Denis Coughlan v Pat Moylan: Vote for Cork's best city hurlers

WITH your help, we’re looking to pick the best hurler from either side of St Patrick's Bridge from the last 50 years of action.

The Echo has pitched some of Cork’s finest hurling stars from the northside and southside of Cork city together for a series of fun head-to-head battles. Your votes will decide who goes through and you can see the full list of 16 northside and 16 southside players here.

Today's match-up is Denis Coughlan v Pat Moylan.

DENIS COUGHLAN (Glen Rovers):

IN selecting any team from any era, be it club or county, the Glen’s Denis Coughlan would be very close to being an automatic choice. 

One of the most decorated hurlers that this great club has ever produced, he was a key figure in so many Glen Rovers triumphs at a time when the Blackpool club contained so many great clubmen, players who would die for a Glen jersey.

His glittering career spanned three decades from the ‘60s to the ‘80s and he was one of those players who fitted in comfortably in various positions. We are selecting him here for a midfield slot in this particular exercise but as a wing-back or at centre-back he would be equally at home.

Of course, it must be stressed too that was equally as accomplished when he wore the colours of St Nick’s footballers or in the county colours of Cork. In fact, he was a dual star in every sense of the word. Growing up in Maddens Buildings, one of the great homes of Blackpool, he played with and against some of the greatest players that the great game of hurling ever produced.

Coughlan was a close friend of Christy Ring and Jack Lynch and playing alongside the maestro from Cloyne was one of the great thrills of his sporting life. With the Glen and with St Nick’s he won everything and, of course, with Cork he was a key member of the great three-in-a-row team of the ‘70s.

He was Hurler of the Year in 1977 and with the Glen he won numerous county senior titles in a side of Glen greats like Mick Lane, Finbarr O’Neill, Patsy Harte, Bill Carroll, Tom Corbett among so many others. He was a great stylist of the game but when the bar was raised higher in so many games, his physical presence was equally evident.

Coughlan was selected as an All-Star hurler on four occasions and he was a huge presence in 1973 when another Glen and St Nick’s great, Donie Donovan managed Cork to All-Ireland football glory.

You could safely say that Denis Coughlan was and remains one of the most popular and likeable people ever to grace a GAA pitch Munster club and All-Ireland club medals with his beloved Glen are two of his proudest possessions. He was one of those hurlers that could not be omitted from any starting 15, he simply had it all.

PAT MOYLAN (Blackrock):

PAT Moylan was born in 1949 and, by the time he was 21, he had won Munster championship medals in five consecutive years and All-Irelands four years on the trot.

Two years at minor level saw Cork enjoy provincial dominance, with Moylan excellent at midfield as he captained the county to All-Ireland glory against Wexford in 1967, atoning for the previous year’s defeat after a replay in the final.

From there, there was a seamless progression to U21 level. Before 1968, Cork had claimed that title once – by the time Moylan departed the grade, three more had been added, with the Blackrock man having a different midfield partner in each of 1968, 1969 and 1970.

While Moylan had made his league debut for the senior team in the 1969-70 team, he would have to wait until 1973 for this championship bow, scoring a point in a defeat to Tipperary.

His second appearance wouldn’t come until 1976 but it was very much a case of making up for lost time. A win over Limerick gave him his first Munster senior medal and, though, Cork trailed Wexford by 2-2 to 0-0 early in the All-Ireland decider, a massive Moylan point helped Fr Bertie Troy’s team to get going, eventually winning by 2-21 to 4-11. The year ended with Moylan honoured as a member of the All-Star hurling team.

As with his U21 experience, Moylan would go on to be a member of a team winning three All-Irelands in a row. While he earned a fourth straight Munster medal in 1979, Cork’s four-in-a-row dreams were dashed at the All-Ireland semi-final stage by Galway but there was some consolation the following spring as he won a national league medal, with another following in 1981.

In addition to the success enjoyed in the red of Cork, Moylan was also integral to what was a fruitful period for Blackrock. 

They won the Cork SHC in 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978 and 1979, with Munster glory following on each occasion while three of the victories were converted into All-Ireland club titles.

Beyond the playing prowess, he was also a great clubman. During 2020, Blackrock ran a series called Standing on The Shoulders of Giants and the instalment that looked at Moylan featured the following comment: “He gave commitment, time and knowledge to the youngest of hurlers when he was still in his prime. I remember when I was around eight or nine, walking home on a high after being praised by Pat at one of the Saturday academy sessions.”