Denis Coughlan
Encyclopedia
Denis Coughlan is a notable Irish
sportsperson. He played hurling
and football
with his local clubs Glen Rovers
and St. Nicholas'
respectively. Coughlan also played hurling and football with the Cork senior inter-county teams. He is regarded as one of Cork’s greatest dual player
s.
with the Glen Rovers
club on the north side of Cork city. He played his club football
with the Glen’s sister club St. Nicholas'
. Coughlan first tasted success in 1964 when he won his first senior county hurling title
. One of his colleagues on that team was the legendary Christy Ring
. Coughlan later went on to win a Munster
club hurling title that year. In 1965 he won a county football title with St. Nick’s. Coughlan captured a successive county football title in 1966, before later going on to win a Munster
club football medal. The rest of the 1960s saw Coughlan add two more county hurling titles to his collection in 1967 and 1969. In 1972 Coughlan won a fourth county hurling title. This was later converted into a second Munster club title. ‘The Glen’ later qualified for the All-Ireland club final. The game wasn’t played until December 1973 because of a dispute, however, Glen Rovers defeated St. Rynagh's
of Offaly giving Coughlan a coveted All-Ireland
medal. Three years later in 1976 he won his fifth and final county hurling title. Coughlan subsequently added a third Munster club title to his collection before collecting a second All-Ireland club hurling medal following a victory over Camross of Laois.
medal following a three-game series of games against Wexford
.
In 1967 Coughlan was appointed captain of the Cork senior football team. That year he won his first Munster
football medal following a victory over arch-rivals Kerry
. Coughlan later lead his men out in Croke Park
for an All-Ireland final meeting with Meath
. Cork led by three points to one after a terrible first-half, however, they ended up losing the game on a score line of 1-9 to 0-9. Two years later in 1969 Coughlan played a key role at midfield as a member of the Cork senior hurling team. That year he won his first Munster
hurling medal following a trouncing of Tipperary
in the provincial final. Cork later faced Kilkenny
in the All-Ireland final and were on top for much of the game. Kilkenny, however, came from behind and scored five points without reply in the last seven minutes to win the game.
The following year Cork’s hurling team won the Munster title once again before later capturing the All-Ireland title. Coughlan, however, played no part with the inter-county team this year. He returned in 1971 to win a second Munster football medal as Cork defeated Kerry, the reigning All-Ireland champions. Unfortunately, Cork were later defeated by Offaly
in the All-Ireland semi-final. The following year Coughlan was back on the hurling team and he captured his first National Hurling League
title as well as a second Munster title in the process. Cork later faced Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final, a game regarded by many as one of the classic games of the modern era. Cork were leading Kilkenny by eight points, however, ‘the Cats’ fought back and eventually won the game by seven points. After playing in his third All-Ireland final Coughlan had ended up on the losing side once again.
In 1973 Coughlan was appointed captain of the Cork senior hurling team. Only a handful of players have had the honour of captaining both the Cork senior footballers and senior hurlers in the championship. Coughlan had little success with the hurlers on this occasion. He did, however, win a third Munster title with the county’s footballers. Cork later qualified for the championship decider where they faced Galway
. The game was a high-scoring affair with victory going to Cork for the first time since 1945. Coughlan had finally collected his first All-Ireland
medal. In 1974 he became the first person ever to captain Cork to a second Munster football title. It was Coughlan’s fourth Munster football title in all. Unfortunately, Cork were later surprisingly beaten by Dublin
in the All-Ireland semi-final. 1974 also saw Coughlan also win a second National Hurling League medal, however, Cork’s hurlers had little success in the championship. The team’s defeat by Waterford
brought the curtain down on Coughlan’s inter-county hurling career, although he remained a key member of the Cork football team.
