There's a feast of Westmeath GAA action this weekend

by Gerry Buckley

Many of us have lost track of the destinations on Ireland’s ‘green travel list’ in these zany times, but the permitted ‘maroon travel list’ next weekend is exhaustive for Westmeath GAA reporters and photographers, with hard-working Lake County officials having announced a whopping 18 important Gaelic football fixtures for next weekend.

PHOTO: John Stapleton of Athlone and Alan Rigney of Caulry in action at the Westmeath SFC in Tang last Saturday. Both sides have key games this weekend.

In a nutshell, the senior, intermediate and junior grades each have four quarter-finals and two relegation semi-finals, and three multiplied by six was always 18 when this columnist had hair and a pencil case. Indeed, I don’t envy the job of local sports editors with what is effectively a ‘loaves and fishes’ exercise in covering this ‘festival of football’.

Fans’ annoyance at their inability to attend games is entirely understandable and, while yours truly could understand science as well as the next fellow when in school, I remain baffled by the crowd-less venue directive from NPHET and the Government. Frustrated supporters are now gathering in hostelries picking at €9 worth of chicken nuggets, while watching matches on Iarmhí TV that they are barred from seeing in the open air. Spare me!

This sports-loving dinosaur is a huge fan of knockout competition, while accepting that the sacrifices demanded from modern Gaelic footballers and hurlers surely entitles them to a minimum of two championship games per annum. The belated Covid-19-driven championships in Westmeath this autumn is guaranteeing all clubs a minimum of three games, but for some teams the dream of championship glory has already evaporated, and it will take outstanding managerial nous from many bainisteoirs to lift deflated players ahead of relegation semi-finals next weekend.

Among the latter brigade will be that most loyal of club men, Mullingar Shamrocks’ Ned Moore, with the county champions from just two years ago (when they won an all-Mullingar decider) seemingly in free-fall since that heady win over Luke Dempsey’s charges. Another local derby of sorts on Friday night in Kinnegad pits an ageing green and white-clad side against Shandonagh, David Scahill’s side having found that ‘second season syndrome’ can sometimes set in. Based on a very ordinary display – Tom Molloy apart – against Tyrrellspass last Sunday evening at Westmeath GAA headquarters, the men in sky blue and navy will have a fight on their hands to avoid ‘qualifying’ for a relegation final.

The other semi-final is a South Westmeath derby, with Castledaly and Caulry meeting in Páirc Chiaráin on Friday night. An Iarmhí TV co-commentary role brought me to Milltown last Sunday and it was disappointing to see the men in gold and green play so poorly in the second half against a much-improved Downs outfit. Caulry surprised many – count me in that list – by coming very close to defeating Athlone, and a repeat of that form should see them retain their place at the top table of Lake County football.

The Flanagan Cup contenders are now down to eight and the consensus – again count me in – is that last year’s finalists, Garrycastle and St Loman’s, Mullingar, are the two sides to beat.

The four table-toppers – Rosemount, St Loman’s, Garrycastle and Coralstown/Kinnegad – are likely to be favourites to overcome second-placers Athlone, Killucan, The Downs and Tyrrellspass respectively on Saturday and Sunday (the first in Hogan Park and the other three in TEG Cusack Park).

However, surprises seem possible in the cases of the teams under the tutelage of Liam McHale and Emmet McDonnell.

Iarmhi TV will be streaming the following football games:

Friday

St Mary’s V Milltownpass, 8.15pm

WestmeathCaulry V Castledaly, 8.15pm

Saturday

Rosemount V Athlone, 5pm

St.Loman’s, Mullingar V Killucan, 6.30pm

Sunday

Moate V Maryland, 2.30pm

Garrycastle V The Downs, 3.30pm

Coralstown/Kinnegad V Tyrrellspass, 6.30pm