Former Tipperary player and Offaly boss John McIntyre is the new Galway hurling manager. It was a case of third time lucky for the Lorrha man when he was ratified as Ger Loughnane's successor for a two-year term at last night's Galway hurling board meeting in Athenry, having seen off stiff competition from favourite Michael Bond and Noel Lane to land the job. McIntyre, who is the sports editor of the Connacht Tribune newspaper, had applied for the job on two previous occasions, only to be overlooked both times. He will be joined on the ticket by Galway's 1980 All-Ireland winning captain Joe Connolly, former minor manager John Hardiman and under 21 selector John Moylan. McIntyre was one of three short-listed for the post after the initial field of eight, which included Mattie Murphy, Vincent Mullins, Jimmy Heverin, Anthony Cunningham and Gerry Spellman, was whittled down by last weekend. He will be the first Galway manager to take the Tribesmen into the Leinster championship - a province he is well familiar with after managing Offaly on two separate occasions - when they face Laois at O'Moore Park next May. He has worked with several clubs in Galway, including Clarinbridge, who he led to a county title a few years ago, Abbeyknockmoy, Kinvara and Loughrea, and becomes the first Tipperary man since Michael 'Babs' Keating in 1979 to take charge of the Tribesmen. Tweet

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