Ger Loughnane battling leukaemia - Independent

Ash Smoker · January 13, 2012, 08:23:25 PM

'Irresponsible' media angers Loughnane

GAA: Former Clare hurler and manager Ger Loughnane has strongly criticised some sections of the media for their conduct during his battle with leukaemia.

The RTE hurling pundit is recovering from treatment and returning to good health but has been left with "nothing but absolute contempt" for certain journalists after he was requested to do an interview days after he started treatment and it was then reported to have died last July.

"The lowest point of all was when the rumours that I was dead went around. That was the hardest thing to deal with," said Loughnane. "I had the first phase of chemotherapy just finished and the first phase is very, very difficult."

After such an ordeal he and his wife Mary had to calm his distraught son Conor, who had rung from Australia upon hearing and reading reports of his father's death.

"He saw it all over the internet and he couldn't be convinced that I wasn't (dead), even when he was talking to Mary. He thought she was just trying to calm him down," told The Star . "I had to ring Conor back to reassure him that everything was fine."

The 58-year-old was also angered by requests for an interview from a reporter that came two days after he started treatment.

"I got a message from an RTE reporter looking to do an interview. I didn't even reply to it."

The request was re-routed through a friend. "I was on the chemo for three days, he knew I was on chemo but he wanted to do an interview for his own gratification. Worse still then, he wanted to do an interview at the end of the year.

"He sent me a text saying he was thinking of me and praying for me, and was there any chance I'd do an interview. That's despicable stuff altogether.

"It shows the kind of insincerity that is there with a certain section. When you see it as barefaced as that, you have nothing but absolute contempt for the people who are trying to pull that kind of stunt."

http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/gaa/2012/0113/1224310218790.html

Ash Smoker · January 13, 2012, 08:24:17 PM

Can any remember what journalists or papers reported Ger as being dead?

heffo · January 13, 2012, 11:30:13 PM

Quote from: Ash Smoker on January 13, 2012, 08:24:17 PM
Can any remember what journalists or papers reported Ger as being dead?

Without naming names, a sports journalist from a paper outside the big two 'broke' the story on Twitter.

IolarCoisCuain · January 13, 2012, 11:46:47 PM

Quote from: heffo on January 13, 2012, 11:30:13 PM
Quote from: Ash Smoker on January 13, 2012, 08:24:17 PM
Can any remember what journalists or papers reported Ger as being dead?

Without naming names, a sports journalist from a paper outside the big two 'broke' the story on Twitter.

f**k him Heffo. Name names.

stephenite · January 14, 2012, 05:48:45 AM

Quote from: IolarCoisCuain on January 13, 2012, 11:46:47 PM
Quote from: heffo on January 13, 2012, 11:30:13 PM
Quote from: Ash Smoker on January 13, 2012, 08:24:17 PM
Can any remember what journalists or papers reported Ger as being dead?

Without naming names, a sports journalist from a paper outside the big two 'broke' the story on Twitter.

f**k him Heffo. Name names.

f**k him is right.

Whilst I'm sure it wasn't done maliciously, anyone who 'breaks' a story without verifying the facts deserves to be named and shamed. The title journalist shouldn't be applied either.

Donnellys Hollow · January 14, 2012, 04:11:37 PM

Ger Loughnane continues courageous fight against cancer

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Clare hurling legend Ger Loughnane has become the latest person to be subjected to rumours of a premature death on the global social media service Twitter.

Mr Loughnane, 57, led Co Clare to its first All-Ireland win in more than 80 years in 1995 and repeated the triumph in 1997. He was diagnosed with leukaemia two weeks ago and is being treated at St James Hospital in Dublin.

Late last night reports were circulated on Twitter that hurling had lost one of its most iconic figures. Early this morning the Irish Examiner's Chief GAA correspondent John Fogarty commented on his personal Twitter account and paid tribute to the principal of St Aidan's National School in Shannon who is also a well-known commentator and media pundit.

Other media outlets were also circulating the story, and it appeared for ten minutes on the Irish Examiner website www.IrishExaminer.com before it was deleted.

John Fogarty has spoken to Mr Loughnane's wife and apologised profusely for adding to the confusion and for any hurt and distress he has caused and has removed his original message from his account. The Irish Examiner adds its apologies unreservedly and is reviewing its social media policies to ensure that no further such incidents take place.

