Ger Loughnane has questioned the leadership qualities of GAA president Liam O'Neill and director-general Paraic Duffy.

Like the two-time Clare All-Ireland hurling manager, both men come from teaching backgrounds and the latest PR disaster to rock the GAA - i.e. the decision to fix tomorrow's All-Ireland SFC semi-final replay for the Gaelic Grounds rather than Croke Park - has moved Loughnane to question in his Irish Daily Star column whether they are up to the task of "making decisive decisions".

"If you travel Ireland, you would hardly find two more honourable men, or two who have given better service to the GAA than these," Loughnane - a former primary school principal - writes.

"The big problem is they come from a teaching background and, like so many teachers, they want to be all things to all men, have a terrible fear of not being liked and are unable to make the tough decisions that are part and parcel of running the biggest sporting organisation in the country.

"Because of this, they are often taken in by PR spin and marketing. Now there is a place in running a modern organisation for spin doctors and marketeers, but every suggestion they make should be minutely scrutinised and questioned.

"And there are many times when they just should be told 'no'. Leaders coming from a business background have no problem in doing this.

"But most teachers - reared on a diet of answering to various government agencies - struggle to cope with making decisive decisions.

"You just couldn't imagine someone like former GAA president Peter Quinn allowing these kind of fiascos to happen."

The Feakle man also has a warning for Mayo fans who have never been to the Gaelic Grounds before:

"My advice to the Mayo supporters making the trip to Limerick is to put out the Child of Prague tonight and pray that tomorrow is dry and calm.

"The Gaelic Grounds isn't a place you'd wish to visit on a wet day with a stiff breeze blowing in from the Clare hills. Just picture playing on top of Croagh Patrick on a bad day.

"Not for the faint-hearted. However, on sunny summer days, with the stadium packed, it does have a magical atmosphere."

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