Keane and Wilson set to take Westmeath U21 reins

 

John Keane and Fergal Wilson are set to take over the Westmeath under-21 football team for 2017.

The duo, both of whom are hugely respected in Westmeath GAA circles, are expected to be ratified at a county board meeting in TEG Cusack Park tonight (Wednesday).

Rosemount’s Keane and Wilson of Tubberclair both won Leinster senior football medals with Westmeath in 2004.

Keane, Westmeath’s only double All-Star winner (winning the coveted awards in 2004 and 2008), has cut his teeth in management with Maryland. For his part, Wilson guided Marist College, Athlone to an unexpected Leinster Schools final appearance earlier this year.

Emmett McDonnell was Westmeath U21 manager for the 2016 campaign but while McDonnell will part of Tom Cribbin’s management team with the senior footballers next year, he decided not to continue in the U21 role. The vacancy which arose at U21 level will now be filled by Keane (manager) and Wilson (coach/selector). There are expected to be additions to the backroom team in due course. 

The 2017 All-Ireland U21 football championship will be the last at this age grade. From 2018 onwards, a new under-20 competition will come into existence. So Westmeath, and indeed all counties, have one more chance to seek provincial and All-Ireland success at this grade.

Meanwhile, former Cavan selector Kevin Downes is expected to be added to Cribbin’s backroom team for the 2017 campaign.

Downes worked with Terry Hyland in Cavan for the past two seasons and is likely to be ratified in his new role tonight.

A winner of senior club football and hurling medals in London, Downes is a previous trainer of the London inter-county team.

It has also been confirmed that Michael Ryan (the former Waterford manager), Michael Walsh and Tom Carr are to remain with the Westmeath senior hurlers - as manager, selector and strength & conditioning coach respectively.