Big weekend looms as Lake County face key home games
Westmeath will open their Allianz Football League Division 2 campaign at home to Louth on Sunday (2pm), marking Dermot McCabe's first competitive game as manager.
The Cavan native took over from Dessie Dolan last year and stressed he is keen to ensure the Lake County are very competitive in the second division.
The fixtures present a challenging campaign that includes local derbies against Cavan, Meath, and Roscommon, with the latter rounding off the league programme on March 23.
Louth will provide a stern test in Sunday’s opener. Having reached the last two Leinster finals and this year's All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals under Ger Brennan, the Wee County have been one of the standout teams in the province. Westmeath will be seeking to avenge their 2023 Leinster championship loss to Louth, where a second-half comeback overturned a promising first-half showing by the Lake County, a performance they couldn’t sustain.
Westmeath's first away fixture is a trip to Clones to face Monaghan, who were relegated from Division 1 last season. This will be followed by a Saturday evening clash against Cork at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on February 15.
McCabe will face his native Cavan in Round 4, with Westmeath enjoying home advantage on February 23. The following week, traditional rivals Meath will visit Mullingar in a highly anticipated clash.
A trip to Newry to face Down on Saturday March 15 promises to reignite a rivalry that delivered two thrilling encounters during the 2024 Division 3 campaign. Those matches included an entertaining draw in Mullingar and a dramatic victory for Westmeath in the Division 3 final at Croke Park.
The league campaign concludes with a home tie against Roscommon, where McCabe’s management team will face added intrigue. Former Donegal star Mark McHugh, now part of McCabe’s Westmeath setup, was a coach with Roscommon as recently as 2023. Roscommon, under Davy Burke, will be eager to bounce back to Division 1 following their relegation last season, making the stakes potentially high for this midlands derby.
Westmeath’s squad faces significant challenges, with stalwarts like John Heslin, Kevin Maguire, James Dolan, David Lynch, and Andy McCormack either retired or unavailable. The new management team must also adapt quickly to a series of rule changes in Gaelic football, with the absence the O’Byrne Cup pre-season competition no real help to the Lake County’s cause. They did have challenge games against the likes of Clare and Mayo in recent weeks.
Westmeath will be buoyed by having four of their seven games at TEG Cusack Park, providing crucial home support in what promises to be a highly competitive division.
Allianz Football League Division 2 - Westmeath’s fixtures
Round 1: Sunday, January 26 – TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar (2pm): Westmeath v Louth
Round 2: Sunday, February 2 – St. Tiernach’s Park, Clones (2pm): Monaghan v Westmeath
Round 3: Saturday, February 15 – SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh (5pm): Cork v Westmeath
Round 4: Sunday, February 23 – TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar (2pm): Westmeath v Cavan
Round 5: Sunday, March 2 – TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar (2pm): Westmeath v Meath
Round 6: Saturday, March 15 – Páirc Esler, Newry (6pm): Down v Westmeath
Round 7: Sunday, March 23 – TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar (1.30pm): Westmeath v Roscommon
Hurlers take on Laois in Division 1B
Seoirse Bulfin’s Westmeath senior hurlers meet Laois on Saturday at TEG Cusack Park (2pm).
The Limerick native, who succeeded Joe Fortune at the end of the 2024 season, has already been impressed by the enthusiasm within the camp.
With a strong backroom team, including David O’Reilly and Shane O’Brien, Bulfin is focused on building momentum ahead of a competitive league schedule. “We have made a good start, and there are a lot of players showing keen interest in playing for Westmeath, which is very positive,” he noted.
“We can’t bring everyone, but we are hoping to have a development panel running that will expose players to a higher level and help prepare them for next year and the year after.”
Westmeath’s Division 1B fixtures include crucial home games against Laois, Dublin, and Waterford, as well as some big away clashes. Saturday outing is a must-win match against the O’Moore County, Bulfin admitted.
“The first game against Laois is a key fixture,” Bulfin emphasised.
“If you win, it sets you up nicely, and if you lose, you are on the back foot in the division. So we know how important that first round is.”
Division 1B promises to be fiercely competitive, featuring Offaly, Waterford, and Carlow, alongside Westmeath, Laois, and Antrim. The stakes are high, with the top two teams earning promotion and the bottom two facing relegation.
The absence of the Walsh Cup pre-season competition has posed challenges for teams preparing for the league and Bulfin expressed disappointment at the decision to cancel these tournaments following the Gaelic Players Association’s (GPA) call for an extended rest period for players.
“It’s a tough league, and it’s difficult to get players properly prepared with the limited time we have,” he remarked. “This year, there are no Walsh Cup games, which I feel is a disadvantage. The GPA wants to give players a break, and that’s important, but the Walsh Cup would have given us a good chance to give fringe players some game time. Counties now have to arrange challenge games instead.”
2025 Allianz Hurling League Division 1B fixtures
January 25: Westmeath vs Laois (TEG Cusack Park)
February 2: Westmeath vs Antrim (Corrigan Park)
February 9: Westmeath vs Dublin (TEG Cusack Park)
March 2: Westmeath vs Offaly (O’Connor Park)
March 9: Westmeath vs Waterford (TEG Cusack Park)
March 22: Westmeath vs Carlow (Dr Cullen Park)
With preparations well underway, Bulfin and his team are determined to make an impact this season.
“It has been a positive start for us with the number of players we have seen, and the focus now is very definitely on that first game against Laois,” he remarked.
Lidl Ladies NFL Division 2
The Westmeath senior ladies football team will open their Lidl National Football League Division 2 campaign against Cork in Páirc Uí Rinn on Saturday, January 25 (2pm).
Frank Browne’s side will welcome Donegal to Mullingar in Round 2 on February 2, followed by another home fixture against Clare on February 9.
The Lakeside ladies then face back-to-back away trips to Galway (February 23) and Tipperary (March 2), before finishing with two home games against Roscommon (March 23) and Monaghan (March 30).
After three wins and four losses in last year’s league, Westmeath will aim to improve this season.
Westmeath fixtures:
Round 1: Saturday, January 25 – Cork v Westmeath
Round 2: Sunday, February 2 – Westmeath v Donegal
Round 3: Sunday, February 9 – Westmeath v Clare
Round 4: Sunday, February 23 – Galway v Westmeath
Round 5: Sunday, March 2 – Tipperary v Westmeath
Round 6: Sunday, March 23 – Westmeath v Roscommon
Round 7: Sunday, March 30 – Westmeath v Monaghan