Dolan back in charge of Garrycastle for next year

Gary Dolan will be back in charge of Garrycastle for the 2024 season.

Dolan will be assisted by Karl Henson, Doron Harte and Frances Doolin, while Padraig Cosgrove and Doolin will manage the junior team, with Cosgrove also in charge of the club’s third team.

A brother of current Westmeath manager Dessie Dolan, Gary guided Garrycastle to their last senior county title in 2019, when he was at the helm alongside John Keane.

The target next year will be a different one as Garrycastle aim to bounce back from relegation by winning the intermediate championship.

Garrycastle were without the services of several key players in 2023 and they were relegated from the senior ranks after losing all of their group games in the championship. Yet if the majority of the absent contingent return to action, they will surely start as favourites for next year’s intermediate title.

That said, the intermediate championship is generally very difficult to win and a number of other teams will harbour their own ambitions.

Tubberclair were beaten by Shandonagh in the 2022 final (after a replay) and they were pipped by eventual champions St Malachy’s in this year’s semi-finals.

Milltownpass again went close this year and will be aiming to go one better in 2024, while Rosemount and Castledaly will hope to be closer to full strength next year.