Read more: http://www.irishexaminer.ie/sport/gaa/ger-loughnane-continues-courageous-fight-against-cancer-162481.html#ixzz1jRw72Oyo

heffo · January 14, 2012, 05:10:09 PM

I know the guy in question, so I'd rather not have to name him. Sure DH has cleared it up anyway.

Donnellys Hollow · January 14, 2012, 08:52:40 PM

Quote from: heffo on January 14, 2012, 05:10:09 PM
I know the guy in question, so I'd rather not have to name him. Sure DH has cleared it up anyway.

Fair enough Heffo and that's an understandable stance but it's not like this story isn't widely known anyway. I think everyone knows that John Fogarty posted his comments in good faith and I'm sure he has personally apologised to Loughnane in the interim.

Anyway it's great to hear that Loughnane is making a good recovery. Met the man on a few occasions and he is a true gent.

seafoid · January 15, 2012, 10:12:17 PM

any news on how Fr Harry Bohan is doing? He's a great ambassador for Clare.

cornafean · January 19, 2012, 09:43:23 AM

Not the first time for that particular journalist to make an ass of himself by 'breaking' a bs story.

Sonny Joe · March 09, 2012, 11:04:35 AM

Personally apoligised my arse!!!

No excuse' for distress caused by death rumours, says Loughnane19 hours ago 5,625 Views 3 CommentsShare Tweet7 Image: ©INPHO/Tom HonanGER LOUGHNANE HAS criticised the person who sparked reports of his death from cancer last summer, saying that they "just wanted to be the one with the story."

Rumours of the Clare hurling legend's passing spread across the internet as he was finishing his hospital treatment for acute myeloid leukaemia last July.

Senior Clare officials subsequently made contact with the family and confirmed that the reports were false, but not before word had reached his son in Australia.

The whole incident was greatly distressing and came at one of his weakest moments, Loughnane revealed in an interview with Seán Bán Breathnach which is to be broadcast on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta tomorrow.

"My son Conor was in Australia, and he called very early the following morning because someone had called to sympathise with him on my death after another friend had seen the message on Twitter and passed the word on," Loughnane said.

He spoke to my wife Mary and she told him that it was a rumour and that it wasn't true, but he didn't believe her. So she had to wake me at 7.20 am so that I could call Conor and he would hear my voice and know that the rumour wasn't true.
Loughnane, who won two All-Star awards as a player and two All-Irelands as Clare manager in the 1990s, has already been critical of the insensitive manner in which some members of the media have approached his illness.

Asked if the person who started the rumour had apologised, Loughnane said that they were too afraid to speak to him in person and had just left a voicemail message instead.

"The person didn't have the guts to call me to speak to me, they just dialled directly into my voicemail and left a message.

There's no excuse for it. It was just a rumour, and that person should have known better from their own experience and profession. They just wanted to be the one with the story, that's all they cared about.
"If it had happened while I was in the hospital it mightn't have been as bad, but that was the day when I was weakest, when I had just left the hospital and was preparing to get back to life outside, and it was extremely difficult. It didn't help me at all."

deiseach · March 09, 2012, 11:58:21 AM

Huh. I wonder who that was who left a voicemail. It can't have been John Fogarty, who spoke "to Mr Loughnane's wife and apologised profusely for adding to the confusion and for any hurt and distress he has caused".

Sonny Joe · March 09, 2012, 12:08:42 PM

And didn't speak personally to Mr Loughnane

heffo · March 11, 2012, 08:20:29 PM

Quote from: deiseach on March 09, 2012, 11:58:21 AM
Huh. I wonder who that was who left a voicemail. It can't have been John Fogarty, who spoke "to Mr Loughnane's wife and apologised profusely for adding to the confusion and for any hurt and distress he has caused".

It wasn't Fogarty. I won't say publically who it was though.

deiseach · March 12, 2012, 12:48:50 PM

Quote from: heffo on March 11, 2012, 08:20:29 PM
Quote from: deiseach on March 09, 2012, 11:58:21 AM
Huh. I wonder who that was who left a voicemail. It can't have been John Fogarty, who spoke "to Mr Loughnane's wife and apologised profusely for adding to the confusion and for any hurt and distress he has caused".

It wasn't Fogarty. I won't say publically who it was though.

So Fogarty did speak directly to Loughnane's wife? Fair enough if he did.