Tang return to senior fare as battle begins for club honours
By Paul Doolin
Last week, in a very damp TEG Cusack Park, the 2022 club championships were launched amid a fanfare of colour and anticipation, as every club looked forward to the next few weeks and the possibility of bringing silverware back to their clubs come October.
As expected, there was plenty of positivity from those involved as the waiting is now almost ever and come this weekend, every football team at least will have made their bow and set out their stall. We spoke with many of the protagonists on the night and they were all looking forward to getting started.
Kieran Duncan from Tang was looking forward to senior football for his club for the first time in a long time, with last year's intermediate champions facing Athlone on Saturday evening in Moate.
“We’ve waited so long for this and now that we have got the monkey off our backs, we have to go and enjoy it,” said Duncan.
“The league was tough but we are more than hopeful with local derbies coming up that we can lift our game to last year’s standard and above with any luck.”
Conor Cosgrove from Garrycastle was just happy to be back playing at club level. “The club is what we all start with and where you meet friends and learn the game, and the loss of Enda Mulvihill in the last few weeks put things into perspective,” he said.
“The club rallied around superbly and the talk is now about going one step further than last year and winning maybe in Enda’s memory, and for ourselves, as we felt we left it behind last year.”
Ger Leech from Coralstown/Kinnegad was hopeful too. The Reds have a full deck to play from and, despite their recent league final loss to The Downs, they have no fear nonetheless.
“We have to beat them all if we want to win, so we will take every game as it comes, and hopefully some of the younger lads will show the quality we know they have to get us over the line,” said Leech.
David Mullins of Moate All Whites took positives from their recent Division 2 league final defeat against Tyrrellspass. “We were short a few lads and those injuries are clearing up, so we are happy where we are and what we can achieve. With John Twaddle (manager) driving it on, we won’t be found wanting,” Mullins said.
In the senior championship, however, the champions St Loman’s, Mullingar will again be the favourites. David Whelan of St Loman's said: “We didn’t have our county lads for the league and perhaps it’s best forgotten, but they are slowly coming back now and things are getting back to some sort of normality.
“We would really love the three-in-a-row, but teams are upping their game to stop us and we are willing to do what it takes to stay on top and retain the Flanagan Cup,” Whelan added.
Liam Malynn from Caulry stated: “We have no fear going into the championship and with St Loman’s in the first round, we will have to hit the ground running.”
Looking forward to the intermediate championship, Paddy Holloway of Castledaly was philosophical about the season with their first game against Milltown on the horizon (Sunday, in Athlone).
“It’s all about getting a positive start and maintaining that momentum. Tang knocked us out in the semi-final last year and it was a bitter pill to swallow, but we’re looking forward to making amends,” he said.
Sam Maxwell from Ballymore was hoping for better fortune than in 2021. “We had it tough last season, and left our best display for the final day to remain at the intermediate grade. But were hoping to build and with new management and new blood, it's been positive.
“We have Ballynacargy on the opening day and if we get over that we will be happy and the intermediate championship could go anywhere, such is the level of quality in the clubs.”
On the junior front, Westmeath star Ronan Wallace from Multyfarnham was among those looking forward to the campaign. "It was hard to take last season, and relegation is never ideal. But we set a target to get straight back up and that’s what we’re aiming for,” he said.
“It’s not going to be easy with Bunbrosna and Joseph’s looking good too, but we are shaping up well and want to give our supporters something to cheer about in 2022.”
On the hurling side, Niall O’Brien of Castletown Geoghegan spoke about the hurt of losing the county final last year.
“It wasn’t a nice place to be and to be honest we didn’t do ourselves justice, but it possibly made us more determined at the start of the year,” O’Brien said.
“Buddha (Alan Mangan, Castletown’s new manager) has added something different, and we will want to make up for last year and give it a good rattle.”
David Hickey from champions Raharney said it was no time to dwell on last year’s win. “It’s over and done with and on to this year. We want to put back-to-back titles together for the first time in a long time,” he stated.
“The county players are back and everyone is flying, so we will give it a good go and see how we get on.”
The updated Westmeath GAA fixtures for this weekend and midweek of next week are listed below.
Westmeath GAA fixtures
Friday, 15th July (all games 7.30pm)
Shay Murtagh Precast Senior FC Section A
Garrycastle v Mullingar Shamrocks, Ballymore, Enda Kelly.
Clarke’s Bar Junior 1 FC
Section A: St Loman's Mullingar v Killucan, Lakepoint Park, Paul McCaughey.
