Banty among seven nominees for westmeath manager job

Seven candidates have been nominated for the job of Westmeath senior football manager.

The most eye-catching name on the list of nominees is former Monaghan manager Seamus ‘Banty’ McEnaney.

Although Monaghan didn’t win an Ulster title under McEnaney, the Farney County came extremely close to knocking out then All-Ireland champions Kerry at the quarter-final stage in 2007.

McEnaney also had a spell in charge of Meath when he became the first ‘outside’ manager of the Royal County’s senior football team.

Kildare man Niall Carey – who recently stepped down as Waterford manager – is also included among the nominees to succeed Paul Bealin, who was ousted after just one season in charge.

The other nominees thus far are current St Malachy’s manager Peter Leahy; Finbar Egan (a former manager of Maryland and Athlone); Ray Smyth (who has led The Downs and Mullingar Shamrocks to Westmeath SFC success); former Galway star Val Daly and Mullingar Shamrocks stalwart Ned Moore.

Egan led Maryland to the Westmeath intermediate title in 2008 he also had a second spell in charge of the Drumraney club.

Smyth guided The Downs to Westmeath SFC titles in 2003 and 2005 and Mullingar Shamrocks to similar success in 2012, when they ended Garrycastle’s reign as champions.

Val Daly, who previously served as Roscommon manager on an interim basis, is a past-pupil of the Carmelite College in Moate.

Ned Moore is the current boss of Meath club Na Fianna and he previously managed his home club, Mullingar Shamrocks, with whom he won several SFC medals as a player.

Interviews are expected to take place in the coming weeks and county board officials hope to have a manager in place before this year’s Westmeath SFC final, which is expected to take place on October 12.