DUBLIN 1995 ALL-Ireland senior football winner Paul Bealin is set to take the managerial reins of the Westmeath footballers.
Pat Flanagan, who guided the team to Division 1 league football last April when they claimed promotion from Division 2, had also been in the frame to be in charge for 2014.
But Bealin is to get the nod from Westmeath GAA chiefs to preside over their county’s fortunes next year.
Bealin has previous inter-county managerial experience with Leinster outfits. He was in charge of Wexford for the 2006 and 2007 campaigns while he was at the helm of the Carlow footballers for the following year.
Currently Bealin is in charge of the Parnell’s senior football side in Dublin. He has had extensive previous club managerial experience with Dublin’s Ballyboden St-Enda’s, Cavan’s Mullahoran and Kildare’s Monasterevin.
The highlight of Bealin’s playing career was his involvement with the Dublin team that lifted the Sam Maguire Cup in 1995 with a final win over Tyrone in Croke Park. He also won a National football league medal in 1993 with the county.
Westmeath bowed out of the Leinster championship this year with a heavy defeat in June against Dublin before then losing in the All-Ireland qualifiers against Fermanagh in Mullingar.