John McIntyre has revealed that one of the first people to congratulate him on his appointment as Galway's new hurling manager was his predecessor Ger Loughnane. Speaking earlier today, the former two-time Offaly manager said that Loughnane, who was ousted from the Galway hotseat after two disappointing years, had already telephoned him to offer congratulations on his appointment last night. "Ger Loughnane was one of the first men to call me this morning," said McIntyre, who added that he appreciated the move because the Connacht Tribune (where McIntyre works as sports editor) may have been critical of his tenure at different stages. "Maybe he was a victim of his own reputation down here. Maybe we can learn from some of the things that didn't materialise for Ger Loughnane and his management team." The former Tipperary star's appointment was something of a surprise given that Michael Bond had been the long-time favourite for the job. It was a case of third time lucky for the Lorrha man after he was overlooked for the job twice before in 1992 and '94. "I suppose I have served my apprenticeship," he added. "But because of that, I appreciate the honour and privilege bestowed on me by the Galway hurling board last night." Tweet

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