Plenty of local fare to drag you away from the World Cup

THOUGH the World Cup will take over televisions sets over the coming weeks, there is an absolute feast of local sport to look forward this weekend.

Starting tonight, Athlone Town host Drogheda Utd in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division in Lissywollen (7.45pm). And if that’s not enough to drag you away from the meeting of Spain and Holland in Brazil, then perhaps the tasty local derby offering of Athlone and Garrycastle in the opening round of this year’s Westmeath Senior Football Championship will do the trick.

Garrycastle and Athlone are due to lock horns in Tubberclair this evening (Friday, 7.30pm). Staying in the SFC, another local derby takes place on Sunday in Tang, when Castledaly and Maryland go head-to-head (3.30pm). The latter match is preceded by the meeting of Tubberclair and St Mary’s, Rochfortbridge in the Intermediate Football Championship (2pm).

Caulry, Tubberclair, Rosemount and Tang also begin their IFC campaigns over the coming days, though both Rosemount and Tang must wait until next Tuesday for their opening games. Ballymore, meanwhile, start their IFC campaign against Ballynacargy at Milltown on Saturday (6.30pm).

It’s not only in Westmeath that the action takes place this weekend, as the Roscommon senior and intermediate football championships also begin in earnest.

St Brigid’s, the reigning champions, face Padraig Pearses at Johnstown on Saturday (6.30pm), followed by the clash of Clann na nGael and Kilmore at the same venue (8pm).

St Aidan’s face Western Gaels at Frenchpark on Sunday (1.30pm), while St Dominic’s start their IFC campaign against Eire Og at Loughglynn on Saturday (7.30pm). Clann na nGael's B team are also in IFC action, facing St Michael’s at Cootehill on Sunday (1.30pm).

There is also an All-Ireland SGC promotion/relegation play-off between Westmeath and Kildare at Cusack Park on Saturday (3.45pm).

There was a lot of confusion over the venue for the Westmeath v Kildare play-off but, as revealed in a previous article on this website, Cusack Park, Mullingar was eventually confirmed as the venue.