Clare legend Ollie Baker will be part of new Westmeath hurling manager Kevin O’Brien’s backroom team.

Baker, who previously managed Offaly and is a member of the Southern Gaels club in Athlone, will act as a performance coach, while Portumna’s Damien Coleman will also be involved. Former Clonkill and Westmeath sharpshooter Brendan Murtagh is also on board along with sports psychologist Niall Stack, who managed his native Tullamore to three Offaly SFC titles in 2021, ’23 and ’24.

Other confirmed members of the backroom team are Darren Giles from Kinnegad (player wellbeing) and Barry Whelan from Castletown-Geoghegan (stats). Further additions will be made in due course.

“Damien is a top-class coach and worked with Portumna in Galway and Cushendall in Antrim. He’s director of hurling in Galway and is a very experienced coach nationally. The forwards’ coach is Brendan Murtagh, and Ollie Baker is coming in as a performance coach. He will work one-on-one with players,” O’Brien told Iarmhí TV.

“Our work begins when the club championship is over - players from clubs who are out of the championship will be our immediate focus. Collectively as a group we will set our goals.”

Meanwhile, Castletown-Geoghegan’s 6-26 to 0-11 drubbing of O’Brien’s former Clonkill charges was the big talking point of Round 3 of the Westmeath SHC. Lough Lene Gaels also signalled their intent with a big win over Raharney, while Fr Dalton’s edged the once-mighty Castlepollard closer to the relegation trapdoor with a 3-14 to 1-14 victory.

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