Former laois boss cribbin linked to vacant westmeath position

Former Laois and Offaly manager Tom Cribbin is the latest name to be connected with the vacant Westmeath senior football position, it has emerged.

It is understood that the Clane man was interviewed by Westmeath County Board's appointments committee last week.

Cribbin, a successful businessman who owns a chain of butcher's shops, made great progress with Laois in the years before the Mick O'Dwyer era, guiding the O'Moore men to a Leinster SFC semi-final in 1999, when they were unlucky not to overturn Dublin. Ironically, it was Westmeath who brought his Laois stint to an end, after the Lake County knocked them out of Leinster in 2000.

He later went on to manage Offaly, while at club level, he won two Kildare SFC titles in four years with Clane as a player-manager. He has also managed Kildare's minor footballers, and in recent years, was involved with the Shortgrass County's U21 side.

After the appointments committee's original choice, Peter Leahy, was rejected by county board delegates, former St Brigid's, Roscommon boss Noel O'Brien was also linked to the Westmeath post, while former county star and selector Jack Cooney was also in talks with officials.