Cooney named as Westmeath’s new manager

JACK COONEY has been officially installed as the new Westmeath football manager. Cooney, a former footballer with the county and a selector when Paidi O Se guided them to their only Leinster title in 2004, was confirmed at a meeting of Westmeath County Board last night. Cooney, who spent two years as a selector with Rory Gallagher in Donegal, has been overlooked for the position twice in the past and will be the first Westmeath-based manager since Luke Dempsey who as in charge between 2001 and 2003. Cooney takes over from Louth native Colin Kelly who stepped down after just one year in charge in which they beat Longford in the qualifiers before their summer was ended by Leitrim. Meanwhile, Mike Solan has emerged as the leading contender to fill the Sligo football management vacancy after Eamonn O’Hara’s withdrawal from the race.

Vacancy

The vacancy came after Tyrone native Cathal Corey stepped down from the role after just one year in charge. The expectation was that O’Hara, a successful club manager in the county, would take up the reins but that is not going to happen now. Solan guided the Mayo U-20s to an All-Ireland final in August where they lost to Kildare. He has been mentioned as a possible successor to Stephen Rochford but with James Horan likely to return, Solan has been touted as the next Sligo manager. The former Longford manager Denis Connerton has also been shortlisted for the position in recent days. In Louth, former minor boss Wayne Kierans is the favourite to take over from Peter McGrath who, like Corey in Sligo and Kelly in Westmeath, stayed just a year. Kerry, Mayo, Roscommon, Louth, Sligo and Waterford have all to fill vacancies in the coming weeks.