Mark McHugh is to be appointed as the new Westmeath senior football manager.
McHugh, an All-Ireland winner with his native Donegal in 2012, was a coach with Westmeath under Dermot McCabe last season.
However, McCabe stepped down from the Lake County role last month to become manager of his native Cavan – creating a vacancy in Westmeath which is now to be filled by McHugh.
A highly regarded coach, McHugh worked with the Roscommon senior footballers under Davy Burke in 2023 and had a previous stint training the Fermanagh minors. He also coached the Donegal women’s senior football team and in 2024 trained Galway outfit Moycullen.
RM Block
McHugh’s name is to be put forward for ratification to Westmeath officials on Tuesday night.
McHugh, an All Star in 2012, continues to play club football for Kilcar. His brother, Ryan, is a key player for Donegal and was instrumental in their journey to July’s All-Ireland final.
Their dad, Martin, was an All-Ireland winner with Donegal in 1992. Martin subsequently managed Cavan and guided the Breffni County to the Ulster title in 1997 – which was their first Anglo Celt triumph in 28 years.
Westmeath have only achieved one Leinster SFC triumph in their history, lifting the Delaney Cup in 2004 while under the guidance of Páidí Ó Sé.
The Lake County will be competing in Division Three of the National League next season after dropping down from Division Two this year.
However, many of Westmeath’s defeats this season were by narrow margins and there was a sense if they had any luck in 2025, it tended to be of the bad variety.
Westmeath’s championship aspirations came undone against Kildare at the quarter-final stages of the Leinster SFC this year, the Lilywhites edging the fixture by two points. It was a result that confirmed Westmeath’s place in the Tailteann Cup.
Inaugural winners of that competition in 2022, Westmeath progressed to the quarter-finals of the Tailteann Cup this summer where they lost to Wicklow.
The Lake County’s immediate ambitions for 2026 will be to stage a promotion push from Division Three next spring.
However, it is likely to be a highly competitive division with Down, Sligo, Wexford, Clare, Fermanagh, Limerick and Laois all hoping to be vying for one of the two promotion spots.
Of course, one of the further implications from their league relegation is the likelihood Westmeath will be again competing in the Tailteann Cup next summer – unless they can navigate a path to the 2026 Leinster senior football final.
Promotion from Division Three is no guarantee of securing a spot in the All-Ireland senior football championship as both Kildare and Offaly discovered this season.
Westmeath are one of the last counties to appoint a senior football manager for 2026, with the midlanders originally expecting McCabe to remain at the helm for at least another season.
Fermanagh are now the sole remaining county left to appoint a senior football boss for next season. Kieran Donnelly stepped down as Erne County manager last month after four years in charge.
