DUBLIN’S SHANE O’BRIEN is to go forward for ratification as the new Westmeath senior hurling manager.
Westmeath GAA announced this evening that the recommendation will take place at a county board meeting next month and will see O’Brien take over from Joe Quaid.
O’Brien was involved in a coaching capacity with the Limerick native in Westmeath this year and previously with him in Kildare when they won the Christy Ring Cup in 2018.
O’Brien has also had roles in Dublin with U21 hurling, senior camogie, Dublin Colleges and Trinity College teams. In 2017 he was joint manager of Wexford club Oulart-the-Ballagh.
His backroom team will be of interest with Galway’s Alan Kerins and Tipperary’s Paudie O’Neill coming on board. Kerins will take up a coaching and performance role. A former dual star with Galway, he won All-Ireland club medals in both codes with Clarinbridge and Salthill-Knocknacarra during his playing career. More recently he coached Galway senior club Gort and underage sides in his native Clarinbridge.
O’Neill will take up the role of director of coaching. He was heavily involved with Tipperary during Eamonn O’Shea’s spell as senior hurling boss. O’Neill has prior stints with Dublin underage sides and the Ballyboden St-Enda’s club as well.
Former Westmeath hurler Brendan Murtagh will remain as a selector having been involved this year and there will be other additions to the coaching setup over the next few weeks.
Westmeath reached the Joe McDonagh Cup final this year where they lost out to Laois before they bowed out of the All-Ireland series at the opening hurdle against Cork.
