The Late Peter Loughran The name of Peter Loughran will always be written large in the annals of Armagh football. Others will come and go and be forgotten, but his name will always shine. He stands on a pedestal that only the truly great can step onto and he will stand there as long as gaelic games are played. Peter the Legend will never die. While his family, family circle and the wider GAA world try to come to grips with the shock of his untimely death at the age of 55, a fresh sense of his achievements is rising everywhere and people all over Armagh and beyond are re-acknowledging a rare talent that gave so much to them all. While he had been away from the county scene for over two decades, his memory remains alive as ever. There is deep sadness at his passing, but also deep thanks among the people because he gave them many of the finest memories, lifted their spirits and enriched their lives throughout his career. One game of watching Peter Loughran in full song was worth a hundred games with lesser mortals. He began working on his skills as a toddler in the garden of the family home in Balinabee with his father Oliver, one of the main founders of the Carrickcruppen club and a good footballer in his own right. His abilities eventually brought him to the attention of the Armagh Minor management and the county was first treated to his skills in the successful Ulster championship campaign of 1968. He was drafted onto the senior panel later that year while still only 18 and for the next fourteen years established himself on the county as a fooballer of rare ability. From a technical point of view he was among the great naturally gifted footballers of the game, those of his own day or any other day. The young modern players and supporters who did not see him in action should be made aware that he was the natural predecessor of Peter Canavan, Stephen McDonell, Oisin McConville and Maurice Fitzgerald. As former county Board Chairman and fellow club man Tommy Lynch pointed out, Peter was totally dedicated to both club and county in every respect. From a very early age he showed the skills that would later blossom into Armagh's first and finest natural scoring forward. He also demonstrated a love of the GAA that lasted from his teenage days up to his untimely death and gave of his vast experience at all times in a totally unselfish manner. Tommy recalled that in the old days when very few turned up for county training, Peter Loughran was always there in every kind of weather and all circumstances. He was equally proud to wear the orange jersey or the red and white jersey and always gave of his best whether in training or in full action. He used all his outstanding talents to the full to better his county, his club and his province and along with a few other stalwarts such as Tom McCreesh and Jimmy Smyth kept Armagh together until better days came in the middle seventies. In those early county years he largely carried the Armagh attack on is own culminating in the virtuoso performance against Down in the first round of the Ulster Championship in 1973. In that period he was also among Ireland's leading scorers and twice topped the National league charts. Very few players in the history of the game had his selection of skills. At the peak of his powers, he was a George Best playing gaelic, had more ways of beating an opponent than any other player and could take on one defender after another and put the ball over the bar without breaking his step. As suggested earlier, he was a first class free taker. Many agree that he remains Armagh's greatest ever in this department and until he arrived on the scene with the senior county team back as 1968 when still a minor, Armagh simply had no one of that class. He was enormously respected by the Armagh supporters from all parts of the county throughout his playing career, and long after he had retired from the scene the murmurings could still be heard from Lurgan to Crossmaglen that "there'll never be another Peter Loughran". Some of the older hands from the time were heard to say that had been around in 1953, Armagh would have had a real scoring forward on board and taken the All Ireland. His role in the glory years of the county from 1977 to 1982 is well documented when Armagh arrived into the national limelight. His contemporaries of that period notably Joe Kernan and Jimmy Smyth point to his importance to the team and how his experience and ability so helped steer Armagh to their greatest days in a quarter of a century. Had the All Stars been given out on the same basis as they are today, that is, with the bulk taken from the All Ireland finalists, there is no doubt that he would have won two, 1977 and 1980. But in his time, the organisers kept changing the rules and he was a victim of this. But it does not take away from the fact that he was the greatest natural Armagh footballer of his time and one of the greatest of all time. He holds three Armagh senior championship medals, three Ulster senior medals, an Ulster minor medal and two Railway Cup medals. Local councillor and cousin John Feehan said that Camlough was in a state of shock with the tragic news. He said he recalled coming home from England in the sixties to see Peter playing for Armagh and Carrickcruppen minors and followed his career all the way after. "Peter Loughran was a true Gaelic football legend. He was part of the magnificent team of '77, and will go down in history as one of the finest footballers in Ireland in the 1970's. He ranked top scorer year after year" Dominic Bradley stated that news of Peter's untimely death had caused great sadness across the whole county. "He will be fondly remembered as a true Armagh Great, giving so much of his life to Gaelic Games. Through the years Peter helped to instill great faith in the Gaelic Game across the county. On the playing field he was a man of great integrity and spirit. He will be greatly missed and my sincerest sympathies are expressed to the entire family circle. "At a time when Armagh football is at an all time high, it is with great sadness that we have lost one of our true legends" Sharon Haughey stated. "On behalf of the citizens of Armagh City and District I express condolences to the Loughran family." Armagh manager Joe Kernan stated that Peter was a true gentleman and a loyal servant of Armagh for many years. "He was a top scorer throughout the whole of Ireland for a number of years in the 70's. He was one of the best forwards I ever saw and that was at a time when the likes of Mike Sheehy were at their peak. Even after he gave up playing, he was there at every county match giving advice and encouragement to the young. His death is a tragedy for the whole county". Newry and Mourne Mayor Pat McGinn described him as "an icon" to generations of Armagh supporters, and club secretary Leo McIntyre stated that the Loughran family had been synonymous with generations of Armagh and Carrickcruppen teams. Conor Murphy MP stated that Peters sudden death was a terrible tragedy for his family who he stated were held in the highest of esteem by all. "Peter and indeed the entire Loughran family have contributed a huge amount to Armagh Football, the Carrickcruppen Club and this entire community. There is a huge sense of loss throughout the area and our sympathies and thoughts are with the family at this moment." Courtesy of the Armagh Examiner 16th August 2005 Tweet

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