JOE FORTUNE HAS been appointed as the new Westmeath senior hurling manager, succeeding Shane O’Brien on a two-year term.
The role will be Fortune’s first at senior inter-county level, having previously managed Dublin’s U21 hurlers to a Leinster title in 2016.
More recently, he took charge of Ballyboden St Enda’s and steered them to the Dublin county title in 2018 before returning to his native Wexford for a stint with James Shiel’s U20s.
The Westmeath county board confirmed Fortune’s appointment on Thursday evening, and said that his backroom team will be announced “in the coming weeks”.
Westmeath were relegated to Division 2A following a winless top-flight league campaign this spring, but victory in the Joe McDonagh Cup final — in what was O’Brien’s final game in charge — secured their return to the Leinster championship for the 2022 season.
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