Tipperary man honoured for half century of voluntary service
Johnny O'Loughlin has been member of Tipperary United Sports Panel since 1976
Above: Johnny O’Loughlin (left) with Tipperary United Sports Panel Chairman Connie Carroll. To mark his 50 years as a member of the Sports Panel, his fellow Panel members presented Johnny with a photo of the Tipperary team that won last year’s All-Ireland Hurling Championship
Earlier this year Johnny O’Loughlin from Clonmel was honoured by the Tipperary United Sports Panel for 50 years’ service to the committee. The Panel promotes amateur sport throughout Tipperary with the annual presentation of the Annerville Awards to the selected stars. Founded in 1959 and sponsored by Bulmers since 1964, the United Sports Panel is the longest-serving sports awards committee in the country.
Johnny joined in 1976 having been introduced by Sean Lyons, one of the founding members. In the 1950s Sean organised sporting quizzes in the Trades Hall (opposite the Clonmel Garda Barracks), in which Johnny was a regular participant. Sean asked him to join and the rest is history. He was a good choice and has the record of never missing a committee meeting during the intervening years.
Johnny was eminently qualified to become a member of the United Sports Panel in 1976. Born in the Old Bridge in 1941, he went to primary school in Ss Peter and Paul’s and to secondary in the High School. He showed an early interest in sport and soon showed his talent in hurling, football and basketball, lining out with St Mary’s in hurling and in football and basketball with Clonmel Commercials.
Basketball may appear a surprise inclusion but Johnny remembers it as a very popular game in Clonmel when he was growing up. The Commercials team played in the old Casino Hall and in St Luke’s, and occasionally in Kickham Barracks. Johnny graduated to play senior hurling and football with St Mary’s and Commercials respectively but got a shock at the age of 20 when he was advised on medical grounds to give up sport because of heart problems. His ailment didn’t stop him from looking after juveniles later in life with Commercials, and with Clonmel Óg after it was founded in 1984.
Having to give up active sport was a huge disappointment for a young man with such enthusiasm, who was a hurler, footballer and basketball player. Fortunately Johnny found a substitute in umpiring, not as active by any means but as close as he could come to the game without playing it. For nearly 60 years he acted as umpire for such respected referees as Brian White, Willie Barrett, TJ Corby and Brian Tyrrell. Umpiring took Johnny all over the country. His record is impressive. He officiated at senior football finals in all four provinces, numerous club finals and college finals as well. He loved the job, the travel and the camaraderie and continued doing it up to Covid.
He doesn’t recall any bad experiences. On one occasion he waved for a ’50 and the goalkeeper – he thinks it was against Roscommon – grabbed his arms and waved the ball wide! Referee Brian White had to come in to sort matters out. Another incident was in Clones. The officials arrived without the correct documentation, as they had been appointed as a replacement team, and the gate checker wouldn’t let them in because they had no written authorisation. It took the county chairman to sort matters out.
There was also a problem in Portlaoise when they found the advertisements behind the goals deprived them of space to go behind to get the required view of attempts at goal. It was difficult to get the groundsman to see their point of view but he did agree eventually.
Johnny’s life wasn’t all sport. He met the love of his life in Kathleen Phelan and they married in 1968 and took up residence in College Avenue. They had seven children, six boys and one girl - Michael, Christopher, Derek, Brendan, Seanie, Anthony and Melissa. They have all done well for themselves, and Seanie was the best footballer among them, with four county senior football titles won with Commercials.
Michael was a selector with the Tipperary senior and Under 20 teams, as well as a selector with the Tipperary ladies team, while Melissa has competed in several marathons.
Until she died in May 2024, Kathleen used to cater for the whole clan on Christmas Day. It must have been a noisy household!
Johnny continues as an active member of the United Sports Panel, always the first to arrive for meetings. His contributions to discussions are always well-informed and clearly stated. He prides himself in helping to organise the annual presentation dinner and in lining up the stars for their awards.
Interestingly, the star who received the golf award in 1976, Johnny’s first year as a Panel member, was Arthur Pierce, who received the Knocknagow Award (presented each year to a famous sports person of the past) 50 years later. Johnny’s long association with the awards is a tribute to his immense love of sport and his great knowledge of so many expressions of it.