Ireland winner with Donegal.
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“I work with David Mitchell, and he was on the 2004 team. What that meant to Westmeath at the time was just phenomenal. Obviously, Paidí [Ó Sé] was the manager and he just brought something different.
“I work in Mullingar with Uisce Éireann and I went over to the office, and it was full of maroon and white. Going on through Rochfortbridge and Tyrrellspass, all the bunting is up.”
Abby is also busy with inter-county football and has her own training schedule with Roscommon to focus on. Between all the jigs and reels, Curran doesn’t see her and Senan that often.
That’s particularly true this week as Curran was supporting his own county, and was standing with the rest of the 2001 Roscommon team for their jubilee recognition in Hyde Park before the Connacht final.
Senan is preparing for the biggest game of his career to date alongside his brother and fellow Caulry representatives on the Westmeath panel, Conor McCormack and Jack Connaughton.
Should the stars align, Curran could be toasting to his neighbours on the other side of Athlone, and beyond this weekend.
“They’ll look at the Dubs as having a great chance of coming in under the radar too, having had a good win against Meath, but not such a good performance against Kildare. It’ll be interesting to see how it pans out.
“That outpouring of emotion when you win then is magnified with more colour. You saw it in the Hyde and Westmeath are travelling to Croke Park hoping to replicate something like that for their people.”
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'You know the bloodline' - sons of All-Ireland winner vying to end Leinster famine
SHANE CURRAN HAD just returned home from a training session in 2021 when his daughter Abby revealed that she had some news.
He had an inkling about what was coming. In fact, he had been picking up on some hints around the Caulry team in Westmeath which he had been managing for the last few months. The dressing room chatter seemed to revolve around one player, and as Abby continued to talk, Curran started connecting the dots.
He had a bit of fun with the moment, letting the string dangle a little longer as she tried to get the words out.
“I’m going out with Senan, now, so I don’t want you giving out to him,” she said with her mother nearby offering moral support.
“Well, as long as I’m not a Grandad, that’s not too bad,” came the reply from a father who was quietly proud to hear that his daughter was courting someone he rates highly as a footballer, and as a person.
Senan Baker was a key forward on Curran’s team. And when you see his face, the similarities with another great of Gaelic Games are striking. He even moves like his father, demonstrating that perfect balance of pace, power and skill that people of a certain vintage will be familiar with.
They first saw it in the 90s when Ollie Baker and the Clare hurlers illuminated our summers with a burst of All-Ireland victories in 1995 and 1997.
And now it’s Gaelic Football audiences who are getting the chance to appreciate the Baker style of play. Westmeath fans are especially grateful for what Senan can do with the ball as they stand on the verge of ending a provincial famine.
He’s not the only one with Baker blood on the Westmeath team, of course. His brother Tadhg is a utility player for manager Mark McHugh.
And should Westmeath end their 22-year wait for a Leinster senior title, Curran and the rest of the Roscommon folk in the Athlone area would be the first to congratulate their neighbours.
****
Curran is still shaking off the effects of the previous night’s merriment when we speak on the phone. That giddiness is still there in his voice despite the fatigue. It’s the kind of mischievous tone that is captured by his famous nickname, ‘Cake.’
And Curran has plenty to be happy about. The former Roscommon goalkeeper watched his county conquer Galway in the Connacht final on Sunday, and the celebrations went long into the night. He’s hoping to have more to cheer about over the next few weeks as his beloved Arsenal chase trophies in the Premier League and Champions League. Curran is a season-ticket holder and is looking forward to attending Burnley at home, Crystal Palace away, before heading on to Budapest for the European final against PSG.
“Being an Arsenal fan is not simple, I’ll tell you that,” Curran laughs down the phone. ”We’ve a lot of former GAA players that go to the games and it’s another family.”
“Pat Jennings, [former Northern Ireland goalkeeper] would have been the main man that got me supporting. My dad loved Pat Jennings and that was enough.”
A long awaited Leinster title for Westmeath would be another reason to keep the party going. His club St Brigid’s is situated in Kiltoom, on the outskirts of Athlone. The town stretches across into Leinster, and on the eastern side of the border, you’ll find clubs like Garrycastle, Maryland, Moate, Castledaly, and Tang. Caulry is part of that pocket too, and in 2021, they came looking for the man who won a club All-Ireland title in 2013.
