Denis Coughlan was one of the finest men and best GAA players to ever wear both Cork jerseys

When the news filtered through last week that the Cork Glen Rovers/St Nicks stalwart Denis Coughlan had passed away there was natural shock and sadness among the entire GAA community.

Denis (80) was widely respected and was holder of three senior All-Ireland medals and one senior football medal.

It is well documented Glen Rovers club from Blackpool has produced some of the greatest hurlers of the last century.

Players like Christy Ring, Jack Lynch, Din Joe Buckley, Charlie Tobin and Paddy Fox Collins were all players of rare quality that played with this famous club.

The name of Denis Coughlan is another outstanding one in that long list of famous players as in the sixties and seventies he was one of the club’s famous players.

Born in 1945 at Maddens Buildings he began playing with Cuchullain’s in the juvenile section of Glen Rovers team run by Jimmy O’Rourke who done trojan work at that time.

Coughlan was educated at the North Monastery and although getting plenty of coaching at the famed hurling nursery the Mon went through a lean time in producing quality teams to compete for honours.

After a serious of disappointments at underage level fortune began to smile on Denis in 1964 as he won an All-Ireland Junior football medal with Cork.

In the same year he won his first Cork Senior hurling county medal with Glen Rovers and a year later added his second hurling championship as well as helping sister club St Nicholas to a Senior football title.

The 1966 victory with St Nick’s meant that Denis had the honour of captaining the Cork Senior football team in 1967.

Cork defeated Kerry in the Munster final and Cavan in the All Ireland semi- final but unfortunately, they came up short in the final when they lost to Meath 1-9 to 0-9.

In 1968 Denis suffered more disappointment when Cork Senior hurlers were easily defeated by Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final and the following year after getting dropped Cork won the title as the elusive medal passed him by.

Throughout this period Denis was the most consistent dual hurler and footballer but in 1972 he suffered a third All-Ireland defeat when Cork lost an eight-point second half lead as Kilkenny once again broke the hearts of the Leesiders.

There was consolation that season when Denis won a Senior county medal with the Glen and he also picked up his first All-Star award.

A year later in 1973 Denis’s hard work eventually began to bear fruit as he played centre field in the Cork senior football team that defeated Galway 3-17 to 2-13.

In 1974 he became the first man to captain Cork to win the Munster Senior football championship twice.

After their magnificent win against Kerry Cork were hot favourites to retain their All-Ireland crown but they were stunned in the semi-final when they lost to Dublin.

At the end of that year the strain of playing top level hurling and football began taking his toll on Denis and he decided to retire from both codes but after a two-year break, he decided to return in 1976.

The good times certainly came back for Denis as over the next five seasons he won three Senior All-Ireland titles with Cork in 1976, ’77 and 1978 with three All-Stars coming in the same years.

He also won four Munster hurling medals and a National Hurling league medal in 1980.

Denis has many great memories of his sporting career, but the year of 1969 is one he will never forget.

“I will never forget the Munster championship of 1969 when we defeated Tipperary as it was 15 years since Cork had beaten them in a Munster championship and that win meant a lot to us.” 

After captaining the Glen in 1973 and 1980 they lost both finals and in his own words those defeats really hurt him.

On a final note, Denis reflected on the good times.

“I had the pleasure of playing with Christy Ring for three years as he was a special hurler and a special person that made him unique.” 

Denis once stated medals and trophies are not the most important thing when you are playing sport.

“Some of the greatest people I have met have been involved in the GAA where I developed a lot of close friendships as you can only play sport to a certain age, but friends and friendships should last a lifetime.” 

May Denis’s wife Margaret, family and friends find comfort that his impact in life was immense and that he will always be remembered with great respect, admiration and affection for ever more.