Dessie Dolan steps down as Westmeath football manager

WESTMEATH manager Dessie Dolan has stepped down after a largely successful period in the hotseat.

Dolan, who was an All-Star with the county as a player and a Leinster championship winner, was in charge when the Lake county won the inaugural Tailteann Cup in 2022, beating Cavan in the final.

This season, he guided the Midlanders to the Division Three title and also promotion to Division Two for next season.

Under Dolan, Westmeath also held their own in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship round-robin series over the last two years, coming within a whisker of reaching the knock-out stages last year.

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However, on the downside they were unable to win a senior provincial or All-Ireland Championship game under Dolan.

In a statement, Dolan said: “We as a management team worked extremely hard to maintain the highest of standards for our footballers and I believe our performances in the All-Ireland series give a lot of optimism for the quality of players within the county.”

Next year, the aim for Dolan’s successor will be to keep Westmeath in the second tier and get that elusive Championship win under their belts.