Flanagan named as manager of Westmeath

PAT FLANAGAN was ratified as the Westmeath football manager on an interim basis until the end of the 2010 championship at last night’s county board meeting after the clubs voted 28 to 10 in his favour. A former selector under Tomás Ó Flatharta, he interviewed for the position last year that eventually went to Brendan Hackett.

Hackett, a former chief executive of the Athletics Association of Ireland, stepped down from the role last weekend after seven months following a vote of no confidence from the players.

Flanagan’s backroom team will be announced in the coming days.

At last night’s meeting the Athlone GAA club nominated Dessie Dolan snr but this was not accepted by the board. “It was felt his name can only be considered when the full process takes place to confirm a permanent manager after the 2010 championship,” said county PRO Pat Reilly. Dolan was also denied an interview for the position last September.

The committee that appointed Hackett, headed by county board chairman Tom Farrell, football chairman Des Maguire and county secretary Pat Lynagh, again played central roles in picking Flanagan.

Flanagan is manager of Clara in Offaly, who he led to a county title last season, and he has had success in Westmeath with Tyrrellspass.

The county board were unable to confirm if any intercounty training was taking place this week despite their Leinster championship match against the winners of Carlow and Wicklow looming on June 6th. The next task may be to seek the services of Dolan jnr, the recently-retired defender John Keane, and Denis Glennon who quit the panel during their disastrous league campaign that saw them relegated from Division Two.

The All-Ireland football championship will be launched from Kerins O’Rahillys club in Kerry on May 4th. “We have placed a special emphasis on the importance of our clubs over the past 12 months by assisting them to devise their own plans and by listening to their needs through the Ag Éisteacht programme, which has seen us visit Clubs across the country,” said GAA president Christy Cooney. “The decision to take the launch event for the 2010 championship on the road, and crucially to one of our club units, is a further indication of our commitment to that approach.”