Leahy is new westmeath minor football boss

Peter Leahy has been appointed as Westmeath minor football manager for the 2016 season.

Last year, Leahy was proposed for the position of Westmeath senior manager only to be controversially turned down by club delegates. Tom Cribbin was subsequently appointed as manager and led the Lake men to only their fourth ever Leinster SFC final.

In his new role as Westmeath minor manager, Leahy succeeds 1995 All-Ireland minor medallist Aidan Lennon, who was in charge for just one year.

There was no opposition among club delegates when Leahy was put forward at the Westmeath Minor Board meeting last Friday.

Leahy is the current manager of Caulry and the Mount Temple/Baylin club is preparing for a big local derby against Castledaly in the Westmeath SFC this Friday evening in Tang (7pm). While Castledaly are already assured of a knockout place, Caulry need to win and hope that Coralstown/Kinnegad lose to Mullingar Shamrocks.

Leahy was joint-manager – along with Alan Mangan - of the Westmeath ladies football team which won the All-Ireland intermediate title in 2011. He was part of Michael Ryan’s backroom team with the Westmeath senior hurlers this year.

The Mullingar man has considerable experience in coaching and management and has enjoyed success with a number of teams. He led St Malachy’s to the Westmeath intermediate football title in 2013 - ironically, they defeated his current club, Caulry, in the final after a replay.