New managerial role for Shane Curran in Westmeath
Shane Curran has been appointed as Caulry football manager for the 2021 season.
Curran will be assisted by highly regarded coach Owen Mooney (Learning and Games Development Coordinator for Dublin GAA), while his selectors will be Caulry insiders Shane Carroll and Padraig Moran.
The former St Brigid's and Roscommon goalkeeper has plenty of managerial experience.
During his time in charge of Padraig Pearses, Curran led the Moore/Taughmaconnell club to two Roscommon SFC final appearances. They lost out to Clann na nGael in the 2015 decider and were beaten by another local rival, Curran's former club St Brigid's, in 2016. Curran also managed the Roscommon U-20 team, reaching the Connacht final in 2018.
An All-Ireland club medal winner with St Brigid's in 2013, Curran was an often flamboyant figure on the field and he is an outspoken figure on a range of GAA matters.
A native of Castlerea, Curran was manager of the Durrow team which won this year's Offaly Senior 'B' title. However, Curran did not attend the final against Gracefield over what he felt was the Offaly County Board's disregard for player safety regarding Covid-19 issues.
In this year's Westmeath SFC, Caulry suffered a heavy defeat to 2019 champions Garrycastle, but then played out a draw with Athlone. A win for Caulry in the latter game would have earned the Mount Temple/Baylin outfit a place in the knockout stages.
Caulry then edged out neighbours Castledaly after extra-time in a play-off, a win which secured their place in the senior ranks for 2021. Winners of the Westmeath intermediate crown in 2019, Caulry will be hoping that Curran and Mooney can get the best out of the many talented young players in their ranks.
Curran played in the League of Ireland for Athlone Town and the Brideswell resident famously saved a penalty from Derry City's Stuart Gauld in 1995, thereby denying the Candystripes the league title.
Shane's daughter Lauren was part of the Roscommon ladies football panel which reached the semi-finals of this year's All-Ireland intermediate championship.
This is the time of year when GAA clubs prepare for the following season by making managerial appointments, and other local clubs have also been busy in this regard.
Rosemount have appointed Ian Bradley as manager of their senior team. Bradley from Rochfortbridge succeeds former St Brigid's and Roscommon star Frankie Dolan in the role.
Bradley is a former Westmeath U-16 and minor manager and his selectors with Rosemount will be Damien Kelly and Ronan Fagan.
Rosemount reached the quarter-finals of the 2020 Westmeath SFC, where they were defeated by Athlone.
Meanwhile, Rosemount's Paddy Malynn has been appointed as new manager of the Kilbeggan Shamrocks intermediate team for 2021. Malynn, who succeeds John Gordon, was part of the Rosemount management team for the last three years.
Garrycastle recently reappointed Gary Dolan (manager), John Keane (coach), Franco Doolin (selector) as part of their management team, alongside new selector James Duignan.