Departure of minor manager causes upheaval in Westmeath GAA

Westmeath’s promising minor hurling campaign in 2026 was followed by a major setback - with manager Ger Beehan and his entire management team stepping down after just one year in charge amid concerns over the level of support being provided.

This appears to have been a strong factor in the upheaval that has engulfed Westmeath GAA recently, with speculation circulating last weekend that Westmeath GAA chairman Paddy Wallace had stepped down from his position, though he has denied such claims.

The departure of Beehan and his highly-regarded management team comes despite a season which delivered significant progress, including impressive victories over Dublin and Laois, and has sparked a controversy over the resources available to Westmeath’s young hurlers.

Beehan, along with Pat O’Brien, Seamus Ennis, Greg Gavin, Fintan Clarke and Martin Geary (Southern Gaels) made a definite impression with the minor hurlers this year.

O’Brien has strongly criticised Westmeath GAA for its lack of support, but this was refuted by Westmeath County Committee chairman Paddy Wallace, who insists the minor hurlers were well catered for. While there is disquiet, the chairman has confirmed he is remaining in place and a County Committee meeting is scheduled for this Friday evening.

Westmeath were unlucky not to advance in the Leinster championship after good displays against Kilkenny, Dublin and Laois. While Kilkenny proved a bridge too far, Westmeath had a very positive victory over Dublin, 1-19 to 0-15, and produced the goods to overcome Laois in Portlaoise, 0-26 to 0-13. They also overcame Offaly, 3-18 to 2-14.

However, they failed to progress to the knockout stages after Wexford scored a late goal to deny Kilkenny. The disappointing result against Kilkenny (4-18 to 0-14) ultimately cost Westmeath.

The previous year, Westmeath lost heavily to Dublin (7-17 to 2-18) and this year’s victory over the Metropolitans suggested solid progress had been made with a promising group of young hurlers.

But in a surprising development, the minor hurling management team has stood down in full.

It is understood they wrote to the Westmeath County Committee seeking support in a range of areas for next year, including strength and conditioning, recovery, nutrition and facilities. They received no reply after seven weeks so when asked, via a text message, if they would be returning to their roles for next year, they declined.

Pat O’Brien, speaking on last week’s Iarmhí Abú podcast programme, explained the manager had met with the Coiste na nÓg chairman and secretary, Shane Briody and Barry Kelly respectively, and their views were passed on to the county management committee. Concerns were raised around a number of areas including gear, first aid kits, prompt payment for gym use and catering, equipment for training, venues and recovery sessions for dual players.

Westmeath minor hurlers played seven matches at home in the last two years and never played in TEG Cusack Park, explained O'Brien.

“If they replace Ger Beehan with someone better, I would like to meet them. In all my 40 years involved, I have never met anyone as organised or as diligent,” he remarked, praising how professional he was in terms of planning and delegating.

“He's the best man I have seen to organise, delegate and motivate,” he added.

The minors were “the only shining light in hurling this year” O'Brien claimed, stressing that they should have been looked after better. “In the top 10 scorers in the Leinster Championship we had three players, and we didn't play a semi-final or a final. In the top 10 in Ireland, we had one,” he added.

O’Brien said there is frustration among all underage managers (from U15 to minor level) as they feel there is a lack of support from Westmeath GAA for their efforts, which he explained is voluntary. Martin Geary, one of the minor hurling selectors, travelled eight hours a week to and from training, he said.

Chairman Paddy Wallace rejected O’Brien’s claims, insisting Westmeath GAA provided strong support for the minor hurlers and said he regrets losing the services of Ger Beehan.

“I want to thank him and his management team for their great work and their decision to stand down came as a surprise to me. We held a review and concerns were raised. People were on annual leave which complicated things, but I would refute a lot of the claims that have been made,” he said.

“I was chairman of Coiste na nÓg when Ger Beehan took the role and I have nothing but praise for him and his management team. I was hoping he would complete his two-year term and I pushed for that at the outset. Obviously, there was a review with Coiste na nÓg and Ger has stood aside, which I very much regret. I hope he returns to Westmeath in the future.”

The chairman said Westmeath GAA provided as much support as possible while adhering to the regulations set down by Croke Park regarding when minor teams can train. According to Pat O’Brien, the Westmeath minor hurlers completed 70 sessions this season.

Westmeath GAA is in the process of developing a new training centre but that is many years down the line. The chairman said he understands frustration regarding a lack of facilities for training, but acknowledged the great support he has received from clubs.

The search is underway for a new minor hurling manager and the chairman confirmed Westmeath Coiste na nÓg has begun the process.

There was also some discord over the departure of Kenny McKinley as U20 football manager, with former Westmeath star Alan Mangan publicly critical of the decision not to reappoint McKinley.