The death has occurred of Ray McLoughlin, one of the true legends of Irish rugby, who passed away late last Saturday night at the age of 82. A renowned tighthead, McLoughlin played a then record 40 times for Ireland over a period of 14 seasons, from 1962 to 1975, and was also a two-time British & Irish Lions tourist.
He captained Ireland on eight occasions and, in introducing structured training sessions and instilling discipline, was regarded as a visionary ahead of his time.
Born in 1939, McLoughlin was a native of Ahascragh, Ballinasloe and was educated at Garbally College, where he actually played number 8. He played his early rugby in Ballinasloe RFC, captaining their junior team to Connacht Cup success in 1958 before going on to play for UCD, where he was converted into a prop, and briefly with Gosforth (while taking his MSC at Newcastle University) and Blackrock College. He remained loyal to Connacht whom he captained (and called the lineouts), as well as playing for Ireland and the Lions.
McLoughlin set immense standards as a meticulous player, captain and tactician, notably on becoming Irish captain in 1965 when introducing his coaching ideas, planning and strategies, which was quite revolutionary at the time. He was a perfectionist and serious about his rugby, but was also highly respected.
He went on the 1966 Lions expedition, playing in both winning Tests in Australia and the first Test in New Zealand, as well as 14 provincial fixtures before his tour was cut short through injury.
He was also picked on the 1971 Lions tour to New Zealand under legendary Welsh coach Carwyn James and would have won more Test caps for the tourists but for sustaining a broken thumb in a famously fierce match against Canterbury.
The England & Lions hooker and captain John Dawes once said McLoughlin was sorely missed. “Ray was the wisehead, the intelligentsia of forward play. He and Carwyn would spend hours together, Carwyn trying to learn from Ray the intricacies of forward play.”
McLoughlin was also a member of the Barbarians side in which Gareth Edwards famously scored “That Try” against the 1973 All Blacks at the Arms Park in Cardiff.
A former frontrow teammate at both Blackrock and Connacht and longtime friend, Dr Mick ‘Bomber’ Browne, said: “Ray was a guy from the west of Ireland who made a huge contribution to Irish rugby. ‘Mac’ was a very disciplined individual who insisted on the training sessions. Players had to like it or lump it, but he was very well respected and liked.”
In the pantheon of Irish props, Browne says simply: “He was as good as there has been. Someone tell me a better Irish prop or someone tell me a better Lions’ prop? He was a tremendous scrummager, as strong as a bull. He was also a very intelligent man who knew how to apply his strength. You couldn’t shift him. Just a very, very good player.”
“Like many others, I had huge admiration and respect for him as an individual and as a player. Ray wasn’t your ordinary soul.”
A successful businessman, McLoughlin became CEO of industrial holdings group James Crean in 1973 and later chairman of printing group Oakhill.
He sold James Crean for €70 million after paying €12.2 million for the company in 2001.
He was also head of the planning and policy division of the Industrial Development Authority of Ireland and was subsequently a non-executive director of Allied Irish Banks plc, the Custom Docks Development Authority, The National Board of Science & Technology and a number of other companies and organisations.
