Enda Mulvihill in action for Garrycastle in the 2012 AIB All-Ireland senior club football final at Croke Park. Photo: Sportsfile.

Westmeath GAA club mourns premature passing of former player

A sense of deep sadness has descended on Garrycastle GAA over the death of one of the club's former star players, Enda Mulvihill, at the age of just 43.

The popular father of two young children has been battling serious illness in recent months and he passed away last night.

Enda was part of the Garrycastle team which won the Leinster senior club championship in 2011, the only time a Westmeath club has claimed that prestigious title. Garrycastle defeated St Brigid's of Dublin in the Leinster decider in December, 2011 and went on to reach the 2012 All-Ireland final where they lost to Crossmaglen Rangers after a replay.

A winner of six Westmeath SFC medals with Garrycastle, Enda was also part of Westmeath's All-Ireland winning U-21 football panel in 1999.

Enda generally played for Garrycastle as a wing-back and he was a key figure in a highly successful period for the club.

Last year, Enda was among those involved in organising a reunion event to mark the 20th anniversary of Garrycastle's first Flanagan Cup success in 2001.

The Garrycastle Under-14 football team, including the late Enda Mulvihill, which won the Westmeath League final in 1993 against St Loman’s, Mullingar. Back row, from left left: Darragh Ormsby, Mark Jackson, Adrian Hanley, Cormac Nea, Caolan Bushell, Christopher Nally, Noel Galvin. Front row, from left: Micheal Nugent, John Dooley, Enda Mulvihill, Desmond Dolan, Edward Scally, Kevin Hayes, Seamus King and Shane Devlin.