Robbie Henshaw believes Ireland can make a serious statement ahead of next year’s World Cup by closing out their Test series with Australia in Saturday’s series decider.

Conor Nash is still just 19 but stands six-foot-five and weighs in at 14 and-a-half stone, just the sort of dynamic young player Meath football has been crying out for.

While many in Kerry are decrying the so-called poaching of the county’s top GAA players by Aussie Rules clubs, teenage AFL hopeful Stefan Okunbor insists that even the slightest chance to reach his athletic optimum and play sport professionally is too much of a lure to turn his back on.

This Thursday evening Castleknock play in their first senior football semi-final. Formed in 1998, they truly are the nouveau riche of Dublin GAA. Their story is a heartening one, their defiance to make their presence felt in west Dublin all the more impressive with the mammoth St Brigid’s for company.

Dublin 2-19 Westmeath 0-10: Same as it ever was, then. An 11th Leinster title in 12 seasons for Dublin, another lopsided scoreline and a renewed bout of hand-wringing as to what the rest of the province – and everyone else – can possibly do to reduce a gap that shows no sign of closing anytime soon.

Westmeath 1-12 Kildare 1-11: Shot down in spring, but singing in summer. Such is the way of Westmeath under Tom Cribbin these last couple of seasons.

Sligo 1-11 Westmeath 1-10: Teenager Kyle Cawley’s cool 54th-minute goal inspired Sligo to a one-point win over Westmeath to kick-start the county’s league campaign.

Sigerson Cup - UCD 0-11 NUIG 1-6: UCD may have a string of Dublin All-Ireland winners in their ranks but it was the accuracy of Westmeath’s John Heslin that saw them over the line in a good contest in Dangan yesterday.

A technical oversight was apparent in two of the big hurling games over the weekend.

Westmeath 3-19 Meath 2-18: To put all the madness in its proper context, consider where Westmeath were exactly a year ago to the day.

It’s amazing what a good dressing down from a manager does.

Westmeath produced a dream ten minutes to knock Wexford out of the Leinster football championship and set up a provincial semi-final for themselves against Meath in two week's time.

Westmeath 3-14 Louth 0-16: Perhaps a little tough love does work after all.

Meath u21s 1-10 Westmeath u21s 1-08: Meath had keeper Jack Hannigan to thank for a brilliant block to deny Dylan McDermott a match-winning goal in added time in this Leinster U-21 FC tie at Páirc Tailteann.

There have been greater glory days for Westmeath GAA, that’s for sure. The Leinster SFC title on July 24, 2004, for one, would be hard beaten but last Sunday has secured itself a place in the annals.

The GAA have been criticised for their lackadaisical attitude to implementing player concussion protocols and ex-Galway attacker Michael Meehan has vehemently stated the “casual approach” to occurrences such as these within the Association needs to be stamped out immediately.

St Mary’s College 1-10 NUI Galway 1-7

Westmeath 1-12 Laois 0-10: Allianz Football League Division 2: Westmeath’s campaign got off to a winning start in Mullingar yesterday.

A blistering opening set Galway on their way to a 2-13 to 1-12 win over Meath in their Allianz Football League Division 2 tie today.

Louth 1-14 Westmeath 1-9

Derry 3-16 Westmeath 0-12

Westmeath 1-07 Dublin 0-14

Meath marched into the Leinster minor football final following this comprehensive victory over Westmeath at Cusack Park, Mullingar, on Saturday.