enjoyed his greatest success as captain of the Feakle senior team. Having lost their first championship decider in almost thirty years in 1987, Feakle reached a second successive final the following year. Ruan provided the opposition, however, a 1–17 to 1–10 victory gave Loughnane a championship medal. Inter-county Loughnane arrived on the inter-county scene as a member of the Clare minor hurling team in 1970. The following year he lined out in his sole Munster decider in that grade, however, Clare endured a 6–13 to 3-5 walloping from Cork. After progressing onto the under-21 team he faced narrow Munster defeats at the hands of Tipperary in 1972 and Waterford in 1974. Loughnane made his senior championship debut on 24 June 1973 in a 3–11 to 3-9 Munster semi-final defeat by Limerick. In 1974 Loughnane lined out in his first Munster decider in the senior grade. A 6–14 to 3-9 trouncing by Limerick was the result on that occasion. In spite of that defeat Loughnane later had the honour of being Clare's very first All-Star recipient. After facing a fifteen-point defeat by Kilkenny in the league final in 1976, both sides faced each other again at the same stage the following year. A 2–8 to 0–9 victory gave Clare the title and gave Loughnane a National Hurling League medal. Clare later faced Cork in the provincial decider, on a day when armed robbers made away with the takings from the gate of £24,579 during the second half of the game. Clare conceded an early penalty but they fought back to take the lead until a contentious red card for full back Jim Power turned the tide for Cork and they fought on win by 4–15 to 4–10. Clare retained their league title in 1978, with Loughnane collecting a second winners' medal following a 3–10 to 1–10 defeat of Kilkenny once again. In a repeat of the previous year Clare faced Cork in the subsequent Munster decider. In one of the worst ever provincial deciders and only the second one ever not to produce a goal, Clare were narrowly defeated by 0–13 to 0–11. As the final whistle sounded Loughnane, who had scored the last point of the game, slumped to the ground in frustration and thumped his hurley off the pitch. Once again he was later honoured with a second All-Star. This defeat demoralized Clare, however, Loughnane lined out in a