Denis Coughlan Award Dec '07
Distinquished career award for outstanding dual star.
The decision to introduce this award three years ago has proved to be an outstanding success and this years recipient dual star Denis Coughlan received a wonderful reception when presented with the award by 96/103 FM’s news and sports editor Barry O’Mahoney. Denis enjoyed a remarkably successful career with Glen Rovers, St Nick’s and both Cork senior teams. Every honour in the game came his way, 4 All-Ireland senior hurling medals, 1 football medal, county medals with Glen Rovers and St Nick’s Munster club medals in both codes and he also captained Glen Rvs to win the All-Ireland club title. Munster C’ship medals, All-Star hurler and Railway Cup memento and a host of other awards came his way for a wonderfully skilled hurler and footballer, while Denis had the distinction of captaining Cork in the 1967 All-Ireland football final, as well as coaching the Cork minor and under 21 hurlers, the Cork senior footballers and of course both Glen and St Nick’s senior teams.
In accepting the award Denis gave a wonderfully witty response recalling a number of interesting incidents mostly against himself, but on a far more serious note expressed concern at the direction inter-county games were going as “we seem to be losing our identity in the interests of commercialism, to win an All-Ireland medal is a special achievement and players should remember we are only custodians of the county jersey and does not give the power to express demands.” Denis also thanked the sponsors for the honour “in a county where there are so many great players who deserve recognition, but I am delighted to accept the award and thank all involved and I wish the winners of the monthly awards the best of luck for the future.” In conclusion Denis thanked his family for their support throughout his career a career that is rich in memories of training in the Glen Field with his hero Christy Ring and his best memory “without doubt the 1969 Munster Hurling Final win over Tipperary, in which I think I played my best ever game for Cork.”
Denis was accompanied by his wife Margaret, daughters Ciara and Margaret, son Jonathan and daughter-in-law Deborah, while his guests included Glen Rovers President Dave O’Brien and Leo Cantwell. Jerry Howe St Nick’s Chairman was in attendance and the sizeable club members present included Mick Byrne, Mary Newman, Joan Farrell, Jonathan Newman and Kelly Newman. Diarmuid O’Donovan whose father Doney trained the Cork team of 1973 and a member of that great team Seamus Coughlan were present, enjoying the slagging after the TG4 showing of that final on Saturday last. Connections with the three in a row winning hurling teams of 1976-78 included current Cork coach Gerald Mc Carthy and selectors during that great run Denis Hurley and Frank Murphy, while Dan Hoare a golfing colleague of Denis from ‘the Island’ was on hand to congratulate a dual star who brought great honour to Glen Rovers and St Nicks and wore the red jersey with distinction in a brilliant career and a worthy recipient of the 2007 Distinquished Career Award.