Section B: St Joseph's v Bunbrosna, Ballinagore, Enda Kenny.
Clarke’s Bar Junior 2 FC
Section A: Caulry v Shandonagh, Caulry, Conor Duignan; Delvin v Rosemount, Ballynacargy, James Allard.
Section B: Coralstown-Kinnegad v The Downs, Kinnegad, JP Reynolds.
Saturday, 16th July
Shay Murtagh Precast Senior FC Section B
Athlone v Tang, 7.30pm, Moate, Sean Carroll.
Writech Intermediate FC
Section A: St Mary's Rochfortbridge v Milltownpass, 7:30, TEG Cusack Park, Keith O'Brien.
Section B: Ballynacargy v Ballymore, 6pm, TEG Cusack Park, Barry Kelly.
Clarke’s Bar Junior 1 FC Section B
St Paul's v Ballinagore, 6pm, Killucan, Ken Daly; Ballycomoyle v Multyfarnham, 7:30, Killucan, Caymon Flynn.
Sunday, 17th July
Writech Intermediate FC
Section A: Castledaly v Milltown, 1pm, Páirc Chiaráin, Alan Coyne; Shandonagh v St Malachy's, 6pm, Milltown, Declan Nugent.
Section B: Kilbeggan Shamrocks v Tubberclair, 12:00, Shandonagh, Mick Murtagh; Castletown-Finea/Coole/Whitehall v Maryland, 1:30, Shandonagh, Barry Nea.
Shay Murtagh Precast Senior FC
Section A: Coralstown-Kinnegad v The Downs, 6pm, TEG Cusack Park, Brendan Keena; St Loman's Mullingar v Caulry, 7:30, TEG Cusack Park, Gary Hurley.
Section B: Killucan v Moate All Whites, 12:00, Rochfortbridge, Damien Maher; Tyrrellspass v Rosemount, 1:30, Rochfortbridge, Barry Pierce.
Clarke’s Bar Junior 2 FC Section A
Mullingar Shamrocks v Moate All Whites, 6pm, Springfield, Mick Gordon.
Monday, 18th July
Clarke’s Bar Junior 1 FC Section A
Athlone v St Loman's Mullingar, 7:30, Athlone, Mick Gordon; Killucan v Mullingar Shamrocks, 7:30, Killucan, Paul McCaughey; The Downs v Garrycastle, 7:30, The Downs, Enda Kenny.
Clarke’s Bar Junior 2 FC
Section A: Loughnavalley v Caulry, 7:30, Drumraney, Conor Duignan; Shandonagh v Delvin, 7:30, Springfield, Rob Cornally.
Section B: Moate All Whites v Coralstown-Kinnegad, 7:30, Moate, Des McEnery.
Tuesday, 19th July
Shay Murtagh Precast Senior FC Section B
Rosemount v Killucan, 7:30, TEG Cusack Park, Mick Murtagh.
Clarke’s Bar Junior 1 FC Section B
Ballinagore v St Joseph's, 7:30, Ballymore, Ken Daly; Bunbrosna v Ballycomoyle, 7:30, Delvin, Brendan Keena.
Wednesday, 20th July
Shay Murtagh Precast Senior FC Section A
Caulry v Garrycastle, 7:30, Páirc Chiaráin, Barry Pierce; Mullingar Shamrocks v Coralstown-Kinnegad, 7:30, Killucan, Alan Coyne; The Downs v St Loman's Mullingar, 7:30, TEG Cusack Park, Barry Kelly.
Writech Intermediate FC
Section A: St Malachy's v St Mary's Rochfortbridge, 7:30, Tyrrellspass, Keith O'Brien.
Section B: Ballymore v Castletown-Finea/Coole/Whitehall, 7:30, Shandonagh, Sean Carroll; Tubberclair v Ballynacargy, 7:30, Milltown, Pat Fox; Maryland v Kilbeggan Shamrocks, 7:30, Moate, Enda Kelly.
Clarke’s Bar Junior 1 FC Section B
Multyfarnham v St Paul's, 7:30, Springfield, Caymon Flynn.
Thursday, 21st July
Shay Murtagh Precast Senior FC Section B
Moate All Whites v Athlone, 7:30, Tubberclair, Declan Nugent; Tang v Tyrrellspass, 7:30, Caulry, Gary Hurley;
Writech Intermediate FC Section A
Milltown v Shandonagh, 7:30, Ballynacargy, Damien Maher; Milltownpass v Castledaly, 7:30, Rochfortbridge, Barry Nea.