Former Westmeath star Dessie Dolan is still involved as a player with Garrycastle.
By Cian O’Connell
It is a particularly interesting week around the streets of Athlone with two clubs from the town set to do battle at the quarter-final stage of the Westmeath Senior Football Championship on Sunday.
Tubberclair will provide the backdrop for the eagerly anticipated clash between Athlone and Garrycastle with a place at the penultimate stage the prize for whoever emerges victorious.
Athlone, despite being the most prolific winners of the competition in Westmeath, haven’t sampled glory since 1998, while in the intervening two decades Garrycastle have chalked up seven titles.
Neighbours are involved in the respective clubs so this upcoming game is capturing the imagination. “There is no parish rule in Westmeath,” Garrycastle Chairman Michael Mannion explains.
“Any young fella from the age of 10 can pick his club at that stage. It more or less goes on family history. Garrycastle is a very young club, we were only formed in 1981 so we wouldn't have that many players on this team with father's who played for the club.
“My own son is playing corner forward alright, but there isn't too many others. Players are picked up in schools.”
The Garrycastle club is sprinkled with former Athlone players from previous generations too according to Mannion. “Dessie Dolan Senior played for Athlone winning a lot of Championships,” Mannion adds. “Our President, Seamus Nugent, was part of the five in a row Athlone team. A lot of people involved in Garrycastle would have been involved in Athlone before Garrycastle was founded.”
Athlone Chairman Padraig O’Rourke is encouraged by the amount of graft being carried out in the underage ranks. “The last time we won a Senior Championship is a long time ago, it is 20 years exactly in 1998,” O’Rourke says.
“We have brought a lot of young guys through, we have done a lot of work at underage over the last few years. We won the Minor Championship last year for the first time since 1996 so definitely young lads are coming through, especially in the last five years or so.
Ray Connellan has recently returned to action with Athlone following a stint in the AFL with St Kilda.
“From last weekend's game three of the minor team from last year started for the senior team and you have one or two more on the panel. So you have four or five of last year's minors involved.”
Considering Athlone’s deep tradition how much has the landscape altered with Garrycastle’s emergence? “Garrycastle really came to prominence in the mid 80s and they have won seven Championships,” O’Rourke states.
“In saying that there is room for two senior clubs. Of course there is room for two senior clubs, Garrycastle took over there for the last 10 years, but it is time that Athlone got back up there.
“There has been a big emphasis on underage in the past number of years. It has been strong and the numbers are good, but no more than Garrycastle there is big competition within the town with rugby and soccer. So it is a continuous job to try to attract new players.
“It is hard work, but it is going good at the minute at underage level. A lot of people and parents are doing work so hopefully it looks good for the future.”
That willingness to invest time and energy in the juvenile ranks is key for Garrycastle also. Mannion highlights the Division Two All Ireland Feile success in 1995 as a pivotal moment in the development of the club.
“It is all about starting young now so ourselves and Athlone are working hard at nursery level with Under 6s, 7s, and 8s,” Mannion admits.
“Athlone would probably have a bigger membership with the older generation, but regards numbers of players at underage I'd say we are fairly level. It is like any club in a town there could be two neighbours, one could be playing for Athlone and the other for Garrycastle. That is just the way it is.
“We won a Division Two Feile in 1995, a lot of that team came up. We really had two groups of lads within two or three years of each other. That was our main team when we were going strong winning County Championships and when we got to the All Ireland Final against Crossmaglen.”
Former Offaly manager and Westmeath selector Emmett McDonnell is in charge of Athlone.
Some members of that team continue to serve the Garrycastle cause. “A lot of them players are gone now so other than Dessie Dolan, Doran Harte, and John Gaffey we have a new generation of players coming through,” Mannion adds.
“We won a Championship with Des Dolan Senior three or four years ago, but the last two years we didn't quite perform. This year we have won the Division One League, we beat Loman's in the Final, we are unbeaten in the Championship.
“The only team that beat us in the League was Athlone so it will be a tight game. The players know each, a lot of them went to school together and would have played other sports around the town together on different teams. They know each other well, but it is all about having the right mind on the day.”
Former Offaly manager and Westmeath selector Emmett McDonnell is in charge of Athlone, who are making strides according to O’Rourke. “Emmett came in this year, he took over from Tom Coffey, who was with us for three years,” O’Rourke remarks. “Emmett came in, he knew a lot of the guys from being involved in the Westmeath set-up with Tom Cribbin.
“He came across a lot of our guys with the Westmeath seniors and Under 21s set-ups. He is a young manager bringing a different thinking to the game and the players have bought into him well. He is doing very well.”
Ultimately it is an encouraging sign that two clubs from Athlone are respected and competing strongly in Westmeath.
“We have two senior clubs, there is a lot of other clubs on the outskirts of Athlone as well, you'd have Caulry not too far from us,” Mannion replies when asked about the health of the game in Athlone town.
“Within a couple of hundred metres of Garrycastle's grounds you'd have players playing with Caulry. Tubberclair are out the road, another Intermediate team and then you'd have Clann na nGael and St Brigid's, who are drawing out of Athlone from the Connacht side. They are on the Connacht side of the Shannon so you'd have a lot of them playing for the Roscommon clubs.
"In general regarding underage kids playing GAA within Athlone, and while there could be more, there is still a good number playing.” The stakes are piled high this weekend.
