By Piaras Ó Raghallaigh

“Nobody gave us a chance at the start of the year,” reflects Letterkenny native and highly respected GAA coach Michael McGeehin, after underdogs Westport GAA stunned favourites Crossmolina Deel Rovers in last weekend’s Mayo GAA Connacht Gold Senior Football Championship semi-final.

Now, the Donegal man stands on the brink of another remarkable chapter in his storied coaching career as Westport prepare to face Ballina Stephenites in this weekend’s County Final at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park.

“I got a call from Pat Holmes at the start of the year asking if I’d be interested in getting involved with Westport,” McGeehin recalls. “I knew Pat from my time coaching Mayo back in 1992 and since Westport is on my route between Limerick and Donegal, I decided to help out.”

For McGeehin, who has spent nearly three decades coaching club and intercounty teams across Ireland, few could have predicted that one of his greatest achievements might come with a team few fancied to even reach the knockout stages.

“There’s no easy game in the Mayo Championship,” he admits. “We took a slightly different approach this year, putting less emphasis on the league. As things ramped up, we’ve improved in every match. It’s a young squad with a few elder lemons who bring real leadership.

“We had six debutants early in the year, so the learning curve was steep. The bookies and the press had us as underdogs every time, but we knew we had serious pace and that if we brought our A-game, we’d be a match for anyone and thankfully, that’s been proven.”

When the Director of Sport Ireland Coaching got that call from Holmes, he wasn’t aware that Westport had struggled since their breakthrough county title in 2022. A run of injuries and the loss of several key players to emigration had left them short on experience and confidence.

“The whole panel has just knuckled down and rolled up their sleeves,” McGeehin says. “The new rules and the extra space have suited us.

“There’s more one-on-one play, more room for forwards to express themselves and defenders have to be sharper. Fitness is huge. You also need to find time to target the two-pointers, both in training and in games and the lads have really embraced that.”

For McGeehin, it’s about more than tactics and results, it’s about development.

“I love the new rules, but what’s most enjoyable is seeing players grow in confidence. Nobody expected us to be in the county final and hopefully now we can go on and win it.”

Having already lifted Donegal Senior Football titles with St Eunan’s in 2008, 2009, and 2012 and having coached teams in Fermanagh, Limerick, Tipperary, Clare and Laois, McGeehin’s record speaks for itself.

If he guides Westport to victory this weekend, he won’t just add another medal to his collection he’ll cement his place among the most accomplished and respected GAA coaches in club and county football.