Curran actually had some history with Caulry before his appointment as manager. He was part of the backroom team when they won the Westmeath junior championship in 2009, and after achieving promotion from the intermediate grade in 2019, Curran was coming back to a team that was hoping to progress once again as a senior side.
The Baker brothers were coming through to the senior team at that point. Their parents Ollie and Michelle are both Guards and are both active in the Caulry club, while Ollie is also a performance coach with the Westmeath hurlers.
“They’re an ambitious club,” Curran continues. “Caulry is very small and is punching above their weight in terms of competing in the senior championship and doing quite well. They have a very good youth system there as well, and are producing a lot of really good footballers at underage level.”
The club broke new ground during Curran’s three-year stint, ending a 77-year wait for a senior semi-final appearance in 2023 after a two-point win over Athlone. Kevin Maguire, who captained Westmeath to the inaugural Tailteann Cup in 2022, was Curran’s skipper for Caulry that season.
And both Baker brothers left their imprint on that quarter-final victory, with Senan scoring four points while Tadhg added one point from half-back.
Tadhg was a Leaving Cert student at that stage and would go on to captain Westmeath to an All-Ireland U20 B title in 2025. These days, he’s switching seamlessly between defence and attack mode for the senior team.
He was corner-back for their shock Leinster quarter-final win over Meath last month, but was in a more advanced role around the half-forward line against Kildare.
(Skip to 2.13 for Senan’s point and 4.15 for Tadhg’s point)
“He can play anywhere,” says Curran. “He’s one of the best underage players I’ve ever seen. He’s an incredible young footballer.
“Very much like Jack McCaffrey when he plays at corner-back or wing-back. I would think number five, or number seven, is probably his better position, but he’s a terrific player. Very quiet, understated young man.
“And you know the bloodline, so what’s in the cat is in the kitten.”
Senan has a slightly different, but equally effective, approach. Given their personal ties, Curran has been able to study his form a bit more closely.
“He’s going quite well, and we’re delighted for him. We’ll work on maybe a transfer across to St Brigid’s. We do have a good bit of banter.
“[He] Struggled a small bit with injury this year. He hurt his shoulder, hurt his hamstring as well. But he seems to be back now.”
When Westmeath were rocked by the loss of Luke Loughlin ahead of their Leinster semi-final against Kildare, Senan was selected to take up Loughlin’s position at full-forward.
He proved to be a worthy reinforcement, finishing that tense extra-time battle with two points from play. He spoke to GAA+ after the game where he revealed that compensating for Loughlin’s loss up front wasn’t down to any individual display but was more of a collective effort.
“It wasn’t on me to make up the scores, it was about all the lads working as a team. We’re definitely not a one-man team and they all just put their shoulder to the wheel to get over the line.”
****
Curran doesn’t get much intel from Senan about the Westmeath footballers. Very little detail is offered about the impact of Mark McHugh either. But Curran can still get a read on how the wider county has received the 2012 All-Ireland winner with Donegal.
“I work with David Mitchell, and he was on the 2004 team. What that meant to Westmeath at the time was just phenomenal. Obviously, Paidí [Ó Sé] was the manager and he just brought something different.
“I work in Mullingar with Uisce Éireann and I went over to the office, and it was full of maroon and white. Going on through Rochfortbridge and Tyrrellspass, all the bunting is up.”
Abby is also busy with inter-county football and has her own training schedule with Roscommon to focus on. Between all the jigs and reels, Curran doesn’t see her and Senan that often.
That’s particularly true this week as Curran was supporting his own county, and was standing with the rest of the 2001 Roscommon team for their jubilee recognition in Hyde Park before the Connacht final.
Senan is preparing for the biggest game of his career to date alongside his brother and fellow Caulry representatives on the Westmeath panel, Conor McCormack and Jack Connaughton.
Should the stars align, Curran could be toasting to his neighbours on the other side of Athlone, and beyond this weekend.
“They’ll look at the Dubs as having a great chance of coming in under the radar too, having had a good win against Meath, but not such a good performance against Kildare. It’ll be interesting to see how it pans out.
“That outpouring of emotion when you win then is magnified with more colour. You saw it in the Hyde and Westmeath are travelling to Croke Park hoping to replicate something like that for their people.”
****
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