Finding Dessie Dolan successor proving to be 'considerable challenge' for Westmeath
Westmeath's last two managers, Jack Cooney and Dessie Dolan, have been from the county having had non-natives at the helm from 1992-2018, though it remains to be seen if they will shop local once again as the search drags on.
The search for the next Westmeath senior football manager is proving to be “a considerable challenge”, county board chairman Frank Mescall has said.
The process has taken nearly two months so far, with Dessie Dolan having resigned from the role on August 9, and the selection committee has made little progress on appointing a successor to the Garrycastle man in the meantime. Dolan had served two years in the job having been part of Jack Cooney’s management team for a year before that. The high point of his reign was winning the Division Three title last March.
Mickey Harte made contact with Westmeath about the vacancy before winding up in Offaly while, more recently, Laois native Lar Wall, who managed The Downs to the Leinster club final two years ago and was in the running for the Meath job, was strongly linked. However, it appears that that trail has gone cold for now at least, and there appears to be a shortage of suitable candidates locally, though under-20 boss Damien Gavin has been mentioned.
READ MORE: Aidan O'Shea gives damning verdict on lengthy Mayo review on Kevin McStay
Bit Mescall, who is joined on the selection committee by Cooney and county secretary Declan Shaw, said that “we are still talking to people and it would be totally unfair to comment on speculation”.
He added: “The committee is working extremely hard on this, and it is not an easy task. We have spoken to a number of people, but we have not yet managed to get someone suitable in place. I thought a few weeks ago that we might be in a position to make a proposal, but that was not the case.
“The people we are targeting have a lot of commitments and it is proving to be a considerable challenge, but we are asking people to be just a bit more patient. I accept it’s not ideal and we would have liked to have someone in place for the knockout stages of the football championship, but we do want to get the best possible candidate for the position.”
Westmeath are one of just three counties that are still to appoint a manager for the 2025 season, along with Derry and Clare.
Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts.
Related
Share this page
Guest Posts by Easy Branches
