GER LOUGHNANE’S INTENTIONS in criticising Clare hurling teams, ex players, former managers and board officials are not genuine according to Davy Fitzgerald.
Writing in his column for The Irish Daily Star last month, the two-time All-Ireland winning manager was particularly critical of the Fitzgeralds, Davy and his father Pat who is the county secretary.
Loughnane felt Clare’s failure to add to their 2013 All-Ireland success for which Davy was the manager is mainly due to the Fitzgerald influence.
“To me, the problem lies with the Fitzgeralds – Pat and Davy. Pat has been the main man in the county board for a long long time and he’s done plenty of good work in the past and is still doing good things. But I think he’s been there too long and has too much power.”
In a lengthy interview with The Clare Echo, Davy outlined his belief that Loughnane’s intentions are not genuine.
“I recognise that Ger Loughnane helped us achieve an All-Ireland after 81 years, I’ll always respect that but I actually feel sorry for him at the moment. I don’t think he has Clare interests at heart, there is way more behind that as we have seen over the past couple of years, Clare isn’t to the forefront of his mind.
“For him to write something like that, I feel sorry for him, I don’t feel any badness towards him, for him to resort to stuff like that when it’s completely the opposite and he had the loyalty of the Clare county board which backed him to the hilt unreal.
“Maybe he is out of touch completely with things that are happening, I think he probably is to tell you the truth. Ger doesn’t bother me one way or the other, I’m just disappointed because my Dad absolutely idolised him but I think enough of people see through it.”
Clare county board have been criticised for the manner in which the appointment of the 2020 hurling manager has been conducted. Current panellist, Paul Flanagan tweeted his criticism of GAA administrators in the hours following Donal Moloney’s decision to withdraw his name from the contest due to “ongoing uncertainty”.
Online anonymous criticism from online sources has irked Davy who having discovered the identity of some trolls described them as “nobodys”.
“My Dad has taken unbelievable stick, I’ve seen different county secretaries work and I’ve never seen a more honest guy, I’m so delighted that he has been secretary for the most successful time in Clare’s history ever.
“While I was with Clare, we fought non-stop because he is a very passionate man, very down to middle and I’m certain he is one of the best things that ever happened Clare, it just hurts a bit when people are writing stuff for their own agenda, when they write stuff about Dad they are not doing it for Clare I can promise you.”
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