Mullingar to host 2011 GAA Congress

Westmeath GAA has been boosted with the news that the 2011 GAA Congress is set to take place in Mullingar it has been confirmed.

It will be the first time that Congress has taken place in the Lake County, with the Mullingar Park Hotel to host the event from April 17-19.

For many years, Congress was a permanent fixture at the Gresham Hotel in Dublin, but a Westmeath motion ended this and has seen Congress travel to Killarney, Kilkenny and Cork in recent years.

Westmeath's outgoing Central Council delegate Liam Martin has been heavily involved in bringing Congress to Mullingar in two years time and he believes it will be a huge boost to the local economy.

"In ordinary economic times it would be a boost, but with the down-turn in the economy and so much doom and gloom out there it will be a significant event from a revenue point of view in that the spin-off's from Congress will be huge," the St Loman's clubman said.

"People will have to take B&B's and be put up in other hotels and have to eat. I think it is a massive boost for Westmeath in general."

The 2010 Congress will take place in Newcastle, Co Down next April.