Months of diligent preparation for the club player will come to fruition this weekend as the Westmeath senior football championship commences with a series of opening round robin fixtures to take place.
Westmeath inter-county footballers have little time to rest following their All-Ireland series exit as they return to their clubs with the hope of raising the Flanagan Cup aloft when the championship concludes in the autumn.
Caulry are the sole South Westmeath club representatives in Section A of the senior football championship and, under the guidance of Shane Curran for a third successive year, will be hoping to secure a knockout stages berth. The Mount Temple/Baylin team start their championship in TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar, on Saturday (throw in, 5.15pm ), with a fixture against Coralstown/Kinnegad (recent ACFL Division 1 winners ).
Athlone and Garrycastle will be hopeful of progress from Section B of the senior championship. Athlone have made vast strides this season to date and under the management of Eoin Jordan recently savoured an unbeaten ACFL Division 2 campaign culminating in the club’s Division 2 final success over Milltownpass. With momentum clearly evident, Athlone have every chance of securing a quarter final berth as they aim to return the Flanagan Cup to Pairc Chiaráin for the first time since 1998.
Rivals, Garrycastle, with John Benton at the helm, will be striving for a swift return to the higher echelons of the senior football championship following their relegation in 2022. That relegation has since been replicated following the conclusion of the club’s Division 1 league campaign so spirits will have to be revitalised if the are to make championship progression this year.
Athlone commence their championship campaign on Saturday evening in Castledaly (throw in, 7.30pm ), with an enticing fixture against Moate All Whites, while Garrycastle play reigning intermediate football champions, Shandonagh, in Hogan Park, Moate, on Sunday afternoon (throw in, 4pm ). Tang complete the senior football championship Section B fixtures with a contest against Mullingar Shamrocks, this game also taking place in Hogan Park, Moate, on Sunday (throw in, 2pm ).
A busy summer schedule of club championship fixtures await with the second round robin series of games due to take place on the weekend of July 8/9.
Speaking at the launch of the club championships this week, Westmeath GAA chairman, Frank Mescall, expressed his gratitude to Shay Murtagh for his continued sponsorship and looked forward to the return of new and longstanding supporters from throughout the county for an exciting series of fixtures.
