Published: Wednesday, 10th February, 2010 5:00pm
Big guns to collide in senior championship 'group of death'
There is no doubt which Westmeath Senior Football Championship group looks the strongest on paper after the draw was made last week.
The five clubs who have shared the last eleven senior titles - Tyrrellspass, Mullingar Shamrocks, Garrycastle, The Downs and Castledaly - are all in Division 2.
It is now 12 years since a club from outside the aforementioned quintet won the senior championship. That was Athlone back in 1998 when they won their 20th senior crown. Since then, the titles have been shared out as follows - Garrycastle (4), Tyrrellspass (3), The Downs (2), Castledaly (1) and Mullingar Shamrocks (1).
The remaining team in Division 2 of this year's senior championship is St Malachy's, who will face Mullingar Shamrocks in the first round of games.
Reigning champions Garrycastle will get their campaign underway against Tyrrellspass. It will be a repeat of last year's semi-final which Garrycastle won in emphatic fashion. 2008 champions Castledaly will take on The Downs in their first game.
Last year's defeated finalists, St Loman's, are in Division 1 and the Mullingar club will face Athlone in the opening round. St Loman's defeated Athlone in a crunch group clash last year; the victory saw Loman's advance to the knockout stages and knocked the Shannonsiders out of the championship.
Newly promoted Tubberclair will face Killucan in their first game back in the senior championship, while 2008 intermediate champions Maryland will take on Coralstown/Kinnegad in their opener.
The top team in each division will go directly into the semi-finals, while the second and third placed teams in each division will go into the quarter-finals.
In the Westmeath Intermediate Football Championship, Division 1 will see a couple of local derbies in the opening round, with Moate All Whites facing Caulry, and Ballynacargy taking on neighbours Bunbrosna. Kilbeggan and Shandonagh are the other two teams in the group.
Division 2 contains Rosemount, Ballymore, Tang and Ballinagore, along with Castletown-Finea/Coole/Whitehall and St Mary's, Rochfortbridge. The Junior Football Championship is divided into Section A, which comprises the eight sole junior clubs, and Section B, which is made up of the second teams of eight senior clubs.
In Section A, the meeting of St Joseph's and Milltown is probably the pick of the opening round games, while in Section B, Athlone and St Loman's will do battle in the opening round - just as they will in the senior championship.
Meanwhile, nine clubs will battle it out for the Westmeath Senior Hurling Championship, with St Brigid's and Lough Lene Gaels meeting in the preliminary round.
Reigning champions Clonkill will play the loser of that game in Round 1.
The Intermediate Hurling Championship contains six teams who will play each other on a round robin basis. The top team will meet the fourth placed team in the semi-finals, while the second and third placed teams will meet in the other semi-final.
Fr Dalton's of Ballymore are among the six teams in the IHC, while Southern Gaels have opted to compete in the Junior B Championship alongside the second teams of intermediate clubs. The Junior A HC comprises the second teams of seven of the senior clubs.
WESTMEATH SFC DRAW
Division 1
Killucan
Tubberclair
Athlone
St Loman's
Maryland
Coralstown/Kinnegad
First Round Games
Killucan v Tubberclair
Athlone v St Loman's
Maryland v Coralstown/Kinnegad
Division 2
Garrycastle
Tyrrellspass
Mullingar Shamrocks
St Malachy's
Castledaly
The Downs
First Round Games
Garrycastle v Tyrrellspass
Mullingar Shamrocks v St Malachy's
Castledaly v The Downs
Quarter-Finals
(A) Div 1 2nd team v Div 2 3rd team
(B) Div 1 3rd team v Div 2 2nd team
Semi-Finals
Division 1 winner v (B)
Division 2 winner v (A)
*Relegation play-off: bottom team in Division 1 to play bottom team in Division 2.
WESTMEATH IFC
Division 1
Caulry
Moate All Whites
Ballynacargy
Bunbrosna
Kilbeggan Shamrocks
Shandonagh
First Round Games
Caulry v Moate All Whites
Ballynacargy v Bunbrosna
Kilbeggan Shamrocks v Shandonagh
Division 2
Castletown-Finea/Coole/Whitehall
Ballymore
St Mary's, Rochfortbridge
Rosemount
Tang
Ballinagore
First Round Games
Castletown-Finea/Coole/Whitehall v Ballymore
St Mary's, Rochfortbridge v Rosemount
Tang v Ballinagore
Quarter-Finals
(A) Div 1 2nd team v Div 2 3rd team
(B) Div 1 3rd team v Div 2 2nd team
Semi-Finals
Division 1 winner v (B)
Division 2 winner v (A)
*Relegation play-off: bottom team in Division 1 to play bottom team in Division 2.
WESTMEATH JFC
Section A
St Fintan's, Multyfarnham
Loughnavalley
St Paul's
Delvin
St Joseph's
Milltown
Milltownpass
Ballycomoyle
First Round Games
St Fintan's, Multyfarnham v Loughnavalley
St Paul's v Delvin
St Joseph's v Milltown
Milltownpass v Ballycomoyle
Section B
Coralstown/Kinnegad
Mullingar Shamrocks
The Downs
Garrycastle
Tyrrellspass
Castledaly
Athlone
St Loman's
First Round Games
Coralstown/Kinnegad v Mullingar Shamrocks
The Downs v Garrycastle
Tyrrellspass v Castledaly
Athlone v St Loman's
Quarter-Finals
(A) Section A 3rd team v Section B 2nd team
(B) Section A 4th team v Section B 1st team
Semi-Finals
Section A winner v (B)
Section A runner-up v (A)
WESTMEATH SHC
Preliminary Round
(A) St Brigid's v Lough Lene Gaels
Round 1
(1) St Oliver Plunkett's v Brownstown
(2) A v Clonkill
(3) Ringtown v Castletown-Geoghegan
(4) Raharney v Castlepollard
Winner of A (preliminary round) qualifies for Section A. Loser of A goes into Round 1 (and will play Clonkill).
Four winners of first round matches go into Section A. Four losers into Section B.
Top two teams in Section A qualify for semi-finals. Top team in Section B also goes into semi-finals.
Third placed team in Section A to play second placed team in Section B for fourth semi-final place.
Bottom two teams in Section B will be relegated to Intermediate.
WESTMEATH IHC
(Six teams play each other on round robin basis)
Fr Dalton's
Crookedwood
Turin
Delvin
Cullion
Clonkill
First Round Games
Fr Dalton's v Crookedwood
Turin v Delvin
Cullion v Clonkill
Semi-Finals
1 v 4
2 v 3
JUNIOR A HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP
St Brigid's
Ringtown
Castlepollard
St Oliver Plunkett's
Raharney
Lough Lene Gaels
Castletown-Geoghegan
First Round Games
St Brigid's v Ringtown
Castlepollard v St Oliver Plunkett's
Raharney v Lough Lene Gaels
Castletown-Geoghegan - bye
Semi-Finals
1 v 4
2 v 3
JUNIOR B HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP
Delvin
Crookedwood
Cullion
Southern Gaels
Fr Dalton's
Turin
First Round Games
Delvin v Crookedwood
Cullion v Southern Gaels
Fr Dalton's v Turin
Semi-Finals
1 v 4
2 v 3.
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