Westmeath have beaten Kilkenny in hurling,
.I repeat, Westmeath have beaten Kilkenny in hurling!
As word of the shock in the Leinster U21 quarter-final began to emerge, everyone tuned in to the Westmeath GAA Twitter account for the nerve-wracking details.
Westmeath 1-11 Kilkenny 0-11 31 minutes second half Leinster Under 21 Hurling. Six minutes injury time
— Westmeath GAA (@westmeath_gaa) May 25, 2016
A seriously exciting last few minutes between @westmeath_gaa & @KilkennyCLG #BGEU21 pic.twitter.com/hTWYKYcocM
— BGEGAA (@BGEGAA) May 25, 2016
This will be the longest 6 minutes of injury time for any Westmeath fan ever! 🙈🙈🙈
— David Hennessy (@MrDavidHennessy) May 25, 2016
We weren’t there, but six minutes of injury time!? Come on, ref!!
Literally please blow it up ref...
— Midlands 103 Sport (@MidlandsSport) May 25, 2016
And then there was the scandal of a last minute penalty…
Penalty for Kilkenny
— Westmeath GAA (@westmeath_gaa) May 25, 2016
Wide with the penalty and we win!!!!!
— Westmeath GAA (@westmeath_gaa) May 25, 2016
So led by the free-taking of Darragh Clinton, who scored 0-8, the home side held on for a 1-11 to 0-12 sensation of a result.
And, of course, there were wild celebrations; both in Cusack Park and online…
Our reporter Seamus Cooney in a very happy Westmeath dressing room pic.twitter.com/9wBck13IPp
— Midlands 103 Sport (@MidlandsSport) May 25, 2016
The Diehard @westmeath_gaa Hurling men after they bet Kilkenny tonight #GAA #EirGridU21 pic.twitter.com/VKzDRdi4Bg
— Rory's Stories (@RorysStories) May 25, 2016
Scenes! 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/eBzVPEl621
— David Hennessy (@MrDavidHennessy) May 25, 2016
To all those out there. My nerves are gone!! What a hell of a result!!!
— Westmeath GAA (@westmeath_gaa) May 25, 2016
Being a @westmeath_gaa hurling fan in May pic.twitter.com/n18wUjok4Q
— Midlands 103 Sport (@MidlandsSport) May 25, 2016
Not that it was easy…
Brace yourself;🙈W'meath U21 hurler @batchcass has hole in head aft shock defeat of Kilkenny pic.twitter.com/RIK8oKXIM2 #worthit #gaa #hurling
— clíona foley (@ponyyelof) May 25, 2016
So it’s Carlow, Offaly and Westmeath into the Leinster semi-finals; all counties that played in the round-robin stage at Senior level.
Imagine how committed you have to be to be a hurling fan in Carlow/Westmeath?? Nights like tonight must be so so sweet
— dontfoul (@dontfoul) May 25, 2016
As for Kilkenny, with their minors already knocked out, some asked whether the county was now in crisis?...
Last time Kilkenny had Leinster under-age hurling disappointments, there was a review. This year's provincial exits may call for more. #GAA
— John Fogarty (@JohnFogartyIrl) May 25, 2016
and out of football as well
— Davymac (@Davymac17) May 25, 2016
Jaysus Kilkenny out of the minor and U-21 championships and it's still May. The hurling gods must have had enough https://t.co/zwVbkWLyA6
— Gary Murphy (@GaryMurphyDCU) May 25, 2016
What's worse, there was a report of Kilkenny using a sweeper too.
Warren Casserly goal puts Westmeath a goal up against Kilkenny...Kilkenny dropping back a sweeper too #shockon?
— Will O'Callaghan (@willocallaghan) May 25, 2016
Truly the end of days has arrived…