Local angling ace chosen for sports award

TALENTED local fly-fisher Sean Dempsey has been selected as the winner of the Westmeath Independent/Hodson Bay Hotel Sports Award for August. The 16-year-old, a fifth-year student at Marist College, Athlone, has been recognised for his achievement in qualifying for the World Youth Fly Fishing Championships in Italy, and also for finishing the competition as Ireland's best performer at the five-day event on the River Tiber. A member of Coosan & District Anglers Association, the Ballykeeran native was part of a six-strong Irish panel that attended the event in southern Italy. 2011 has been a successful year for Sean as he was placed second overall in the All-Ireland Youth Fly-Tying competition last February. He was also crowned 2011 Leinster Youths River and Lake champion. Sean has been making quite an impression on the fishing scene since becoming All-Ireland Youth Fly-Fishing champion in 2008, while he has also been selected to captain Ireland's Four Nations Fly Fishing squad for 2012. With various Leinster and interprovincial honours to his name, Sean is also due to represent Ireland at the 2012 World Youth Fly Fishing Championships in France. A keen sportsman, Sean is also a member of the Marist College and Buccaneers RFC panels, currently playing at under-17 level with Buccaneers. Sean is a son of Frank and Susan Dempsey.