Brian Lohan wants Ger Loughnane to lead independent review of Clare

Legendary Clare full-back Brian Lohan wants Ger Loughnane to lead an independent review of the performances of the county’s senior hurling team and management.

The two-time All-Ireland winning full-back is adamant that a comprehensive analysis of Banner progress should be carried out, not by the county board, but by an independent committee chaired by his former manager Loughnane.

“I don’t think the county board is independent enough. By their actions, particularly in the immediate aftermath of the Cork defeat, they have shown that they are not independent. You could get the likes of Ger Loughnane to chair that independent committee. There is no doubt about his commitment to Clare and his credentials,” Lohan told The Clare Champion.

The 2015 UL Fitzgibbon Cup winning manager was speaking at the launch of the Torpey’s Hurleys UL GAA golf classic, which will be held at Limerick Golf Club on Friday, August 21.

Lohan was critical of county board chairman Michael McDonagh’s statement last week, which indicated that no debate would take place on the future of Clare senior hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald.

“What I thought should have happened was the clubs should have been given an opportunity to air their views on it. I think the clubs deserve the opportunity to debate. I think the motive was to get Davy in for another year but the clubs would probably have supported that anyway. Maybe there would have been one or two dissenting voices but that’s not a bad way to have it,” Lohan maintained.

“I don’t see why Michael McDonagh has rushed in, getting this done and pushing this through. I just can’t understand it. It would have been good for clubs to discuss it and air some things. It shouldn’t be the remit of the county board chairman to go off and get this done.” Lohan feels that a thorough debate, which he stresses should never get personal, would be good for Clare hurling.

“There is nothing wrong with airing views. We might learn from it. But this idea of shoving everything through and producing this statement to make out there was loads of conversations, which everyone knows is not true. I just can’t understand why they have all this secrecy and this speed to get things through,” he said.

Lohan says the performances of the senior team have not matched expectation following Clare’s 2013 All-Ireland win.

“Certainly you couldn’t be happy with the way the team has played over the last two years. You couldn’t be happy with the results. That’s why it’s more important that views are aired and have a genuine discussion in relation to the performance. It’s not that you’re out to get anyone or out to have a go at anyone but a genuine review is needed. It’s not too late to do that. There are fantastic hurling people in Clare,” he said.

County board chairman McDonagh has denied any suggestion he prevents open debate on contentious issues.

“I’m not running a dictatorship,” McDonagh told The Clare Champion, insisting that issues with board decisions can be raised at the next county board meeting, although a date has yet to be fixed.

“All I can say at this stage is, I will let every issue be discussed but I’m not going to tell clubs what to bring up at a county board meeting. That’s their business. My business is to chair it. It will be a normal county board meeting. If anybody wants to raise any issues whatsoever, then I will chair the meeting and anything can be raised. I have never yet stopped any issue being raised at a county board meeting or any discussion taking place,” the Miltown Malbay club man insisted.

Players back Fitzgerald: Page 24