Race for Intermediate title wide open

Westmeath IFC preview

It’s the perennial puzzle in Westmeath, and trying to confidently explain who will claim this year’s Intermediate Football Championship crown appears to be just as challenging as ever.

Shandonagh will rightly be one of the favourites, having come so close last year when denied by Tubberclair in an excellent final, and their first-round clash against neighbours Milltown will certainly provide an early clue. Like the senior grade, just three teams are set to qualify from the top section, so the margin for error has been reduced, and both sides will place a lot of emphasis on that big Friday evening encounter in Kinnegad, which should be a belter.

Five of the intermediate teams operate in Division 2 of the league, where Shandonagh fared best, qualifying for the final, a game in which they were denied by Tyrrellspass, an established senior side. Under Ray Sheridan’s watch once more, there will be an urgency about Shandonagh to get to senior level and nurture the strong level of talent they have in the premier grade. Danny Scahill is not on his own; the likes of Gareth Carr, Ryan Donnelly and Tom Molloy form part of a well-established side.

Meanwhile, Barry Downey takes over a talented Milltown outfit, who will look to the likes of Conor Dillon, Jack Duncan and towering midfielders Jack and Dylan Murtagh for leadership. They will be a tough nut to crack.

Elsewhere, Milltownpass will have leading county forward Brandon Kelly in their ranks, and they were fourth in Division 2 of the league, so they will fancy their chances of qualifying. The same can be said of Multyfarnham, now under Niall O’Brien’s watch, where Ronan Wallace will be a real handful at this level.

St Malachy’s will welcome back David Lynch and, having been relegated from senior football last year, they are a threat to any team at intermediate level. Castledaly have brought in Declan Cryan from Laois as their manager, and Lorcan Dolan, Alan Stone and Daniel Heavin are talented players, so they will be quietly confident of testing the rest. They finished seventh in Division 2 of the league.

Meanwhile, Rosemount, under Karl Dermody, finished third in Division 2 of the league and will be strong contenders to qualify from Section ‘B’, along with St Mary’s, Rochfortbridge, who are under the guidance of former Westmeath U20 supremo Damien Gavin. Third place looks to be up for grabs here. Michael Ennis will be keen to get another big tune from his native Ballinagore, having won junior so impressively, and Tommy McDaniel is a classy finisher, while Maryland and Ballymore will not lack passion or commitment.

Castletown-Finea/Coole/Whitehall appear to be struggling.

Junior 1 Football Championship

In the Junior 1 Football Championship, it’s Kilbeggan Shamrocks, under Nigel Adamson, who will start as one of the fancied teams, but their neighbours St Joseph’s, who reached last year’s final, will be among the main contenders. An influx of talented young players has boosted Mullingar Shamrocks (second team), and many of them will ply their trade in this grade, where they may well cause problems for the sole junior clubs, Bunbrosna and Ballynacargy. The latter were third in Division 4 of the league, winning six games, but the departure of manager Tommy Brennan suggests it could be a challenging campaign, and much will depend on the first-round encounter with Kilbeggan Shamrocks.