Westmeath senior football manager Mark McHugh is pictured with Tubberclair's Matthew Whittaker. Photo: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile

Testing league campaign awaits Westmeath senior footballers

Ronan Fagan

Published: Mon 8 Dec 2025, 5:36 PM

Last updated: Mon 8 Dec 2025, 5:53 PM

New Westmeath senior football manager Mark McHugh will hope for a winning start to the Lake County's Allianz Football League Division 3 campaign when Sligo visit TEG Cusack Park on Sunday, January 25 (throw-in 2pm).

The visitors, who will also be under new management, former players Eamonn O'Hara and Dessie Sloyan filling the void left by the departed Tony McEntee, are the first of three counties to visit TEG Cusack Park during Westmeath's 2026 league campaign.

A trip to Ennis to face 2025 Munster finalists Clare awaits Westmeath on Sunday, February 1 (throw-in, 2pm), with a St Valentine's date with Down in Páirc Esler pencilled in for Saturday, February 14, throw-in, 6pm. It was Down who were relegated from Division 2 along with Westmeath last year.

Westmeath's fourth league fixture sees a return to TEG Cusack Park and a meeting with Fermanagh on Sunday, February 22, throw-in 1pm.

O'Moore Park, Portlaoise will host the fifth round league fixture against Laois on Saturday, February 28, at 6pm, followed by a home meeting with Limerick in Mullingar on Sunday, March 15, at 2pm.

Westmeath complete their division fixtures with a journey to Wexford to play the host county in Wexford Park on Sunday, March 22, at 2pm.

Overall, Westmeath will have four away games and three fixtures at home.

Should Westmeath top Division 3 or achieve a runner-up berth, they will contest the final on the weekend of March 28/29. The top two will both be promoted to Division 2 for the following year.

O'Byrne Cup

Prior to the start of their league campaign, McHugh will have ample opportunity to gauge the form of the county's footballers with the return of the GAA pre-season competitions in early 2026.

In a fixture to be replicated in the opening round of next year's Leinster senior football championship, Westmeath will play Longford on Saturday, January 3, and if victorious, they will then play Louth in the quarter-final stages of the competition.

Should Westmeath fail to beat Longford, they will participate in the O'Byrne Shield, with a potential semi-final fixture against Wicklow or Meath on Saturday, January 10.