The Sixties to 1982

The Shamrocks first title of the sixties was in ’63, when they beat a good Dunloy team in the Final in Glenariff. In 1966, they beat Glenariff after a replay, and the following year Mitchells of Belfast went down to a rampant Loughgiel side. Three in a row was completed in ’68, when they beat Rossa at Casement Park.

The 1970’s started brightly enough with the Shamrocks winning in ’70 & ’71, going on to reach the County Final in ‘74, only to lose to Sarsfields at Corrigan Park. Although Loughgiel had won the Feis Cup in 1977 and again in 1979 they were not making much progress in the Senior Hurling Championship. The last appearance as mentioned was 1974. In 1976 their neighbours and great rivals Dunloy had beaten them in the Semi Final. Ballycastle beat them in the next three semi-finals 77, 78 & 79 all at Dunloy. In 1980 things did not improve as Dunloy beat them in the First Round at Fr Healy Pk. Dunloy were victors by one point, Loughgiel 2-7 Dunloy 2-8.

1982 – The Double Year

Defeats by Sarsfields in the League and Glenariff in the Feis Cup did little in inspire confidence in the Loughgiel camp early in 1982.In the Championship they faced a first round home tie against Sarsfields, which they won. Little improvement was shown against St Johns in another home match in the Quarter-final. Some signs of hope began to emerge when they beat a fancied Cushendall team in Dunloy at the Semi-Final stage. Loughgiel Minors also won through to the County Final to play neighbours and rivals Dunloy.

Before a packed house at Dunloy the Shamrocks won the double.

The seniors beat pre-match favourites, Ballycastle, by seven points, Loughgiel 5-9 Ballycastle 3-8 and the Minors had quite a few to spare over Dunloy the final score Loughgiel 8-7 Dunloy 1-2.