Coughlan’s retirement from hurling didn’t last long as he returned in 1976 to win a third Munster hurling medal. This victory allowed Cork to advance straight to the All-Ireland final where Wexford
provided the opposition. Things got off to a bad start as Wexford went 2-2 up after just eight minutes. Cork fought back and ended up winning the game on a score line of 2-21 to 4-11. The man who had retired just two years earlier had finally won a coveted All-Ireland
hurling medal. In 1977 Coughlan won his fourth Munster hurling title. Cork subsequently qualified for the All-Ireland final where Wexford provided the opposition for the second consecutive year. The game was just was close as the previous encounter, however, Cork ended up as the victors once again giving Coughlan a second consecutive All-Ireland medal. In 1978 Cork defeated Clare
for the second year in-a-row in the provincial final giving Coughlan a fifth Munster title. This victory allowed Cork to advance directly to the All-Ireland final where Kilkenny provided the opposition. The game ebbed and flowed for most of the seventy minutes with no clear winner emerging. Thirteen minutes from the end Jimmy Barry-Murphy
scored a goal that gave Cork a definitive victory. Cork had captured their third championship victory in-a-row and Coughlan, the man who came back, won his third All-Ireland title. There was talk of Coughlan retiring after this victory, but the possibility of winning a fourth All-Ireland medal in-a-row proved too tempting an offer to turn down. In 1979 he won his sixth Munster hurling medal and it looked as if Cork might win an elusive fourth championship title. Things came unstuck for Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final as Galway
defeated the champions. Coughlan continued playing hurling in 1980 and he won a third National Hurling League medal. He retired from inter-county hurling shortly afterwards.
in the Railway Cup inter-provincial hurling and football competitions. With the footballers he ended up on the winning side in 1972. He won a Railway Cup hurling medal in 1978.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
sportsperson. He played hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
and football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
with his local clubs Glen Rovers
Glen Rovers GAA
Glen Rovers is a Cork-based Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Ballyvolane and Blackpool areas of Cork city, Ireland. The club was founded in 1916 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling.-Colours:...
and St. Nicholas'
St. Nicholas' GAA
St. Nicholas’ Gaelic Football Club is a Cork-based Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Ballyvolane and Blackpool areas of Cork city, Ireland. The club was founded in 1901 and is solely concerned with the game of Gaelic football. St...
respectively. Coughlan also played hurling and football with the Cork senior inter-county teams. He is regarded as one of Cork’s greatest dual player
Dual player
Dual player or dual star is a term used in Gaelic games to describe a player who plays both Men's Gaelic football and Hurling or Ladies' Gaelic football and Camogie. The player doesn't necessarily have to play at the same standard in both sports...
s.
Club
Coughlan played his club hurlingHurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
with the Glen Rovers
Glen Rovers GAA
Glen Rovers is a Cork-based Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Ballyvolane and Blackpool areas of Cork city, Ireland. The club was founded in 1916 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling.-Colours:...
club on the north side of Cork city. He played his club football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
with the Glen’s sister club St. Nicholas'
St. Nicholas' GAA
St. Nicholas’ Gaelic Football Club is a Cork-based Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Ballyvolane and Blackpool areas of Cork city, Ireland. The club was founded in 1901 and is solely concerned with the game of Gaelic football. St...
. Coughlan first tasted success in 1964 when he won his first senior county hurling title
Cork Senior Hurling Championship
The Evening Echo Cork County Senior Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Cork County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in the county of Cork in Ireland....
. One of his colleagues on that team was the legendary Christy Ring
Christy Ring
Nicholas Christopher Michael Ring , better known as Christy Ring, was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with the Glen Rovers club from 1941 until 1967 and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1939 until 1963. Ring is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers in...
. Coughlan later went on to win a Munster
Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1964 for the top hurling clubs in the province of Munster in Ireland...
club hurling title that year. In 1965 he won a county football title with St. Nick’s. Coughlan captured a successive county football title in 1966, before later going on to win a Munster
Munster Senior Club Football Championship
The Munster Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament played between the hundreds of senior football clubs in Munster. The winners will represent Munster in the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship. East Kerry were the first winners of the Munster senior...
club football medal. The rest of the 1960s saw Coughlan add two more county hurling titles to his collection in 1967 and 1969. In 1972 Coughlan won a fourth county hurling title. This was later converted into a second Munster club title. ‘The Glen’ later qualified for the All-Ireland club final. The game wasn’t played until December 1973 because of a dispute, however, Glen Rovers defeated St. Rynagh's
St. Rynagh's GAA
St. Rynagh's is a Gaelic Athletic Association club that encompasses the towns of Cloghan and Banagher in County Offaly, in Ireland. Formed in 1961, the club gained almost immediate success - winning the senior championship in 1965. St. Rynagh's went on to appear in three All-Ireland club finals...
of Offaly giving Coughlan a coveted All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling tournament played between hundreds of senior hurling clubs in Ireland. The Tommy Moore Cup is awarded to the winners. The current champions are Clarinbridge...
medal. Three years later in 1976 he won his fifth and final county hurling title. Coughlan subsequently added a third Munster club title to his collection before collecting a second All-Ireland club hurling medal following a victory over Camross of Laois.
