Ger O’Loughlin to manage Newtownshandrum

Clarecastle’s Ger ‘Sparrow’ O’Loughlin will manage Cork club side Newtownshandrum in 2013.

Throughout the past decade the North Cork side have been on the hunt for honours on an annual basis. They have won three senior Cork titles (2000, 2003 and 2005) while they lost the finals of 2002 and 2007.

The club, which includes such as Ben and Jerry O’Connor, Cathal Naughton and Jamie Coughlan in their ranks, also won provincial and All-Ireland honours in that time. The Munster successes were in 2003, 2005 and 2009, while they were crowned All-Ireland champions in 2004.

O’Loughlin won a number of championships with his club and was also part of their Munster title-winning side in 2007. He was a key forward in the Clare side that won three Munster and two All-Ireland senior titles in the late ’90s.

He has coached a number of Clarecastle teams from underage to adult. He managed and coached Adare to three Limerick senior titles in succession before taking over the role of Clare senior manager for two years.

He bowed to pressure and returned as Adare manager last year and led them to the county final where they suffered a narrow defeat at the hands of a Tony Considine-managed Kilmallock.

O’Loughlin will meet the Cork panel of players this weekend before beginning preparations for the year ahead.