Westmeath ladies heading back to Croke Park for replay with Cavan

The Westmeath ladies team are heading back to Croke Park after GAA headquarters was confirmed as the venue for the TG4 All-Ireland junior and intermediate football final replays on Sunday week, October 9. Westmeath will face Cavan in the intermediate final replay at 4.15pm, with Wicklow taking on New York in the junior final replay at 2.30pm. The choice of Croke Park as the venue for the ladies final replay comes as something of a surprise as it was expected that the replays would take place at a provincial venue. The attendance at last Sunday's All-Ireland ladies finals - culminating in the senior final between Cork and Monaghan - was 20,061. And it was thought unlikely that Croke Park would be chosen to host the intermediate and junior final replays, given the anticipated attendance. However, the Ladies Gaelic Football Association has announced that Croke Park will host the two replays as a double-header, giving all four teams the opportunity to win an All-Ireland title at the famed venue. Westmeath and Cavan finished all square last Sunday on a 2-5 to 0-11 scoreline, with three late points from the Breffni girls ensuring a replay (see this week's Westmeath Independent for a match report and reaction). Meanwhile, recent wealth of local Gaelic games activity shows no sign of abating, with some hugely important fixtures up for decision this coming weekend. County finals are the order of the day in both Westmeath and Roscommon. Local rivals Padraig Pearses and St Dominic's meet in the Roscommon IFC final at Kiltoom on Sunday (4pm), and this will be preceded by the clash of Clann na nGael and Creggs in the Roscommon JFC 'A' final (2pm). Since emerging from the group stage, Padraig Pearses have disposed of Tulsk Lord Edwards (2-16 to 1-7) in the quarter-finals, and then Fuerty in the semi-finals (1-9 to 1-8), while St Dominic's have beaten both St Barry's and Boyle in the knockout phase. Padraig Pearses are looking to secure an immediate return to senior status, after suffering relegation to the intermediate ranks last year, while St Dominic's are hoping for outright success after losing at the semi-final stage (to Strokestown) last year. The Padraig Pearses hurlers drew with Four Roads (2-7 to 0-13) in the Roscommon SHC semi-finals last weekend. The clash was a repeat of last year's county final which was won in emphatic fashion by Four Roads. In the other semi-final, Athleague defeated Oran by 0-17 to 1-8. In Westmeath, all eyes will be on Cusack Park this Sunday, with Garrycastle bidding for a third successive senior county title when they take on Mullingar Shamrocks in a repeat of last year's decider (3.45pm). Garrycastle are bidding for an coveted three in a row of county titles and they are facing the last club to achieve such a feat - Mullingar Shamrocks won four titles on the trot from 1992-1995. It's the first time since 1997 that the same two teams will contest the Westmeath SFC final in successive years. Back in 1997, Moate All-Whites managed to over-turn the result of the previous year's decider when they defeated Coralstown/Kinnegad. Shamrocks will be hoping to repeat the trick, but Garrycastle are justifiable favourites given their overall pedigree and their form in this year's championship. Before the senior final, the footballers of St Ciaran's (an amalgamation of Garrycastle, Castledaly and Caulry) and Ennell Shamrocks (St Malachy's/Ballinagore and Kilbeggan/St Joseph's) meet in the Westmeath MFC final (1.45pm). Ennell Shamrocks are the holders of this title, while St Ciaran's are hoping to claim their first title at this grade (see this week's Westmeath Independent for St Ciaran's player profiles). There was a surprise in the Westmeath SHC semi-finals last weekend, with Castletown-Geoghegan dethroning reigning champions Raharney on a 2-15 to 0-14 scoreline. In an inspirational display, Niall O'Brien scored 1-9 for the black and amber side,. The Deelsiders, trailing by four points at the break, were dealt a second fatal blow early in the second half when Neal Kirby struck for Castletown's second goal. Alan Mangan - co-manager of the Westmeath ladies team - came on a sub for Castletown, having made a dash to Cusack Park from Croke Park following the All-Ireland ladies final. In the curtain-raiser to last Sunday's SHC semi-final, Fr Dalton's were again pipped in the Westmeath IHC final, this time losing out to St Brigid's by the minimum margin (see report in this week's Westmeath Independent).