Colortrend supports Westmeath ladies
April 30, 2011The Westmeath ladies footballers have high hopes for 2011 and supporting them in their quest for glory will be Colortrend Paints.
Colortrend, which is the main brand of General Paints Ltd, replaced Conroy Recycling as the team's main sponsor last year and is looking forward to maintaining its links with the team in the coming year.
"We're delighted to be associated with the Westmeath ladies," says Mullingar man Pat Layde, who is Operations Director of General Paints' manufacturing facility in Celbridge, Co. Kildare.
"I've been involved with the Westmeath and St. Loman's teams in recent years and I know the effort those players put in. The Westmeath ladies football board are doing great work to promote the sport and when Sheila Lyster approached me about sponsorship, I was delighted to be in a position to be able to help."
Pat, who managed the St. Loman's senior ladies team last year and is the club's coaching coordinator, says the presence of a Colortrend store in Mullingar's Lough Sheever Corporate Park makes the sponsorship all the more fitting.
"We've had a store in Mullingar for the past three years, so with that in mind, it made perfect sense to do the sponsorship. By having the name on the jersey, it will make people more aware of us in Westmeath. It can only be good for business," he continues.
Established in Celbridge in 1953 by Ronan O'Connor, General Paints provides a range of premium quality paints in a huge array of colours and finishes which are perfect for every surface both indoors and outdoors. Historically, the company's focus was on the manufacture and distribution of decorative paints and industrial coatings to independent paint retailers and industrial coatings customers. Retail activity was confined to the 'factory shop' adjoining the manufacturing facility in Celbridge.
Over the years, the importance of the professional retail outlet increased and General Paints devoted more time and energy to improving its retail outlet and training up staff to offer the highest level of product knowledge and customer service. Following on from this, General Paints opened its first one-stop paint shop in Waterford. In 2008, the company added two further stores in Mullingar and Dundalk to its network of retail outlets and in doing so, continues to offer more of Ireland's most discerning paint customers quality product at a competitive price, and supported by technical expertise and customer service.
Colortrend's own stores offer the full range of General Paints' decorative and household paints and also carry a wide range of other paints, wallpapers and associated products. The company's aim is to become the reference point for DIY enthusiasts, trade painters, professional specifiers and special effects paints alike who need advice on product selection and paint application. This aspect of its service - expertise from trained staff combined with the best in customer service - mirrors the long-standing ethos of General Paints.
In addition, General Paints is Ireland's only member of Color Guild International - an international association of independent paint manufacturers. This association operates a group-buying programme and shares the cost of developing and bringing to the market new colour systems and merchandising tools.
Looking to the future, General Paints Ltd is well positioned for strong growth and will stay at the forefront of new technology in all areas of the paint industry. The company is committed to leading research and development of new products as well as maintaining its stringent quality controls and standards on its existing product range.
Well-known in local rugby circles going back over many years, Pat got involved in ladies football through his daughters who were playing for St. Loman's. Oldest daughter Aislinn was goalkeeper when St. Loman's won senior championships in 2004 and 2005 (they completed a three-in-a-row in 2006), while Katie continues to line out for the Delvin Road club as well as the Cullion camogie team.
His son Patrick jnr also plays football with Loman's and rugby with Mullingar, but is perhaps better known for his hurling exploits. He was a member of the Westmeath team which won the All-Ireland 'B' minor championship last year and also featured for St. Oliver Plunkett's in their run to the senior championship semi-final. In addition, he won a minor Division 2 championship medal with Plunkett's last year.
"Before getting into the ladies football, my only involvement with the GAA had been during my school days in St. Mary's CBS when we won a Cumann na mBunscol title. Ned Moore of Mullingar Shamrocks fame captained that team," remembers Pat, who is originally from Patrick Street but now lives in Bellview Heights with his Tipperary-born wife Margaret.
"I played hooker on the Mullingar rugby team for many years and played in a few Towns Cup finals. If it wasn't for the girls, I probably would never have got involved with ladies football."
Pat spent a couple of seasons as assistant manager of the Westmeath ladies senior team (Kenny McKinley was manager) before taking over the St. Loman's reins last year. He reveals that the club is currently in rebuilding mode after the many successes of the past decade.
"Our senior team is going through a transitional phase at the moment," he explains.
"A lot of the girls who were part of the three-in-a-row team are either no longer involved or are coming to the end of their careers so we're in the process of introducing new players.
"We won both the minor and under 14 'A' championships last year as well as the Feile, so the future looks bright. I learned a huge amount from Joe Maleady who brought St. Loman's from junior up to senior in the space of a few years and turned us into the top club in the county. Hopefully, I'll be able to put that knowledge to good use."
While 2010 was a disappointing year for the Westmeath intermediate ladies football team, the achievement of the minor side in reaching the Leinster 'A' and All-Ireland Shield finals bodes well for the future.
Building on the provincial 'B' title wins at under 16 and minor level in 2009, the minors recorded a sensational Leinster semi-final victory over Dublin before succumbing to Laois in the final. As beaten Leinster finalists, they entered the All-Ireland Shield competition and accounted for Down in the semi-final. But silverware once again eluded them when they lost the final to Mayo.
"The performance of the minor team was hugely encouraging. If we can get these girls through to the intermediate team, I've no doubt that results will improve and the future will be bright. We have a very good underage structure in the county and please God it will bear fruit at adult level in the next few years," he adds.
Overall, ladies football is making great strides in the Lake County with the total number of clubs now standing at 19. As recently as the 1980s, the senior championship was a two-horse race between Rochfortbridge and Coralstown, but things have clearly come a long way since then. Tweet
