Westmeath officials have expressed themselves guardedly happy with the weekend's disbursement from Central Council. Saturday afternoon's meeting approved the recommendation that counties receive between £40,000 and £50,000 as their dividend from the success of the All-Ireland qualifiers.

Westmeath had been particularly anxious that the extra revenue be diverted to the counties after their memorable but exhaustive season in the football championship. By the time Meath had eliminated them in the All-Ireland quarter-final replay, Westmeath had played seven matches.

"From our point of view we're delighted to receive £40,000 or maybe more," said county PRO Patrick Doherty.

"Our only slightly negative feeling was that we had hoped that the share-out might have been more scaled for participation. Overall we're pleased but we could have been more pleased."

The season was the most successful in the county's history as the team demonstrated on three occasions that it was well able to hold its own with the best in Leinster, current provincial champions Meath.

With Luke Dempsey in charge the county built on his achievements at minor and under-21 All-Ireland level. But as Westmeath found out, success comes with a stiff price tag.

"Most of the cost comes from maintaining a panel, bringing them to and from matches, meals, buses and the occasional overnight. What we are getting will go some of the way towards that cost but not the whole way."

As has been the case with a number of counties, the cost hasn't been simply a matter of expenditure but also, according to Doherty, the effect on revenue of the expanded intercounty schedule.

"Rather than just Westmeath's advancement, the live TV matches affected us. Club fixtures had to be played at less sociable hours: Sunday evening rather than Sunday afternoon or Saturday evening when the live coverage was on the television. That affected attendances."

Doherty accepts that the newly- attained prominence of the county has its advantages from a commercial perspective. "At the end of the day, a county team - if successful - will find the support is there, particularly from sponsors and the commercial end of things. But any financial structure depends on success. If it's there, you've a better chance of being able to keep it going."

But financial hardship hasn't blunted appreciation of the great season. "Absolutely not. To get to an All-Ireland quarter-final was a tremendous achievement for a new panel of players, a new manager and management structure.

"Most of them had worked together at some level before but this was the first time everyone had an opportunity in the senior championship and they'll have learned a lot from that."

The fate of two cases before the Games Administration Committee last night will be revealed this morning.

Most prominent is the hearing for Brian O'Meara, the Tipperary hurler dismissed in the All-Ireland semi-final replay against Wexford. O'Meara was reported for dangerous play, which carries a suspension of four weeks - sufficiently long to stop him playing in next month's final.

If this is the decision the player or his county could take the matter on appeal to the Management Committee or Central Council.

Also down for decision was Dublin football manager Tom Carr who was reported for jostling a linesman in the drawn Dublin-Kerry All-Ireland quarter-final in Thurles over three weeks ago. This charge is serious and carries a six-month suspension. The GAC delayed the hearing so that Carr could make a personal appearance before it.