Inter-county
Coughlan first tasted success on the inter-county scene as a member of the Cork under-21 hurling team. That year he won a Munster title in this grade before later collecting an All-IrelandAll-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of hurling played in Ireland...
medal following a three-game series of games against Wexford
Wexford GAA
The Wexford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Wexford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Wexford. The county board is also responsible for the Wexford inter-county teams.-History:Hurling has been played in...
.
In 1967 Coughlan was appointed captain of the Cork senior football team. That year he won his first Munster
Munster Senior Football Championship
The Munster Senior Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition in the game of football played in the province of Munster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Munster Council and are played during the summer months...
football medal following a victory over arch-rivals Kerry
Kerry GAA
The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...
. Coughlan later lead his men out in Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
for an All-Ireland final meeting with Meath
Meath GAA
The Meath County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Meath GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Meath, as well as for Meath inter-county teams.- Pre-1960s :...
. Cork led by three points to one after a terrible first-half, however, they ended up losing the game on a score line of 1-9 to 0-9. Two years later in 1969 Coughlan played a key role at midfield as a member of the Cork senior hurling team. That year he won his first Munster
Munster Senior Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Munster in Ireland....
hurling medal following a trouncing of Tipperary
Tipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...
in the provincial final. Cork later faced Kilkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
in the All-Ireland final and were on top for much of the game. Kilkenny, however, came from behind and scored five points without reply in the last seven minutes to win the game.
The following year Cork’s hurling team won the Munster title once again before later capturing the All-Ireland title. Coughlan, however, played no part with the inter-county team this year. He returned in 1971 to win a second Munster football medal as Cork defeated Kerry, the reigning All-Ireland champions. Unfortunately, Cork were later defeated by Offaly
Offaly GAA
The Offaly County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Offaly GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Offaly...
in the All-Ireland semi-final. The following year Coughlan was back on the hurling team and he captured his first National Hurling League
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
title as well as a second Munster title in the process. Cork later faced Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final, a game regarded by many as one of the classic games of the modern era. Cork were leading Kilkenny by eight points, however, ‘the Cats’ fought back and eventually won the game by seven points. After playing in his third All-Ireland final Coughlan had ended up on the losing side once again.
In 1973 Coughlan was appointed captain of the Cork senior hurling team. Only a handful of players have had the honour of captaining both the Cork senior footballers and senior hurlers in the championship. Coughlan had little success with the hurlers on this occasion. He did, however, win a third Munster title with the county’s footballers. Cork later qualified for the championship decider where they faced Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
. The game was a high-scoring affair with victory going to Cork for the first time since 1945. Coughlan had finally collected his first All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...
medal. In 1974 he became the first person ever to captain Cork to a second Munster football title. It was Coughlan’s fourth Munster football title in all. Unfortunately, Cork were later surprisingly beaten by Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
in the All-Ireland semi-final. 1974 also saw Coughlan also win a second National Hurling League medal, however, Cork’s hurlers had little success in the championship. The team’s defeat by Waterford
Waterford GAA
The Waterford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Waterford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for all levels of Gaelic games in County Waterford. The County Board is also responsible for the Waterford inter-county teams. The county...
brought the curtain down on Coughlan’s inter-county hurling career, although he remained a key member of the Cork football team.
