Loughnane's future on a knife edge

THERE is much more at stake than deciding on Ger Loughnane’s future when Galway Hurling Board delegates convene in the Raheen Woods Hotel, Athenry, next Monday night.For the meeting – already twice postponed this week due to the tragic deaths of young hurlers, Tommie Larkins’ Paul Flynn and Killimor’s Shane Smyth – will be the culmination of a bitter power struggle within the Board and days of intense canvassing. The position of Hurling Board Secretary, John Fahey, who is highly respected for the professional and honest manner in which he has carried out his duties since succeeding Phelim Murphy in December of 2004, could also be on the line as vested interests step up their campaign against Loughnane.Fahey is closely identified with the outgoing senior team manager and if Loughnane ends up being turfed out of office, it would represent an untimely blow to the St. Thomas’ clubman, especially given his current standing as the most powerful GAA official in Galway.It’s no secret that Board Chairman Miko Ryan, Assist. Secretary, Mike Flanagan, and Assist. Treasurer, Malachy Hanley, all want Loughnane out and that spells trouble for the Board’s key officer who has been fighting a desperate rearguard action on two fronts in recent weeks.Former Galway bosses, Mattie Murphy and Jarlath Cloonan, are also understood to favour a change of team management – they were seen together along with Flanagan and Hanley in the Raheen Woods Hotel on the evening of the quarter-final double bill in Athenry – and, let’s put it this way, they were hardly discussing the controversial bail out of the banks! Another ex manager, Cyril Farrell, has already come out publicly against Loughnane staying on. Cloonan and Murphy spoke passionately....