2023 Sports Review February

Mullingar Bowls Club returned to competitive action in February when they played host to Tyrrellspass in their first inter-club activity since the pandemic closed them down. The sides shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw.

There were some interesting results too when local darts players toed the oche in various establishments around the county in early February. One of the more intriguing encounters unfolded at the Wagon Wheel, Ballynacargy, when the home side lost to Clarke’s A from Mullingar. A fine standard of darts was observed over the evening, not least when Derek Maguire and Ali Powell renewed old acquaintances. Matthew Willoughby shone for Clarke’s.

Meanwhile, in the Western Gem, Ballinalack, Kerrigan’s, Mullingar, recorded a 5-1 victory to leave them in second place in the competition, followed by Grennan’s, Milltownpass, who defeated McHugh’s, Raharney. Clarke’s B denied Bagnall’s, Rochfortbridge, to leave them level with the Bridge Bar, Mullingar. The Wagon Wheel was in the race for fourth spot.

In football, Westmeath lost by 0-12 to 1-6 against Cavan in TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar, paying the price for a desperately poor first half display in which they only scored three points, despite playing with the wind. In mitigation, Westmeath took to the field without six of the team that started the Tailteann Cup decider and this was surely a major factor in the disjointed first half performance. To make matters worse, valuable defender Jamie Gonoud was forced off through injury in the eighth minute.

Manager Dessie Dolan was naturally disappointed with the defeat to Cavan in his first league match as manager, but he backed his players to bounce back.

Elsewhere, Westmeath ladies footballers were enjoying more success. They had five different goal scorers when they played a defensively lapsed Laois side in Lakepoint Park, Mullingar, with Milltown’s Sarah Dillon notching up an impressive 2-3. Sarah was joined on the pitch by her sisters Tracey and Rachel with the latter scoring 1-1. Anna Jones scored 2-0, Ciara Blundell 1-1 and Kelly Boyce-Jordan, another Milltown player, added another goal.

When the ladies beat Roscommon 3-7 to 1-11 at the end of the month it was deemed that if Aoife Connolly had not been on board the result would have been different. Westmeath now needed nothing less than three back-to-back wins to gain promotion.

Meanwhile, Aidan Keena was signed for EFL League One side Cheltenham Town, an opportunity he said he could not let pass. According to reports in the UK media, Cheltenham Town paid a club record fee to Sligo Rovers to secure the services of the 23-year-old Mullingar man who finished the previous season as the top scorer in the League of Ireland.

Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, Keena said it was a tough decision to leave Sligo, “but it’s an opportunity that I couldn’t turn down”.

A major Westmeath GAA underage sponsorship deal was agreed in February with Kilbeggan natives, Michael and James Stones who run the hugely successful MJS Building and Development company in New York.

The agreed package which was described as “quite substantial”, ensured that the MJS logo would adorn the Westmeath underage jerseys and training gear for three years. The company will also sponsor the various underage leagues and championships in the county.

The brothers are deeply involved in the Westmeath GAA club in New York and have major connections with Kilbeggan where they played underage football, and with Castletown Geoghegan with whom they hurled.

In another local twist to the deal, it was announced that Eddie Casey of KC Sports would provide all the gear for the development squads in the county.

Students from St Finian’s College, Mullingar, were successful in the Leinster Senior Schools’ meeting at the National Aquatic Centre in Dublin in early February.

They were Hannah Boyle, Grace Downes, Quyen Bartley, Orla Gil-Dillon, Sarah Davitt and Kristupas Ulys. Each of them performed superbly and did their school and swimming club, Mullingar Jets, proud. There has been a tradition of swimming in St Finian’s over the years and in times long past, there was a swimming pool close to the old boarding school, on the grounds. These young competitors have to train all the time with their club, often before school.