Coughlan’s retirement from hurling didn’t last long as he returned in 1976 to win a third Munster hurling medal. This victory allowed Cork to advance straight to the All-Ireland final where Wexford
Wexford GAA
The Wexford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Wexford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Wexford. The county board is also responsible for the Wexford inter-county teams.-History:Hurling has been played in...
provided the opposition. Things got off to a bad start as Wexford went 2-2 up after just eight minutes. Cork fought back and ended up winning the game on a score line of 2-21 to 4-11. The man who had retired just two years earlier had finally won a coveted All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
hurling medal. In 1977 Coughlan won his fourth Munster hurling title. Cork subsequently qualified for the All-Ireland final where Wexford provided the opposition for the second consecutive year. The game was just was close as the previous encounter, however, Cork ended up as the victors once again giving Coughlan a second consecutive All-Ireland medal. In 1978 Cork defeated Clare
Clare GAA
The Clare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Clare GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Clare. The county board is also responsible for the Clare inter-county teams....
for the second year in-a-row in the provincial final giving Coughlan a fifth Munster title. This victory allowed Cork to advance directly to the All-Ireland final where Kilkenny provided the opposition. The game ebbed and flowed for most of the seventy minutes with no clear winner emerging. Thirteen minutes from the end Jimmy Barry-Murphy
Jimmy Barry-Murphy
James "Jimmy" Barry-Murphy is a former Irish hurler, Gaelic footballer and association footballer and is the current manager of the Cork senior hurling team...
scored a goal that gave Cork a definitive victory. Cork had captured their third championship victory in-a-row and Coughlan, the man who came back, won his third All-Ireland title. There was talk of Coughlan retiring after this victory, but the possibility of winning a fourth All-Ireland medal in-a-row proved too tempting an offer to turn down. In 1979 he won his sixth Munster hurling medal and it looked as if Cork might win an elusive fourth championship title. Things came unstuck for Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final as Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
defeated the champions. Coughlan continued playing hurling in 1980 and he won a third National Hurling League medal. He retired from inter-county hurling shortly afterwards.
Provincial
Coughlan also lined out with MunsterMunster GAA
The Munster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Munster.-Constituent counties:*Cork*Clare*Kerry*Limerick*Tipperary*Waterford-Honours:...
in the Railway Cup inter-provincial hurling and football competitions. With the footballers he ended up on the winning side in 1972. He won a Railway Cup hurling medal in 1978.
Honours
| Competition | No. | Years |
|---|---|---|
| HURLING HONOURS | ||
| All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland.... s |
3 | 1976 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1976 -Season:-References:* Corry, Eoghan, The GAA Book of Lists .* Donegan, Des, The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games .... , 1977 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1977 -Miscellaneous:* At the Munster final between Cork and Clare, three armed men entered the unguarded room, held up the Munster Council treasurer, Tadhg Crowley, and his assistants, and got away with £24,520.... , 1978 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1978 The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1978 was the 92nd series of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, Ireland's premier hurling knock-out competition... |
| Munster Senior Hurling Championship Munster Senior Hurling Championship The Munster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Munster in Ireland.... s |
5 | 1969, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979 |
| National Hurling League National Hurling League The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One... s |
1 | 1980 |
| All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship The All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling tournament played between hundreds of senior hurling clubs in Ireland. The Tommy Moore Cup is awarded to the winners. The current champions are Clarinbridge... s (Glen Rovers Glen Rovers GAA Glen Rovers is a Cork-based Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Ballyvolane and Blackpool areas of Cork city, Ireland. The club was founded in 1916 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling.-Colours:... ) |
2 | 1972, 1976 |
| All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship The All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of hurling played in Ireland... s |
1 | 1966 |
| Railway Cups | 1 | 1978 |
| Hurling All-Star Awards GAA All Stars Awards The All Stars Awards, currently sponsored by Vodafone, are given annually since 1971 by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the best player in each of the fifteen positions in Gaelic football and Hurling in Ireland. Additionally, one player in each code is selected as the player of the year... |
3 | 1976, 1977, 1978 |
| Texaco Hurler of the Year Texaco Hurler of the Year The Texaco Hurler of the Year is a hurling award, created in 1958, that honours the achievements of a hurler of outstanding excellence. The award is part of the Texaco Sportstars Awards, in which Irish sportspeople from all fields are honoured.... |
1 | 1977 |
| FOOTBALL HONOURS | ||
| All-Ireland Senior Football Championship All-Ireland Senior Football Championship The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn... s |
1 | 1973 |
| Munster Senior Football Championship Munster Senior Football Championship The Munster Senior Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition in the game of football played in the province of Munster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Munster Council and are played during the summer months... s |
4 | 1967, 1971, 1973, 1974 |
| Railway Cups | 1 | 1972 |