A Cork priest who captained the county’s minor Gaelic football team in the 1950s is recovering from a fractured hip he sustained during a church robbery attack in Dublin.

Fr Pat Coughlan grew up in Turner’s Cross, played with Nemo Rangers GAA club, and was a Cork minor football captain in the early to mid-50s.

On March 15, Fr Coughlan and his colleague Fr Brian Starken were assaulted in the Church of the Transfiguration in Bawnogue, Clondalkin, after which the assailant made off with a quantity of cash from both priest’s wallets.

During the fracas, Fr Coughlan suffered a fractured hip as he went to the aid of his colleague, Fr Starken, who sustained a broken tooth.

A Garda spokesperson said they attended the incident which occurred at about 4.45pm on March 15. “One man aged in his 80s was conveyed to Tallaght University Hospital for treatment of injuries sustained as a result of this incident. Another man aged in his 40s was arrested in relation to this incident and has since been charged,” said the spokesperson. This person appeared before a sitting of the Circuit Courts of Justice on March 17.

Nemo Rangers Club President Bernadette Allen extended the club’s sympathies to Fr Coughlan, recalling him as a boy back in the 1950s.

“He was from Turner’s Cross, from the South Douglas Road,” said Ms Allen. “He and his brother Steve both played for the club in the 50s. But Pat went away to be a priest.” The rules then were that those studying for the Priesthood were not allowed to play competitively in the GAA. 

“He played at underage level up to minor level.” Ms Allen said she recently attended a Funeral in Dublin, where Fr Coughlan said the Mass.

Ms Allen extended her thoughts and prayers to the family. “A lot of the older members would remember Pat. I remember him playing for us in the 50s. He was a tall blonde boy. We send our best wishes to him, everyone in the club would.” 

Fr Coughlan attended school at Scoil Chríost Rí, only a few hundred yards from where the family once lived, at the start of the South Douglas Road, near John Banks Tyres.

A spokesperson for Douglas GAA Club said: "Fr Pat and his brother Steve transferred to play with the Douglas club in 1960, and in 1962 they played major roles in Douglas winning the county junior football championship title for the first time. 

"it's accepted that Douglas would not have won that title if the two lads didn't play, Both went on to become priests. Fr Steve left the priesthood years later and went on to run a highly successful business from Drimoleague, manufacturing Rynhard. He died some years ago and is buried in Bantry.

"Only five of that junior team are alive today, and they send their very best wishes to Fr Pat for a speedy recovery. Both players were enormous loses to Douglas. There is no knowing what the club could have achieved had they been available to play on a regular basis."