GAA:After last weekend's disappointment of losing heavily to Galway, Ger O'Loughlin has resigned as Clare hurling manager.
In a recent spate of resignations, O’Loughlin’s decision to step down comes after Offaly’s Joe Dooley and Wexford’s Colm Bonnar also stepped down from their positions.
O’Loughlin took over from Mike McNamara and enjoyed only limited success as Clare failed to get out of NHL Division 2 and had two All-Ireland campaigns ended prematurely by Galway in the qualifiers and at the hands of Dublin last season. Put another way, he failed to win a championship game during his tenure.
O’Loughlin was an All-Ireland winner in 1995 and 1997 and came into the Clare post after winning club title with Clarecastle and Adare. However, after last weekend’s heavy 17-point defeat, the 43-year-old gave the impression his time was up.
"I'll have a very serious think about it (my position) now. It's like everything else, you give your heart and soul for the two years,” said O’Loughlin after the game at Pearse Stadium.
"I think we've made progress. Though the results are poor, we actually have a nucleus built now to go forward. We need an injection again now of five or six 18, 19, 20-year-olds in the next year or two. Clare will win something in the next maybe three years."