Declan O’Mahony deservingly recognised as an AUL Soccer Legend 

Brothers Bobby and John Brohan were previous recipients of the legend awards and this year family glory goes up another notch with the selection of Declan O’Mahony of Cork Hibs and Cork Celtic, who joins his older siblings Noel and Pat on that list of outstanding sportsmen.  

Declan, like all the O'Mahonys, played his schoolboy soccer with Tramore Athletic.  

He had an array of GAA honours before he took up soccer seriously. 

A native of Ballyphehane, he attended Coláiste Chríost Rí and won Corn Uí Mhuire and Hogan (All-Ireland Colleges) football medals in 1968.

Representing minnows Ballyphehane GAA he was in goal again when Cork won the Minor All-Ireland title. 

Declan was an outstanding keeper and brought further honours to the “Hane” when winning consecutive Under-21 All-Ireland titles in 1970 and 1971.  

Conscious of his family’s huge soccer connection and the glowing reports received, Austin Noonan, recommended him to Dave Bacuzzi and he was signed as cover for Joe O’Grady. 

Declan signed for Hibs in late 1971 and received a week of intense coaching at First Division Wolves under ex-England international 'keeper Bert Williams before making his debut in a 2-1 FAI Cup first round win over Shelbourne in February 1972, as a stand-in for the missing Joe O'Grady.

He had to wait until the following October for his next appearance and missed just one game during the rest of the season, keeping 18 clean sheets in 41 games and winning FAl Cup, Shield, Dublin City Cup and Munster Senior Cup medals. 

Deckie was excellent when Hibs advanced to round two after beating Pezoporikos in the Euro Cup Winners Cup first round. 

With Deckie in defiant form, Hibs then gave League of Ireland soccer a great boost by holding formidable German side Schalke 04 scoreless at the Lodge. 

In the away leg Hibs were under intense bombardment for almost 90 minutes and Declan had to be at his very best to keep the score down to three and was later the recipient of glowing praise from the German media.  

In the FAI Cup final against Shelbourne at Dalymount, Declan and his opposite number Paddy Roche were shot proof so it was down to Flower Lodge the following Sunday for the replay, it was the first time ever that the final was played outside Dublin. 

Roche was the busier of the net-minders on this occasion. 

Deckie dealt comfortably with all the Dubliners' threats and Hibs went on to become only the second team, along with Shamrock Rovers, to retain the cup thanks to delightful Humphreys goal. 

Declan vied with Joe O'Grady for the number one spot in the following two seasons, during which he made 40 appearances and won another Munster Cup medal in ‘75 when Hibs defeated Cork Celtic 3-0. 

He joined Cork Celtic in 1975 and was one of the busiest keepers in the league as Celtic were then on the decline. 

He returned to Gaelic football in 1977 with St Finbarr’s as a full forward and he went on to win a County senior title and two All-Ireland Club medals. 

Declan answered an SOS from Everton and played for a season with them in the Munster Senior League and Intermediate Cup and afterwards was available to them when needed. 

Ten years after his soccer retirement he was the hero of the hour when in a dramatic All-Ireland Club semi-final, he created Barrs three goals when they defeated Castleblaney. 

A few weeks later he popped over some vital points in Croke Park to complete the mission. 

The Cork AUL are delighted with the opportunity to add another memento to his collection by selecting him as the Cork Soccer Legend Award winner for 2024.