The managerial careers of Kevin Martin and Joe Quaid intersect this afternoon, 25 years after they first crossed each other as players.
The two were in opposition in the 1994 All-Ireland when Offaly staged a famous late smash and grab raid on Limerick in the ‘five-minute final’, a finish that was referenced yet again last year when the Treaty County survived a similar rally from Galway to finally end their title drought.
Quaid was the Limerick goalkeeper that day and has since managed his native county in camogie before taking over Kildare and now Westmeath more recently.
Martin was left half-back for Offaly and has walked in Quaid’s shoes before, his only previous assignment as an inter-county manager prior to taking over Offaly being with Westmeath, with whom he won the Christy Ring Cup in 2010 before he became frustrated by player apathy.
He made a very encouraging start in charge of his native county last year though there was always an inevitability about their eventual relegation from the Leinster Championship, whoever the manager was, given the cut-throat nature of the new system and how far their standards had slipped from 20 years before.
They’re now very much in a rut, with the high-scoring defeat to Laois in the Joe McDonagh Cup opener last Saturday their 15th loss in 16 games in all competitions.
Westmeath have been operating at a lower level but won all six games to take the Division 2A title and they will replace Offaly in 1B next year.
That must count for something as they open their campaign today at home to Offaly, whose hopes of a swift return to the Leinster Championship could well be extinguished by this evening.
In the other game, Laois welcome Antrim to O’Moore Park with both sides having enjoyed an opening victory, though Eddie Brennan’s charges look the more likely to maintain their winning start.
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