PRIOR TO THEIR victory in 2013, the St Loman’s club in Westmeath were closing in on 50 years without a senior county title.
But in the last 10 years, Loman’s have added another five championship crowns [including a three-in-a-row] and nine straight county final appearances to their record. Today they will contest their 10th decider in 11 years, following a 14-point win over Tyrrellspass in the semi-final.
The Mullingar side also made a Leinster club final during this fruitful period, against Moorefield in 2017, but fell short after a late surge from the Kildare outfit. As well as being a day of wretched luck, it was also an unusual occasion as Luke Dempsey came face to face with the club he had previously managed.
“We lost Paul Sharry to two yellows, and Ken Casey to a black card,” Dempsey tells The 42, recalling the freak conclusion where Loman’s conceded 1-3 in injury time to fumble their grip of the provincial crown.
“And we lost David Whelan to an injury so in the last five or 10 minutes, Moorefield had a wider panel and Loman’s were just short a few players for that crucial period when Moorefield got back on top.
“I wasn’t surprised with Moorefield’s comeback and finishing off games is something that Loman’s have worked on in the last few years.”
Dempsey is a well-travelled manager. Along with the time he spent as the St Loman’s boss, he has also had stints at inter-county level with Longford, Carlow and Westmeath. He’s been on the beat since 1995 when he took on his first job as manager of the Westmeath minors. He’s the current manager of Longford side Killoe. Working with such a wide breadth of teams over the last three decades has allowed Dempsey to get a good look at the most exciting talents emerging around the midlands.
Among the best that has come under his watch is Westmeath and St Loman’s star forward John Heslin.
Heslin has been a resident forward for Westmeath for more than 10 years. Earlier this summer, he endured the agony of watching a last-minute free drift wide as his side fell just short of shocking Tyrone and progressing to the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals.
With Loman’s, he was at the coalface during that breakthrough season in 2013, kicking an incredible 2-16 [out of the team's 2-19] in their semi-final victory over Garrycastle. He’s a proficient free-taker as well, converting three dead ball chances in this year’s semi-final win over Tyrrellspass.
“John has that potential to do that,” Dempsey says about Heslin’s ability to rack up scores. “I remember a county final against Castledaly [in 2015] when he got a superb goal from the throw-in and he just has that [in him].
“He’s just consistently good and very straight talking, very logical and clear minded. He’s been such an asset for Loman’s. I look back on him as one of the best players I ever had on all the panels I managed over all the years.”
Heslin was born in America after his parents emigrated to the States for work. The family later returned to Ireland and settled in Westmeath where they purchased a farm in Loughnavalley, and Heslin remains a passionate farmer to this day. He played both football and hurling growing up, initially joining the Mullingar Shamrocks football team for a year before switching to their town rivals St Loman’s.
Dempsey first identified Heslin as a prospect for the future at an underage game where he was immediately struck by the youngster’s hunger for high standards.
“I remember him as an U16 player when I was refereeing a school’s match that he was involved in. Even at that age, he would be questioning decisions you’d be making. He was always self-confident, wouldn’t accept sloppiness or poor preparation. He would have made any county team at his very best.”
That quality continued to permeate through Heslin’s game when Dempsey took over the Loman’s senior team. Dempsey recalls him as a player who immediately dialed up the intensity at training when he returned from inter-county duty in the autumn time, bringing teammates and backroom staff along with him. The pair had a strong relationship too.
In a 2017 interview with GAA.ie, Heslin described Dempsey as a mentor who makes those around him “feel 10 feet tall”. He also touched on Dempsey’s happy disposition, and how he playfully tried to needle him from time to time. But while Heslin might be a disciplined athlete with a sharp eye for silverware, Dempsey found a lighter side in him too.
“He had a very unusual sense of humour and was always quirky. We had a very good relationship based on mutual respect for each other. Within the context of the group and the panel, he was always a positive influence. He was always good for a song and great fun to be around.”
A ninth county final-in-a-row might not be comparable with Crossmaglen’s 18 Armagh titles in 19 seasons, or Ballymacarbry Ladies’ 41 consecutive Waterford championships. But contesting for county honours for almost a decade is still an impressive feat of Loman’s consistency in Westmeath’s top tier.
Dempsey puts their sustainability down to the talent in the squad being replenished every year. Additionally, Heslin was in just his early 20s during Dempsey’s years at the helm and is still only 31 as he prepares for today’s final against Coralstown/Kinnegad. Westmeath footballer Ronan O’Toole, who received an All-Star nomination this week, deserves a mention too. He’s another deadly attacking outlet in the Loman’s deck.
Their manager Paddy Dowdall is an important factor as well, according to Dempsey. A winner of 15 county championships between hurling and football, Dowdall was appointed as the club’s new manager in December.
His influence, combined with the experience of a stalwart like Heslin, gives Loman’s a great chance of capping their ninth final in-a-row with a 10th Westmeath crown. Either way, the fruitful times look set to continue.
“John is very passionate about everything he does and doesn’t suffer fools gladly. No matter what he puts his mind to, he would do excellently.
“Paddy Dowdall was incredible when I was with Loman’s,” says Dempsey. “He has a great command of the dressing room and as the game goes into the 70th minute, I think Loman’s will have the experience to win.”
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