Award is fitting recognition of Sean McLoughlin’s legacy for Tipperary and Thurles Sarsfields

If there had been a transfer system in place in the GAA scene of the 1960s on the lines of that which operates in soccer, Tipperary and Thurles Sarsfields prolific goal scorer Sean McLoughin’s value would have been in the muti-million euro category.

Sean will be presented with the Knocknagow Hall of Fame award by the Tipperary United Sports Panel at the Annerville Awards night at the Talbot Hotel in Clonmel on Saturday night, January 25, a hugely deserved if somewhat belated recognition of his exceptional contribution to the success of Tipperary and Thurles Sarsfields hurling from the late 50s right through to the 70s.

His trophy collection speaks for itself. Two minor All-Ireland medals, four senior All-Ireland Celtic crosses, six National League, six Oireachtas, two Railway cups with Munster, and ten county senior hurling titles with Thurles Sarsfields.

These reflect the consistently high level of performance he produced in a career that spanned three decades between club and inter-county action.

The goal-poacher supreme, he had few equals. In the 1952 minor All-Ireland hurling final he scored 3-2 from play. A year later, again against Dublin, he bagged 4-3.

That early promise was realised at senior level in the years that followed. When Tipp needed a goal, McLoughlin was invariably the provider. His duels with Cork’s Jimmy Brohan and Kilkenny’s Pa Dillon were not for the faint-hearted and were the stuff that fuelled animated debate in GAA circles.

He first figured at senior inter-county level in 1958 but it was not until the 60s that he cemented his place in the side, going on to win four senior All-Irelands in a five- year spell now regarded as Tipperary’s golden era.

Topping six feet, he was athletic, strong and brave.

The unorthodox manner in which he frequently found the net – hand-passes and kicked goals were a speciality -tended to overshadow his innate hurling skill, but were the ideal foil to the approach of the ball-playing Jimmy Doyle, Donie Nealon and Babs Keating.

The ultimate team player, who never chased personal glory, Sean delivered goals consistently and at crucial times during his wonderful career.

And there were the ones that got away. Tipp’s defeat by Waterford in 1963, sandwiched between the All-Ireland success of ’61,’62,’64 and ’65, denied the Premier County a record-breaking five McCarthy Cup titles in a row. Tipp dominated the game but lost 0-11 to 0-8 – a Sean McLoughlin goal disallowed in the second half would have drawn the game and given Tipperary the opportunity to keep alive their bid to achieve the magic five in the replay. To add to Sean’s frustration, he was the team captain that year.

In the county semi-final against Roscrea in ’71 two disallowed goals helped Roscrea through by three points – one umpire reportedly commenting, you got away with them before Mac, you’re not getting away with them again.

Sean’s inter-county career ended in ’69 but he was still a key figure in the Sarsfields set up into the 70s. He was part of the glorious squad that claimed ten Dan Breen cups in eleven years – from 55-59 and 61-65.

He established himself in the team in ’57 and when Sarsfields lost to Toomevara in the 1960 final, Sean played on the Thurles Crokes football team that won county senior honours that year, the only time the title came to Thurles.

In 2016 Sean was inducted into the Thurles Sarsfields club’s Hall of Fame, comfortably sitting alongside former colleagues such as Tony Wall, Jimmy Doyle, Martin “Musha” Maher and Mickey “Rattler” Byrne.

In a typically unassuming acceptance speech, he described the speaking ordeal as more daunting than an hour on Pa Dillon.

The accolade from the Tipperary United Sports Panel is a most fitting recognition of Sean McLoughlin’s legacy.

An unsung hero of the Tipperary GAA story, no one deserves it more.

Wouldn’t Liam Cahill love now to have a player of the calibre of Sean McLoughlin at his disposal?

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