McCabe and McHugh to lead Lake County
Westmeath have ratified Cavan's Dermot McCabe as the county's new senior football manager after he won unanimous support from clubs at Tuesday evening's County Committee meeting in the Mullingar Park Hotel.
McCabe will be joined by Donegal's Mark McHugh, who will lead a strong coaching team. McHugh was a coach/selector with the Roscommon senior team in 2023, a season when the Rossies finished in the top three in Division 1 of the Allianz Football League.
There will be one more outside coach added and Westmeath will have to source local selectors to work with the new management.
The process has been intense since Dessie Dolan resigned in August. Jack Cooney, former Westmeath senior football manager, who was part of the committee, noted that he has never been involved in anything as stressful.
Westmeath County Committee Chairman, Frank Mescall, said McCabe comes with excellent credentials.
"He's a very, very impressive man. As a player he was a really, really good player; and his coaching expertise - his day job is football, looking after development squads, all of that. He has hugely impressive credentials for that," he remarked.
"We weren't prepared to accept any 'Joe Soap'; we were selective. We approached a lot of people. We travelled to meet three people but in the end we decided on Dermot McCabe."
A statement from Westmeath GAA read:
"Westmeath GAA is delighted to announce the appointment of Dermot McCabe as the new senior football manager. McCabe brings an outstanding pedigree to the role, having represented his club and county at all levels throughout his illustrious career. As a player, he won six Senior Club Championships and secured both Ulster Under-21 and Senior titles with Cavan.
"A celebrated footballer, Dermot also represented Ulster in the Inter-Provincial Championships and Ireland in the International Rules Series on multiple occasions. In 1997, he earned the prestigious honour of becoming Cavan’s second-ever All-Star.
"In coaching and management, McCabe’s success is equally impressive. He has won Ulster Senior and Minor Championships with Cavan (he was part of Mickey Graham's management team when Cavan won the Ulster SFC in 2020) and two Senior Club Championships along with a League title with his home club, Gowna.
"Westmeath GAA is also pleased to confirm that Mark McHugh will join Dermot as his main coach. McHugh, known for his tactical expertise and dedication to the game, will be a key figure in shaping the team’s future. Together, McCabe and McHugh bring a wealth of experience, leadership, and ambition, making for an exciting chapter in Westmeath football."