Overnight internet speculation suggesting the death had taken place of Clare hurling legend Ger Loughnane has been revealed as a hoax.
Loughnane has been battling against leukaemia in recent months, during which time he has been absent from his role as a member of RTE’s hurling studio analysis team.
Rumours of his passing started to circulate on internet message boards and via social media channels Facebook and Twitter at around midnight last night, prompting widespread tributes from GAA supporters everywhere.
Mayo senior footballer Conor Mortimer and former Dublin star Johnny Magee were among those to express their appreciation of Loughnane.
Mortimer tweeted “Rest in peace Ger loughnane . You will me missed greatly .prayers to you and your family . #RIP”, while Magee wrote “R.I.P Ger loughnane #legend”.
However, it turns out that rumours of Loughnane’s death are well wide of the mark, with Irish Examiner GAA correspondent John Fogarty, also on Twitter, reporting Clare PRO Syl O’Connor as saying “if anything, [Loughnane] is getting better”.
The Feakle native steered Clare to two All-Ireland titles in the 1990s, when the county brought an end to 81 years without an All-Ireland during the infamous “Curse of Biddy Early”.
