Loughnane played his club hurling with Roscrea and enjoyed much success in a senior career that lasted more than twenty years. He won his first county championship winners' medal in 1968, beginning a great era of success for the club. In 1969 Roscrea retained the county championship title before Loughnane subsequently added a Munster club winners' medal to his collection. A second set of county and provincial titles were annexed by Roscrea in 1970. Loughnane later lined out in the inaugural All-Ireland club final with St. Rynagh's providing the opposition. A 4-5 to 2-5 victory gave him an All-Ireland club winners' medal. Roscrea continued to be a major force in club hurling over the next decade with Loughnane winning further county championship titles in 1972, 1973 and 1980. He brought the curtain down on his senior club career following a defeat by Kilruane MacDonagh's in the 1985 club championship decider. When journalists decided, in 1996, to select a team of players to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the All-Ireland Club Hurling Championship Francis Loughnane was the only Tipperary player chosen. He was honoured in his accustomed position of right half-forward.
Inter-county
By the early 1960s Loughnane had joined the Tipperary minor hurling panel. He won a Munster minor medal in 1962, however, he failed to win an All-Ireland medal at this level. Two years later in 1964 Loughnane captained Tipperary to inaugural Munster and All-Ireland under-21 titles. He won a second Munster under-21 title in 1965. Three years later in 1968 Loughnane was a substitute when Tipp won the Munster senior title. Roscrea's period of dominance in Tipperary hurling meant that he was Tipperary senior hurling captain in 1969 and 1970. By 1971 he was a full member of the team and won his first senior Munster title. Loughnane later won his first All-Ireland title when Tipp defeated Kilkenny in a high-scoring game. He finished off the year by winning the first of three consecutive All-Star awards. In 1973, Loughnane captained Tipperary when they reached the Munster final. In a classic thriller, Loughnane scored 2-10 but ended on the losing side as a last minuteRichie Bennis point gave Limerick a one-point win on a scoreline of 6-7 to 2-18. The rest of the 1970s proved to be a bleak period for Tipperary’s hurling fortunes, however, Loughnane finished off his career by winning a National Hurling League medal in 1979. In 2009, he was ranked 111 of all-time greatest Irish hurlers by the Irish Independent.
