[1][2] Born in Shannon, County Clare, O'Loughlin was educated locally before later attending Villiers School in Limerick.
As part of her internship she worked on the Today with Pat Kenny show on RTÉ Radio 1 where she reported on a range of current affairs subjects.
[citation needed] After returning to Ireland, O'Loughlin joined Clare FM where she read the news and also reported on local issues.
She spent some time as a radio journalist before embarking on a career with the print media as a reporter with the Evening Echo and the Limerick Leader.
[citation needed] In 2001 O'Loughlin switched to television when she joined TV3 News where she began working in the newsroom behind the scenes.