Westmeath chairman lauds progress

Westmeath GAA chairman Paddy Wallace believes Ronan Wallace's historic All-Star award is recognition not only of the player's individual achievements, but also of the hard work, commitment and structured development that has helped transform football in the county.

He also paid tribute to each of the other nominees – Matthew Whittaker, Sam McCartan and Brandon Kelly – stressing that it highlights the great progress Westmeath has made this year.

“It’s a major honour for Ronan Wallace, for Westmeath football and, of course, for Multyfarnham GAA Club, where it all began. It’s a positive story, another indication of Westmeath’s progress under manager Mark McHugh and the impact he and his management team have had in their first year. We in Westmeath GAA are extremely proud,” he said.

“It's a huge, huge honour for Westmeath. I'm sure it's a huge honour for the four nominees as well and it probably could have went to any one of the four.”

With Multyfarnham providing the club foundations for Ronan and several members of the current Westmeath panel, Wallace believes the award highlights the importance of the work carried out at grassroots level and the many people who contribute to bringing players through.

“It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these Westmeath players, and for Ronan,” he remarked.

He also viewed the All-Star as another significant step forward for Westmeath football, acknowledging the contribution of clubs and those involved in player development throughout the county.

“Absolutely, so many different people could be included in getting us to this point, people in the clubs where these lads all start. Our development side of things, I think it also leads on,” he observed.

“Ronan cane along a little bit after that whole development thing got up and going, but the other lads were all part of that, and for all of us in the GAA, this is recognition for the work that goes in,” he added.

The achievement is particularly special for Multyfarnham, a club that has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past number of years. Wallace pointed to the club's difficult circumstances in 2009 as an example of what can be achieved through hard work, organisation and the right people driving things forward.

“We’ve come a long way, I'm not trying to blow our own trumpet, but we were the second-worst club in Westmeath in 2009. That's the reality of it, and other aspects of our county and clubs probably could take a small lesson in that hard work does pay off, and structured processes are important,” he remarked.

He also highlighted the importance of the people around the club, from managers and coaches to those who have helped provide players with the opportunity to showcase their talents.

“The people around the club, their interactions. We can't thank the the managers enough, and particularly this year, Mark McHugh and Emmet McDonnell, and all those people who encourage and help the players to showcase themselves to the wider world,” he observed.

While acknowledging that several managers had played a role in laying the foundations for the current group, Wallace was keen to recognise the contribution of McHugh in helping the players make another step forward.

“There were one or two managers before this year also; those lads helped to get this started. But Mark is very much a part of this because he got the lads to the next level, and the local press for raising the profile of our games,” he remarked.